How Does Hard Water Affect Plumbing Systems?

If you have hard water in your home, you know how it can quickly sour the experience of showering, washing the dishes or doing laundry by leaving a film or residue behind. This residue is caused by minerals like calcium carbonate and magnesium that can be present in water depending on your home and environment. Along with grimy baths and spotty clothes, hard water can cause plumbing problems and damage to your home appliances, too. 

What is Hard Water?

Although rainwater is pure when it falls from the sky, as it flows from the ground into aquifers, it absorbs minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium. This absorption changes the water from soft water to hard water, with the amount of minerals in the water determining its level of hardness.

Mineral deposits develop in both cold and hot water, but the problem is generally worse with hot water. Heating water causes evaporation; this is an ideal environment for small particles to attach to each other and form larger deposits that move through plumbing fixtures or attach to pipes. Hard water deposits can form on almost any material used in a plumbing system, and they can cause much more than cosmetic issues for homeowners.

How Can Hard Water Damage Pipes?

Hard water is not easy on your plumbing system. Repeated exposure to hard water will cause limescale to build up, eventually clogging drains and decreasing water quality. Here are five ways hard water can damage your home and why you should consider getting a water softener:

1. Creating Scale

While these minerals don’t impact the potableness of drinking water, they can leave behind scale. Limescale can form everywhere, from shower heads and bathtub jets to the outside of your house. If streams of water hit your home when your sprinklers run, you might notice discolorations that can look white, chalky or even rusty. 

While it is true that these accumulations can be removed with CLR or vinegar, it isn’t always easy to scrub away stains—especially when they are in hard-to-reach areas like the side of your home. 

2. Clogged Drains

Over time, hard water can cause clogged drains. Minerals react with soap to generate soap scum that hardens as it travels down your pipes, limiting water flow. Soap scum curds can harden into solid blockages, creating plugs that can reduce water pressure, interfere with garbage disposals and clog toilets. 

Clogged plumbing can also be hard on the inner workings of your pipes, leading to problems like pinhole leaks and joinery gaps between pipes. The more frequently pipes are clogged, the more internal pressure the pipes can experience. This can lead to issues like drips inside of your walls, mold growth and even indoor flooding.

3. Corrosion

Calcium and magnesium have properties that are destructive to certain types of metal, many of which are used for plumbing in older homes. The minerals slowly break down the metal in your pipes, potentially causing leaks, breaks and even discolored water. 

If the corroded section of the pipe is not repaired and the hard water deposits removed, entire sections of your plumbing may disintegrate. Calcium and magnesium can also cause corrosion on your faucets, drains, valves, appliances and fixtures.

4. Reduced Water Quality

You rely on your plumbing system to deliver clean water for cooking, laundry, bathing and many other daily tasks. Hard water is safe to drink, but it is not ideal for your appliances. 

The minerals in hard water interfere with how soaps and detergents work to remove dirt, food, oils and other substances. As a result, you must use more cleaning products, and your appliances have to work harder to clean dishes and clothes.

5. Water Heater Damage

The larger appliances in your home, such as washing machines and dishwashers, rely on your hot water heater. Hard water is more difficult to heat, so the hot water heater must work longer and harder. This increases your utility costs and shortens the life expectancy of the heater. 

Hot water tanks typically last about 12 years, and tankless water heaters can last as long as 20 years. However, corrosion caused by hard water can reduce the life expectancy of water heating systems by several years. 

What is the Best Hard Water Solution?

The best way to guarantee that only fresh, clean water runs through your plumbing system is to install a water softening system with the help of a professional plumber. 

These water purifiers can be installed at the base of your water supply line, treating water as soon as it enters your home plumbing system. A water softener is a great investment for any homeowner looking to protect their plumbing from hard water damage. 

Lenox Plumbing can determine which solution is right for you after performing a water quality test. Contact us to learn more!