Last Updated on March 24, 2022 by TODD FRANZEN
Within our modern world, it’s easy to not fully realize the privilege of having running water. The water we get when we turn the faucet on is heavy with lots of dissolved minerals. In fact, approximately 80% of homes in the US have hard water, and half of these households don’t even know what hard water is.
This simple question has a complicated answer. It is my goal to break it down for you, giving you a solid understanding of what it is, how it comes to be, how to know if you have it. Along with solutions to fixing it!
So what is Hard Water?
Hard Water is something that some people are familiar with, but not all will know how it forms or where the origin comes from.
Water is considered “The Universal Solvent”. It is able to dissolve more substances than any other liquid. This includes minerals like calcium and magnesium as well salts as well as most other elements. This is why its versatility is so universally important!
Biologically speaking, our bodies are made of approximately 70% of water.
Water is life!
There are two simple types, groundwater and surface water. Both types are able to dissolve minerals during its journey. Whether through the earth to an aquifer, or collecting on the surface creating streams and rivers.
We are able to see the latter with its raw power in creating earthen formations like the Grand Canyon. Waters power eroded and dissolved the elements, creating what we see today!
The same goes for groundwater. Because water is such a good “solvent”, it is able to pick up contaminants along the way as well as other chemicals and gases as it passes through permeable rocks and subsurface soils, gravel, and sand. This is why groundwater will typically be considered “hard”.
Fun Fact: Approximately 78% of community water comes from a groundwater source!
Hard Water Definition
You’ll get a kick out of this! I wanted to know what my iPhone’s dictionary would say. “Water that contains magnesium, calcium, or iron salts in therefore forms a soap lather with difficulty”. Chemistry speaking, that’s right on. 16 words. When you think about all damage it can cause, it’s no wonder that solving the “Hard Water” issue is vitally important.
Hard water is water that has a high concentration of dissolved minerals. Specifically calcium and magnesium. But it’s not limited to just those two elements. There can also be iron and sodium as well as a large number of other minerals.
Water that comes out of our taps is considered “hard” if there is more than 120 milligrams of dissolved minerals per liter. In most cases, this is perfectly safe to drink, but it can often leave spots on dishes and glasses, and it’s not particularly pleasant to shower in.
This is due to the natural process of water seeping through and dissolving minerals from the earth’s crust. The higher the concentration of minerals, the harder it becomes.
The hard minerals can also cause problems for appliances like dishwashers and washing machines. Even your plumbing can be affected over time. If you have ever seen your shower head and the buildup causing some of the jets to clog, that’s the result of “Hard Water” over time.
The Water Hardness Scale and Map
Water hardness varies from place to place in the country. You can figure out how hard your water is by looking at a scale that measures hardness.
This map from the USGS will give you a general idea of hardness by region.
And this scale will give you a general idea of water hardness.
Hardness is a measurement of calcium carbonate in milligrams per liter (mg/L) or parts per million (ppm) as calcium carbonate equivalent. PPM and mg/L are equal measurements that can be used interchangeably.
There is a secondary measurement called Grains per gallon (GPG). This is a holdover from the days when water was distributed in barrels. One grain of hardness is equal to 17.1 mg/L or ppm. To convert GPG to mg/L, multiply by 17.1
The higher the number, the more calcium, and magnesium, the harder the water.
Hardness measurements are slightly different, depending on where online you look. But these scales should give you a good indication of water hardness.
How tTo Know If You Have Hard Water
It’s usually pretty obvious if your water is hard. There are a few signs to look out for:
- Hard water can damage your appliances over time.
- Its more difficult to get suds and a good lather when bathing or washing dishes, which means you may have to use more soap and detergent than normal.
- It can stain your sinks, bathtubs, tiles and other surfaces over time.
- Some people find that it leaves a film on their skin after bathing or showering—particularly if they have dry skin.
- Hard water can also leave mineral spots on glasses and silverware if not rinsed or whiped off immediately after being washed.
- If you have hard water, you may notice scale build-up on your faucets, showerheads. This is because the minerals can form a scale that clogs pipes and reduces preshure.
