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(352) 316-4088
Tell Us How We Did
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If you live in North Central Florida, you’re likely familiar with the term hard water. In Florida, it’s common for homeowners to experience “extremely hard” or “very hard” water from their well due to large amounts of Limestone in the ground and soil found in most of the state.
The term hard water was originally applied to any water that was hard to wash in, referring to water that prevents soap from lathering. But, how do you know if you have hard water and what are the negative effects it has on you, your family, and your home? Outside of professional water testing, there are a few key signs to look out for.
If you notice a recurring reddish brown ring in your toilet at the water line and find rusty looking areas in your shower or tub, iron in your water is the likely culprit.
If you have hard water, you may also notice film and scale on your bath and kitchen fixtures, shower walls and toilets. Your shower doors may start to look opaque and dirty from the water stains and the scaley build up. These stains can normally be cleaned easily, with vinegar and other cleaning solutions. However, until the hard water is addressed, this issue will continue to get worse.
If you pull your dishes out of your dishwasher after a cycle and find a film covering your glassware, you likely have hard water. This buildup not only makes you want to wash everything twice, but it can cause a foul taste to your water.
A water softener integrated into your plumbing system will fix this issue.
If you’ve been experiencing dry skin or see a change in the health of your hair, hard water could be your problem. Because hard water prevents soap from lathering and rinsing, it doesn’t completely rinse shampoo or soap off of your body or out of your hair. This can leave a thick layer of residue on your skin and your scalp that can lead to dryness, irritation, and dandruff.
In addition to dry skin, you may also notice your hair color quickly fading, split ends or even that you’re more prone to razor burn.
Do you feel like your whites are looking yellow and your towels are feeling rough and scratchy? Hard water could be the reason.
As mentioned in #3, it’s harder to rinse soap off of skin or clothing. Because of this, it’s common for hard water to leave behind residue that actually increases soil build up on clothing. Laundry washed in hard water tend to look dingy and can wear out 40 percent faster than clothing washed in softer water! Think about the impact that hard water is having just on your closet!
And that’s not the only waste of money. Because it’s harder to wash with hard water, those who have it tend to use almost 4X more detergent just to get their clothing clean. Not to mention that amount of fabric softener that you’re probably using to combat the water.
Still not convinced that hard water has an impact on your wallet? We’re confident that this last sign will change your mind.
An overabundance of minerals in your water (causing it to be hard) can have a huge impact on your plumbing and therefore your appliances. Steel pipes can become easily damaged due to hard water and therefore decrease water flow. When this happens, not only are pipe repairs more likely, your appliances are forced to work harder.
It can require almost 30% more energy to heat your water if you have mineral imbalance. Not only does this increase your energy bills, it puts wear and tear on your water heater, therefore shortening its lifespan. The same issues can happen to washer machines and dishwashers, costing you expensive repairs.
If you’re experiencing any of the signs outlined above, we highly encourage you to get your water tested. Private well testing should be done regularly, but that also applies to commercial concerns, including decorative ponds and fountains which can become sources of contamination.
Our water softening systems are designed to take the harmful, hard minerals out of your water and make it soft again. You’ll enjoy smooth hair, clean clothes, great tasting water, and no ugly stains on your water fixtures.
Call us and we’ll test your home’s water and discuss options for your water softening treatment, getting your water back to where it needs to be!
