Most homes in North America have hard water—89.3 percent in the U.S. and 85 percent in Canada.
It’s safe to drink hard water, but it can cause problems in your Canada home:
- Mineral buildup in plumbing and appliances
- Reddish discoloration in toilets
- Worn-looking clothing and scratchy towels
- Dry skin and hair
- Spots on dishes, flatware and glasses
- Low flow rate during showers
Water softening solutions from Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning can manage your home water trouble and bring you better-tasting drinking water.
Whether you’re starting to research water softeners or you need water softener repair, our group of Experts are here to help.
Want to get a new water conditioning system for one reasonable monthly payment? Check with us for more information about our Advantage Program™.1
Benefits of Using a Water Softener
It’s economical to operate a water softener. It needs less than $3 in electricity per year.2
A water softener only has to have about 2.5 pounds of salt. That’s 80 percent less salt than dial-style softeners.
Soft water can make cleaning easier, help your appliances last longer and help you avoid plumbing clogs.
Clog-Free Plumbing and Fixtures
Soft water helps water flow easily in plumbing. Hard water causes mineral deposits to build up in your pipes and fixtures. This can create clogs and reduced water pressure.
Showerheads in homes with hard water can lose 75 percent of their flow rate in fewer than 18 months. Soft water preserves the brilliance and full flow for faucets and showerheads, nearly as well as the day they were added.
Soft water is lacking minerals. It doesn’t create deposits in pipes or constrict water flow in fixtures.
Longer-Lasting Appliances
Over time, hard water can cause minerals to accumulate in your washing machine and dishwasher.
The mineral deposits in hard water make limescale when they get hot. This can cover the heating elements in your appliances, lowering life span and efficiency.
As a result, your appliances may need regular service or need to be swapped out earlier.
Efficient Water Heaters
Soft water preserves the efficiency of water heaters.
Gas storage and tankless water heaters running on soft water maintain the factory efficiency rating over a 15-year period. In comparison, using hard water for a gas water heater can reduce efficiency by up to 48 percent.
If you use an electric water heater, up to 30 pounds of rock-like scale can pile up in the tank from hard water. The scale is an inferior heat conductor. It can reduce the life of your heating element, because it has to work longer to heat water.
Soft Skin, Brighter Laundry and Cleaner Dishes
Hard water minerals build up on your skin and in your hair, making it become dehydrated. It can also cause painful razor burn.
Soft water is superior at rinsing soap residue, so you’ll have silkier skin and sleeker hair. Plus, your clothes will look brighter and your dishes will have fewer spots.
Less Soap and Cleaning Time
When you have hard water, you have to use additional soap for a good lather. The minerals in hard water react with soap. This forms a scum on tubs.
With soft water, you won’t need to spend as much time cleaning to eliminate soap scum. You’ll also use less soap.
What You Need to Know About Hard Water and Water Softener Systems
What is Hard Water?
Hard water has more minerals than ordinary water.
What is a Water Softener System?
It’s an appliance that eliminates excess minerals like calcium and magnesium. It also minimizes chlorine, iron and volatile organic compounds.
How Long Does a Water Softener Last?
A water softener that’s the right size for your home will last for many years. Its life span depends on the manufacturer and how much you operate it.
How Much Does a Water Softener Cost?
Some water softeners are more efficient than others. As a result, the fee may differ.
Costs can also differ based on how hard your water is and how much water you need. If your water is especially hard and is used frequently, softening costs will increase.
Is Softened Water Safe to Drink?
Softened water has all the natural minerals we need. While a small amount of sodium is added during the softening process, softened water is completely safe to drink.
What’s the Quality of My Drinking Water?
Water quality varies by geography and processing levels. It can also be affected by construction, mining, agriculture and mineral deposits your groundwater travels through.
You can discover if there are chemicals in your home’s drinking water.
The Environmental Working Group maintains a free database of more than 30 million state records of tap water tests. About 81 percent of community utilities tested in the U.S. carry chemicals linked to cancer, according to the group’s research.
Can Brine from Softeners Damage my Septic Tank?
A study by the Water Quality Association found a septic tank can’t be harmed by brine discharged by a water softener. The tanks that were studied were correctly placed and working properly.
Softened water may help decrease detergents being released into your septic tank.
Softer Water, Guaranteed
Hard water problems? Call us at 866-397-3787 or request an appointment online.
One of our professionals can check if you need a water softener.
We back our work with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee3 for a year. That means we’ll get the job done properly the first time, whether you need us to fix your water softener or install a new one.
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1Some exclusions apply.
2Based on manufacturer’s information and assumptions. Savings may vary based on the type of system you use.
3Not applicable to the Advantage Program. See your signed Advantage Program Agreement for full details and exclusions. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee is subject to certain restrictions and limitations as set forth in the applicable terms and conditions.