Hard water is not necessarily a bad thing to have in your home, but too much of it can be problematic. How do you know if you have hard water? It comes with clear indicators that you may have already picked up on, but there are solutions to soften your water.
Champion Plumbing is Bethany’s trusted plumbers, and we help residents remove excess amounts of hard water from their Oklahoma homes. Learn about the seven signs to look for to know that you have hard water and what to do about it. Read on, and then contact our team today for help!
1. Your Shower Has Difficult-to-Remove Soap Scum.
Does your showerhead have a grimy coating on it that won’t come off even with the toughest scrubbing? You likely are dealing with soap scum from shampoo, body washes, and conditioners that hard water can’t dissolve. These materials stick to your shower and are tough to remove.
You can purchase a daily shower cleaner spray and apply it right after you take one. This will immediately work against any body care items you just used in the shower and prevent the annoying and unsightly film or coating. It will travel down the drain and not stay on your shower walls and door.
2. Your Skin, Hair, and Clothes Feel Dingy, Dirty, or Covered in Residue.
If your skin and clothes don’t feel clean, hard water could be to blame. The gross residue you experience on your shower is likely present on your clothes and body. The best way to have clean, healthier hair and moisturized, itch-free skin is to consider water softener installation for your home.
Clothes affected by hard water can smell bad, feel damp, and have stains. You may feel uncomfortable wearing clothes that should be clean alongside having itchy, dry skin from hard water. Unfortunately, more laundry detergent or other products are not enough to fix the issue.
3. Glasses Don’t Come Out of the Dishwasher Clear.
When you run the dishwasher, do your dishes and glassware have a filmy cloud on them? If your glasses aren’t crystal clear like you expect, dried hard water is creating their undesirable appearance. While you can use a rinse agent and wash and dry glassware by hand, this can get tiresome, and water softeners are the best solutions.
4. Appliances Aren’t Running as Effectively.
How do you know if you have hard water? Hard water will cause blocks in the supply and drain lines that your appliances use, and they won’t work as effectively as they once did. Hard water affects any appliances that need water to work.
5. Your Home’s Faucets Have Poor Water Pressure.
Water cannot flow as quickly or freely if the supply line is clogged or blocked with sediment. Hard water leaves behind minerals that build up and cause your faucets to take longer to produce tap water. Water pressure can worsen, and you might need to fully replace the lines to fix that.
Fortunately, you can prevent sediment buildup through a water softener. Water softeners are a smart investment to improve numerous problems in your home, improve your water usage, and make daily activities better.
6. You Notice White Scale on Numerous Surfaces.
Hard water can also show up in the form of white scale and appear on sinks, baths, or showers. You’ll also find it in your pipes, which can severely damage your plumbing. It can be difficult for water to pass through the scale, affecting pressure and the effectiveness of your plumbing system.
In some cases, pipes will work fine, and not a lot of scale is present. You can use simple methods to minimize the hard water concerns, but none will completely fix them like a water softener can. The problem could appear minor now but worsen if you leave it untreated for too long.
7. Your Water Heater Bills Are Increasing.
Your utility bills will rise if your system is running less efficiently. Hard water also leaves minerals and sediment in your water heater, so you should flush and drain it every few months. We recommend doing this task two times a year for the best results.
How Do You Confirm That You Have Hard Water?
A water hardness test kit can show if you have hard water in your home. These are often free from water softener companies, or you can find a water hardness test strip to place in a glass of tap water. Additionally, your water supply company might be able to tell you if the local supply has hard water.
You can also check if you have hard water by filling a clear bottle with 12 ounces of tap water and dish soap. While this test is not perfect at hard water detection, you can compare hard water and soft water to predict which one you have. Soft water will have clear water and soap foam at the top of the bottle, while hard water will appear cloudy and scummy.
You can purchase cleaning products, shower body care supplies, and try other tips, but the only way you can truly deal with hard water in your home is with a water softener. Our Champion Plumbing team is the preferred choice for water softener installation in Edmond and the nearby areas.
Contact Champion Plumbing for Water Softener Installation & Maintenance in Edmond, OK
We hope we’ve answered, “How do you know if you have hard water?” From ineffective appliances, itchy skin, and lifeless hair to stains and films on your glassware and clothes, hard water can create problems and discomfort everywhere. At Champion Plumbing, we offer reasonably priced and outstanding water softener services.
Edmond residents put their trust in our experts at Champion Plumbing, an experienced plumbing business serving the community and providing superior customer service. With over 1,500 client reviews, nowhere else will you find our dedication and expertise. Book services with us online or call (405) 889-1318 today.