- Metalic or mineral tasting.
Testing Your Water Hardness
Fortunately, testing your water is easy and accessible. The two methods you can use are a DIY home test kit, or a more thorough solution by sending a sample of your water to a water laboratory.
At-home test kits are affordable and provide instant results.
Varify Water Hardness Test Kit
All you do is follow the instructions on the packet, which will probably look like this:
- Dip the strip into drinking water for 1-3 seconds.
- Shake off the excess.
- Compare the color of the strip to the included color chart and find the closest color match on the chart.
This will be your corresponding hardness in both grains per gallon (GPG) and parts per million (PPM).
Lab Testing
Laboratory testing is more thorough but does come with a higher price tag.
There are a few organizations that can do lab testing, but I have found that Simple lab has been the easiest to use. You can purchase through Amazon or directly.
Their kits are easy to use and directions are easy to understand. Now, you will get a lot more than just Hard Water testing, in fact, depending on the kit you choose, up to 200 different results ranging from hardness to chemicals, to VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and more.
Simply put, this is what you can expect from Tap Score’s instructions…
- The lab sends you a test kit and instructions.
- You fill the included vial (s) with a sample and send the kit back to the laboratory by post.
- The laboratory tests your water and delivers your test results over email, within about two weeks.
Testing your water hardness is a simple way to find out what kind of minerals and metals you are. No matter which method you choose, understanding the threats is an important step to take to ensure the quality of your drinking water.
What Are The Damaging Effects Of Hard Water?
At this point, you’re probably starting to understand how this can affect the things you use every day. Specifically items in your home. Faucets, showerheads, washing machines, dishwashers. Even washing your car and the spots that are created as the water dries.
Hard water can have damaging effects on your property and can cause costly repairs.
Scale build-up is one of the most common problems in homes and businesses. This scale build-up can cause a variety of problems, including:
- Clogged pipes and fixtures
- Reduced pressure
- Corrodedusted pipes
- Inefficient operation of appliances
- Increased energy costs
- Shortened appliance life spans
At the end of the day, Hard Water increases the cost of living dramatically. And at the time of this writing, the United States is experiencing the highest rate of inflation in 40 years. Any extra expense will just add to the pain. With a little forethought and planning, this can be solved! Keep reading, my solutions are coming up!
How does Hard Water Scale Build-Up Happen?
Hardness minerals (calcium, magnesium, and sometimes iron) can leave behind deposits, or scale, as water evaporates. These mineral deposits can build up over time creating layers of scaling.
How Can I Remove Hard Water Spots?
One of the biggest problems that come with hard water is spotting. You may have noticed this while washing your dishes, car, or yourself. When the droplets dry they leave spots on whatever they fall on.
You can use citrus cleaners and vinegar to clean these spots. They are more environmentally friendly than most other cleaners. But with hard water, this will be an ongoing project.
Removing hardness for good!
Solutions
Most sites will tell you that there are two different ways to treat hard water.
The first two are water softeners and conditioners. Both of these have been the standard for treatment for decades and are more known.
Softeners use salt to attract calcium and magnesium ions making the water softer. A resin captures the ions and replaces them with equal parts sodium.
Softeners are generally low maintenance and have a good life span of around 20 years. With the need to replace the resin every ten years and top off the salt about every month.
Water conditioners take a different approach. They use a process like electrical induction to change the structure of the calcium and magnesium, crystalizing them, and preventing them from sticking to the inside of the plumbing and appliances.
There are 5 types of conditioners. Magnetism, electromagnetism, electrolysis, template-assisted crystallization, and electrical induction. Due to conditioners being saltless, they are very maintenance-free and only need to be serviced every 6-10 years.
But there is a third way to soften water. the technology has been around for around three decades. The system uses Citrus instead of salt, reducing the pH to reduce or eliminate scale development. This system uses a process known as Chelation. Similar to a salt softener, but with citrus.
Making this a much more eco-friendly alternative!
Click Here to learn more about NuvoH2O and the process that it uses to soften water. (Disclaimer: I am not an affiliate for NuvoH2O, but you need to know about other cool alternative water softeners out there!)
