Learn how to protect your appliances from hard water damage
Home appliances are expensive and costly to replace. If your home has hard water, appliances that use water can deteriorate over time due to mineral buildup caused by poor water quality. Detergents and other cleaning products may help reduce some of the effects of hard water, but they will not protect your appliances from hard water damage. The fact is that soft water can help solve hard water problems for every water-using appliance in your home. In fact, in many cases, appliance manufacturers recommend using soft water for optimal performance. Some manufacturers may even void your appliance warranty if hard water is used.
Any water-using appliance in your home can be negatively affected by hard water. Washing machines, dishwashers, and water heaters are three costly appliances that can be particularly affected.
Hard water and washing machines
Many complaints about washing machines producing poor results can be attributed to hard water. Hardness minerals interfere with the cleaning action of soaps and detergents. As a result, people tend to use more laundry detergent to compensate for hard water, and even then, they may not achieve the desired results. Hardness minerals also react with detergents, creating a chalky white residue that can make fabrics feel stiff and rough. It can also cause colours to fade. Scale can build up inside washing machines as well, reducing their performance and efficiency. As hard water minerals accumulate on the pump and other moving parts, the appliance may eventually begin to malfunction.
Hard water and dishwashers
Hard water is one of the main reasons dishes may not come out clean from the dishwasher. Dishwasher detergents cannot achieve optimal results when used with hard water. Spots and poor cleaning performance can often be attributed to the chemical reaction caused by minerals in untreated hard water. When this happens, water droplets that dry on glassware can leave hard water spots and may permanently etch the glass. Over time, glassware can develop a dull, cloudy appearance that cannot be reversed. Some people use rinse aids to reduce spotting on glasses and utensils, but using soft water and lower drying temperatures can help eliminate this problem.
In addition, hard water can gradually reduce the efficiency of your dishwasher’s components, potentially leading to the premature replacement of an expensive appliance.
Hard water and water heaters
Whether you have a gas or electric water heater, hard water can cause your appliance to consume significantly more energy than soft water. The calcium and magnesium found in hard water form a rock-like scale when heated. Scale typically builds up at the bottom of the tank or around the heating element. Once coated, the heating element must heat through this rock-like buildup before it can heat the water. This requires more energy, reduces efficiency, and can eventually cause the appliance to fail, leaving you without hot water.
The solution to protect your appliances
Install a water softener in your home. By converting hard water into soft water, a water softener can help extend the lifespan of your appliances, reduce repair costs, and lower energy consumption. You can also reduce detergent use by up to two-thirds, helping you save money on cleaning products. Clothes can look and feel better without excess minerals and detergent residue left in the fabric, and they may last longer as well.
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