Does Your H2O Need a Water Softener?

Whether you have a well or rely on the water supply from a municipality, you can have an issue with hard water in your home. All water contains minerals in varying degrees, but when calcium and magnesium levels are too high, the result is “hard” water that can cause a number of headaches for a homeowner:

• Soaps, detergents and shampoos lose their effectiveness, and they combine with minerals in the water to form an insoluble, clingy curd.
• Scaly deposits and stains form on bathroom and kitchen plumbing fixtures, and they’re difficult to remove.
• The useful lifespans of appliances such as clothes washers, ice makers, dishwashers and water heaters are shortened.
• Over time, the mineral build-up in a home’s plumbing system can cause reduced flow, sluggish drains, clogs and deterioration of the lines. If you’re experiencing hard water problems, installing a water softener could be the solution.

How Water Softeners Work

These appliances are plumbed directly into a home’s water supply, and use a process called ion exchange to “soften” the water. The supply line is routed through a tank filled with negatively-charged resin beads that capture positively-charged calcium and magnesium ions. The water that travels on through the plumbing lines contains little if any of these problem-causing minerals. When the beads become fully coated, the tank is automatically flushed with a sodium brine that cleans off the build up. Some of the benefits you’ll see after installing a water softener include:

• Savings of as much as 75 percent on the use of soaps, shampoos, dish and laundry detergents.
• Softer, cleaner laundry since soap residue and dirt aren’t imbedded in fabrics.
• Spot-free dishes and glassware.
• Lower consumption and energy savings of up to 29 percent on water heating.
• Reduced damage and wear to all water-using appliances.
• Less effort required for cleaning in the bathroom and kitchen.

If you’d like to learn whether your H2O needs a water softener, contact us at Sobieski Services. Our goal is to help educate our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC & plumbing systems).

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