The Hidden Dangers of Hard Water

We’re all aware of the limescale deposits on toilets, washing machines, and so forth. That’s all caused by hard water, and it can be quite annoying. However, there are other effects that hard water can have on your life without you even realizing it.

In some cases, these effects might only become obvious after prolonged exposure to water hardness. Still, it’s much better to prevent than to suffer the consequences.

Dermatitis

You might not have realized up until now how much your skin is affected by water hardness. That extra calcium buildup on your skin and clogs your pores, making it suffer a rash that’s typically known as atopic dermatitis. The best way out of this is by prevention. For better or worse, you can use Waterite water softeners to diminish the effects of atopic dermatitis. Water softeners in general are very effective against the effects of hard water on skin. While you can use liquid softeners or capsules for clothes and appliances, you can’t do the same for your skin. This is why these devices get their good reputation.

Dry and Messy Hair

The same goes for your hair when it comes to hard water. Just like your skin, hair won’t be able to breathe properly because of the high buildup of calcium and magnesium. Your scalp gets clogged by these large particles. It also blocks soap particles from doing their job properly, as you will notice problems with the lathering process. Some researchers have also come to the conclusion that hard water might also lead to scalp calcification. You probably don’t want to become bald, so the only solution is to soften your water with a softener or any other reliable method before it’s able to reach your hair. There are also showerheads that have built-in water softening capabilities.

Clothes Become Faded and Frizzy

Have you ever wondered why your clothes feel and smell the way they do? A lot of the time, unlike what most people would think, it’s not the detergent that makes them like this. However, the lack of a fabric softener might just be the culprit, especially if you live in a place that’s known for excessive water hardness. Why does this happen, though? Well, the extra mineral deposits get caught between the fabrics. As such, they alter the way that the fabric reacts to touching other substances like water and much more. So, yes, this is another lesser-known side effect of having hard water.

Your Pipes Have a Lot To Endure

You’ve probably already seen the limescale buildup on your shower head, faucet, and other bathroom fixtures since you’re reading this article. However, there’s one place that suffers the effects of hard water that you haven’t seen: the interior of your plumbing system’s pipes. Have you ever seen the interior of a pipe that has had to transport hard water for a very long time? It’s all corroded and has limescale buildup like you wouldn’t believe. The effects are devastating: the pipe corrodes and it’s not able to transfer water as efficiently. As a side effect, water pressure goes down, and hot water will come out slower than when having new pipes.

Water Heater Efficiency Goes Down

When your pipes fall “ill” due to too much water hardness, your water heater is one of the main appliances that get affected by this matter. And, unlike a washing machine or dishwasher, you can’t just place some capsules inside your heater to prevent limescale buildup. So you need to treat your water before it even gets to your heating system. Otherwise, your water heater will start consuming more electricity (or gas, depending on the type of heater) and subsequently increase your bills. We don’t need to tell you why that’s a bad thing, right?

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re washing clothes, cleaning your body, or doing anything else that involves water, its hardness is a major determining factor of these actions’ quality. So do yourself a favor and install a water softener or descaler as soon as possible.