Hard Water?
How Do You Know if You Need a Water Softener?
Hard water is an all-too-familiar reality for millions of Americans. According to a U.S. Geological Survey, 85 percent of American homes have problems with hard water. Another new study from the Battelle Memorial Institute showed that after just one week of constant testing with hard water; more than three-fourths of household showerhead nozzles became clogged.
While these findings seem pretty shocking, not everyone experiences the same severity of hardness. The level of water hardness is typically measured by grains (of mineral) per gallon (GPG), and any water that contains more than 1 GPG of dissolved hardness minerals (i.e. calcium, magnesium carbonate, and manganese) is considered hard, with 10.5 GPG very hard.
Having been in the water treatment business for more than 70 years, Culligan has been helping homeowners solve their hard water problems with water softening solutions for decades. Consumers have often asked us, “How I can tell if I have hard water?” Your local Culligan dealer will come out to your home and perform a professional water analysis to determine the level of hardness (if any) in your water, but here are some quick ways you can tell if you might have hard water.
10 Signs That Your Water Might Be Too Hard
Check how many of these apply to you:
o Rough, dry, itchy skin?
o Gray, dingy, faded or stiff laundry? Using fabric softener?
o Soaps that don’t lather or suds enough?
o Limp, lifeless hair?
o Soap scum on bath tub, shower curtain or doors?
o Spots or streaks on silverware, dishes or glasses?
o Scale build-up on faucets or fixtures?
o Damage, repair or replacement of faucets and fixtures? Major appliances like water heater, dishwasher or washing machine?
o Coffee maker, humidifier or steam iron not working as effectively?
o Replacement/re-plumbing of your home’s pipes?
How many of these apply to you? We know there’s nothing pleasant about living with hard water. It’s rough on your skin, your hair, your clothes, your dishes and everything else it touches. There are many other ways to tell if your water is too hard, but if you feel like your water is not quite the best it can be, it’s time to talk our water experts at Culligan.