Believe it or not, water flows through our homes with a very wide range of consistency and quality. Ideally, the water running throughout our homes should be in the middle of the spectrum at all times. Why? Because when it comes to the quality of your water, you might be wasting money left and right. If you’re not familiar with the pros and cons of hard vs. soft water, you can learn more in our last blog post. However, if you are familiar, you probably made it here because you think your hard water scale is tipping too far and may have become a problem.

If you’re experiencing hard water, it is likely causing major problems to your pipes, appliances, and ultimately…your pockets. We want to ensure that this doesn’t happen to you so here are 7 signs that you may have a hard water problem:

1. You’re constantly cleaning up soap scum and residue

If you’re seeing a build up of film in your shower or spots on your dishes post cleaning, you probably have hard water. Hard water is high in calcium deposits which means that those minerals are left behind on your dishes after they evaporate. Calcium also doesn’t play well with soaps, which means soaps won’t wash away nearly as well.

2. You’re seeing strange stains

You may be seeing stains in your sinks and toilets that look very similar to rust spots. Believe it or not, that’s all thanks to hard water. The deposits left in the pipes eventually build up, causing the pipes to rust and the residue to spill out. This leaves stains that are hard to clean up and will continue to occur unless your hard water problem is resolved.  

3. Your water smells and tastes bad

Tap water already has a very distinct flavor, but we all know when something is very WRONG when it comes to our water. If the water smells metallic or rotten in any way, there may be too much iron or reacting bacterias. If the water itself tastes like dirt or mold, hard water could have caused a build up that allowed for sediments and algae to grow.

4. Pipes are getting clogged

If your home is on the older side of the spectrum, you’re going to want to see what your pipes are made of. In older steel pipes, buildup can happen, blocking the flow of water and increasing your risk of bursting and other plumbing problems. With PVC pipes or copper, this is less common, but should always be on your mind.

5. Your experience in the shower is turning into a negative one

If your shower pressure is low, your hair and skin is looking dull, and you still feel dirty after your shower, you might have hard water. As we mentioned earlier, hard water and its minerals don’t react well with soaps, allowing for less lathering and the possibility of leaving a film of soap scum on your skin. Just like in your pipes, hard water can also clog your showerhead, leaving you with a unsatisfactory shower experience. It might even be responsible for all your bad hair days because your shampoos and conditioners are not being rinsed properly.

6. Your laundry isn’t getting clean

Hard water has a negative impact on most appliances, but it has multiple negatives when it comes to your washing machine. Calcium, magnesium, and detergent are not friends and therefore are ruining your clothes one wash at a time. Your detergent will clean off your dirt, sweat, and grime, but hard water doesn’t wash it away fully. Over time, your clothes will look worn out faster than usual, make your towels rough, and can even leave rustic type stains on your favorite sweatshirt.

7. You appliances are wearing out quickly

Appliances and hard water are not a great combination for your wallet. Hard water is the culprit of your spiked utility and water bills because it works hard to minimize efficiency. From your water heater to your ice machine, hard water’s impact on your appliances can cost you an estimated $800+ every year and can wear out any machine 30% faster than it should.

We hope you have found this blog helpful in determining if you have an existing hard water problem occurring in your home. If your southern California household is experiencing any of these problems, ProFlo can be there to help. We offer water conditioning services to restore your water spectrum to where it needs to be as well as a variety of other services that can put you at ease. Contact us today for a free quote! Reach us at: 951-694-1300