FAQ’s
Is hard water dangerous to health?
No, hard water is rarely dangerous to health. Dissolved calcium and magnesium are actually beneficial to our health, and we need them in our daily diets. Of course, it’s possible to overdose on these minerals, but you’re highly unlikely to do this, even if you drink very hard water.
The only known health effects of hardness are to the skin and hair. These aren’t dangerous, just damaging.
Why is hardness a problem?
Mostly just for the damaging effects of scale buildup to plumbing and appliances. If you see white build-up on your shower head and faucets, it’s causing scale buildup to plumb and appliances as well.
In fact, we had to replace our hot water heater last year due to scale build-up. A softener would have solved this problem!
Do you need to treat hard water?
No. Look, you can invest in treating hard water or replace your appliances prematurely.
What is acceptable hardness PPM and GPG?
Between 0 and 100 parts per million (PPM) is acceptable water hardness. 101-150 PPM of hardness is slightly hard, so you may also consider this to be acceptable. Anything above 151 PPM will have noticeable effects on your home.
If you’re using testing strips to measure hardness in GPG (grains per gallon), a hardness of between 0 and 3 indicates that you have soft water and doesn’t need to be treated. 3-7 GPG is moderately hard that has mild effects on your home. Anything over 7 GPG is above acceptable hardness.
Is hardness regulated in the US?
No. There is no standard or legal limit in public water systems. Because calcium and magnesium aren’t toxic or dangerous to health, The EPA doesn’t consider them harmful contaminants.
Remember what I said above, water is a “universal solvent”, which means that most public supplies naturally contain hardness ions. The goal of treatment facilities is to remove lead, arsenic, pharmaceuticals, VOCs, and other metals commonly considered dangerous to drink. The mineral ions that make water hard aren’t dangerous, so they’re not a top priority to remove in the treatment process.
Why don’t all states have the same hardness?
Hardness varies depending on the geology in your local area. Some states naturally have more mineral-rich rocks in their earth, resulting in higher mineral content in their groundwater.
Hardness minerals aren’t removed from public drinking supplies. Municipal and private well’s in your local area should have similar hardness measurements. However, rural areas often have higher hardness levels than built-up cities.
Is tap water considered hard?
It can, but depends on where you live. Tap water in the US is typically considered hard. If your tap leaves limescale deposits on surfaces, it’s hard.
Is hard water OK to drink?
Yes, it is ok to drink. Moderate or high calcium and magnesium concentrations are safe and healthy. The big problem is the damage it can cause by mineral buildup. This can be a very expensive issue for your plumbing and appliances.
What do you do when you have hard water?
The most common solution to hard water is to treat it with a softening system. Softeners prevent scale deposits, either by removing dissolved minerals or crystallizing them. There are varying degrees of hardness, this will determine the type of system you need.
Just remember, if you don’t do anything it is highly likely you will experience damage to appliances and plumbing in the costly repair that comes with that.
Is hardness a quality issue?
Yes. Poor-quality water doesn’t have to taste bad or be dangerous to drink. Hardness affects quality because it causes damage like clogged pipes, decreased pressure, soap scum, and dry skin and hair. Typically, you won’t have these quality issues with soft water.
Can a filter soften water?
No, filters remove toxic contaminants from water. They’re not designed to deal with hardness. The fact is, high concentrations of calcium carbonate and magnesium will damage most filter media. You need a conditioner or softener to produce softer water in your home. Softening doesn’t make pure water, only some kinds of filters are capable of that.
Are water softeners suitable for me?
Yes – if you have the budget and you want to improve the quality of water in your home. Ion exchange systems are suitable for most people. If you have high blood pressure and you’re on a low-sodium diet, you should look at salt-free conditioners, or use potassium chloride rather than sodium chloride in a traditional salt-based softener.
***Just a reminder, myexcellentwaterfilter.com is an affiliate site. We may or may not make a commission on the products within the discussion above. The information here is solely to help inform you and provide access! Please leave any comments or questions you have below!