Is An Arizona Water Softener the Answer to Your Plumbing Woes?

If you live in the southwestern American desert, chances are you are no stranger to hard water and its irritating side effects. In fact, the Southwest has some of the worst hard water in the country. This nettlesome problem has plagued homeowners for years and can cause numerous and sometimes costly results including hard water stains, corroded valves and faucets, and lackluster hair and skin. Even worse, hard water causes limescale, a hard mineral deposit that is chalky and off-white in color.

Scale is typically found in kettles, hot-water boilers, hot-water central heating systems, and other elements that employ the use of water. Limescale can also clog pipes and damage plumbing systems, as we found out the hard way.

INSTALLING A WATER SOFTENER

My husband and I discovered the extent of our hard water problem a little too late. The realtor apparently did not know (or forgot to mention) the "minor" problem of the clogged plumbing pipes which had been the result of limescale build up. As the pipes become more and more clogged, the water flow would become restricted, thus dramatically reducing water pressure throughout the house. Not only was this a headache to deal with (showering felt like standing outside in a light rain), it also caused serious and expensive damage to our plumbing and heating equipment. Scale had built up on the central heating unit, insulating the heater, which caused it to use far more energy than it should have, resulting in a premature burnout. Replacing the system as well as having a plumber fix all our pipes was a very costly endeavor (not to mention our high heating costs prior to the burnout) that probably could have been avoided.

After having dealt with this ordeal, we found the best solution was to have an Arizona water softener installed to avoid future problems with hard water. The cost to have one installed was a mere fraction of the costs the hard water incurred in the first place. Not only will a water softener reduce limescale and heating costs, your water-using appliances will last longer, your clothes and dishes will come out cleaner and brighter, and the domestic tap water even tastes better.

Is An Arizona Water Softener the Answer to Your Plumbing Woes?

INSTALLING A WATER SOFTENER

Installing an Arizona Water Softener vs Keeping Hard Water

Hard water minerals can cause damage throughout your home. Hard water hinders every cleaning task from laundering to bathing. Clothes washed in hard water may look dingy and feel scratchy. Dishes and glasses washed in hard water may contain spots as they dry. Hard water may cause a film on shower doors, shower walls, and bathtubs. Hair washed in hard water may feel sticky, unclean, and look dull. Not to mention that drinking the minerals in hard water can leave a nasty taste in your mouth.

Hard water can also be costing you more money. Hard water has been shown in studies to use more energy in gas and electric water heaters. The reason hard water requires more energy to heat water is due to the scale build up that the minerals in hard water leave in water heaters. This scale is a poor conductor of heat, as well as being damaging to other household appliances, causing annoyances such as clogging pipes, drains, and leaving scale in washers.

INSTALLING A WATER SOFTENER

Hard water reduces the lifespan of appliances, including washing machines, dishwashers, and water heaters. Hard water can also be costing you more in cleaning supplies. Hard water makes soap lathering difficult, forcing you to use more detergent and soap in your cleaning tasks.

So what are the benefits of soft water? Besides reversing all the before mentioned ills, softened water will make cleaning your house easier. It will save you money because you will use less household cleaning products, as well as save on the water heating bill.

Installing an Arizona Water Softener vs Keeping Hard Water

INSTALLING A WATER SOFTENER