What Exactly Is Hard Water? Insights from a Pentair Water Softening Company in Plainfield, Illinois

At some point in time, you’ve likely heard the term “hard water”. This phrase is particularly popular in the Chicagoland area. This begs the question: what exactly is hard water, and why is it talked about?

This Pentair water softening company in Plainfield, Illinois is going to answer that question below, reviewing the characteristics of hard water and the potential impact of using it in your home.

What Is Hard Water?

Hard water is simply water with a high content of calcium and magnesium. Specifically, it’s water with a grains per gallon figure of seven or greater. This refers to the number of calcium or magnesium grains contained within a given water sample.

Water that’s hard can bring about several problems. Not only does hard water have an adverse effect on the skin and hair, but it can also cause buildup within water pipes — not to mention place undue wear and tear on water-based appliances. Some other potential problems include reduced soap suds, prematurely deteriorating clothing, and limescale buildup.

What Factors Dictate Water’s Hardness?

We’ve established that water hardness is all about how much calcium and magnesium a batch of water contains. What you might still be wondering, however, is what factors lead to that level of calcium and magnesium being present?

There’s one factor that makes the bulk of the difference: the content of the soil from where the water was initially collected. If the soil is high in calcium and magnesium, any water brought up from that soil is going to be high in calcium and magnesium as well. In other words, it’s going to be hard.

Soil content varies from location to location. That said, in general, across a specific region, the soil content tends to be somewhat uniform. In the Chicagoland area, the soil tends to contain an above-average level of calcium and magnesium. Because of this, the water in the area tends to be hard. If you would like to have the water in your home tested, you can always contact your local Pentair water softening company in Plainfield, Illinois.

The Downsides of Hard Water

You might be wondering: what difference does it make if water is hard? Is hard water problematic in some way?

While hard water isn’t particularly bad for human health, it can cause a host of problems. These include problems such as limescale buildup, water pipe buildup (that results in clogs and blockages), reduced soap suds, plus the drying out of the skin and hair.

Together, these problems point to hard water being quite the nuisance. While hard water isn’t the worst thing you can encounter, it’s not particularly pleasant to deal with either. If you’re looking to learn more about the downsides of hard water, you can always reach out to a Pentair water softening company in Plainfield, Illinois.

Getting Rid of Hard Water

The good thing is that you can easily eliminate hard water from your home. All you’ll need to do is install a water softener. This machine will remove calcium and magnesium from your water supply through a process known as ion exchange. In doing so, it will make your water soft, and therefore make it more functional as well.

Looking for a Pentair Water Softening Company in Plainfield, Illinois?

Are you tired of dealing with hard water in your home? If so, and if you’re ready to have the right system installed by a Pentair water softening company in Plainfield, Illinois, you’ve come to the right place — our experts at Johnson Water Conditioning are here to help. Contact us today to request a free estimate.