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Hard water is water that carries a lot of dissolved calcium and magnesium. It is not a health concern, but it leaves a trail through the house: scale on faucets and shower doors, a film on glasses, soap that will not lather, and, out of sight, a growing crust inside the water heater and the pipes. Much of Bergen County's water is moderately hard, and houses on private wells can be harder still.
How to tell
- White or chalky deposits around faucets, shower heads and the base of the kettle
- Spots on glassware from the dishwasher
- Soap scum that comes back quickly on tiles and shower doors
- A water heater that rumbles or pops as it heats
- Shower heads and aerators that keep clogging
Your water supplier's annual water quality report states the hardness, in grains per gallon or in milligrams per liter. Roughly, up to 3 grains per gallon is soft, 3 to 7 is moderate, and above 7 is hard. A water hardness test strip gives you a reading in a minute, which matters most on a well.
What it costs you
Scale is an insulator. A layer of it on the bottom of a water heater, or on an electric element, makes the heater work harder for the same hot water and shortens its life. Scale narrows pipes and clogs the small passages in faucets, shower heads, dishwashers, washing machines and boilers. Appliance makers are consistent that hard water is among the main reasons their products fail early.
Dealing with the symptoms
- Faucets and shower heads: soak in white vinegar for an hour, or overnight in a bag for a shower head that will not come off.
- The kettle and coffee maker: run a vinegar and water mix through, then rinse well.
- Shower doors: vinegar, or a scale remover, and a squeegee after each shower to stop the build-up.
- The water heater: flush it every year, and consider a shorter interval on very hard water.
- The dishwasher: use a rinse aid, and clean the filter monthly.
Dealing with the cause
A water softener removes the calcium and magnesium by exchanging them for sodium, and it is the only approach that stops scale throughout the house. A softener needs:
- A drain for its periodic regeneration
- Salt added to its tank every month or two
- Space near where the water enters the house
- Installation by a plumber, with a bypass valve so that it can be serviced
Many people soften only the hot water, or leave the kitchen cold tap and outdoor faucets unsoftened, because softened water is slightly salty and not ideal for plants. If anyone in the house is on a low sodium diet, potassium chloride can be used instead of salt, at a higher cost, or a separate drinking water tap can be left unsoftened.
Scale inhibitors are cartridges or electronic devices that claim to stop scale from sticking without removing the minerals. The evidence for the electronic kind is weak. Phosphate cartridge filters do reduce scale on a water heater and are sometimes fitted in front of one.
Filters on the whole house or under the sink improve taste and remove sediment and chlorine, but ordinary filters do not remove hardness.
Is a softener worth it?
On moderately hard town water, many households manage well with vinegar and an annual heater flush. On hard water, especially with a well, a softener usually pays for itself in the life of the water heater and the appliances alone, and the difference in the shower is noticeable from the first day.
When to call a plumber
- To have your water tested properly, especially on a well
- To install a softener or a whole-house filter, which involves cutting into the main supply
- If scale has already reduced the flow through the water heater or the pipes
Find a licensed plumber near your town.