You’ve probably heard a fair bit about hard water, and how it’s a threat to your plumbing system. What you may not know, though, is where hard water actually comes from. Understanding what causes hard water, and how it interacts with your plumbing system, can help illustrate why it’s a good idea to have a water treatment system in place. Let’s take a closer look at hard water.
Where It Comes From
Hard water is created when water percolates through layers of limestone and granite before being collected. This causes it to pick up large quantities of magnesium and calcium, which are what makes it such a threat to your plumbing system. Most cities put their water supplies through an extensive purification process before piping them into homes. However, this process often doesn’t get rid of the minerals.
Why It’s a Threat
As hard water flows over a surface, it will deposit small amounts of calcium and magnesium. This includes your plumbing pipes. Over a long enough period of time, these deposits will grow into lime scale. If the hard water is not dealt with, the lime scale in the pipes will continue to grow. This will restrict the flow of water through the pipes. Lime scale must be scraped out of the pipes in order to restore the proper flow of water. If this isn’t done in time, the lime scale can eventually harden, making it impossible to remove without damaging the pipes. The best way to deal with hard water is to install a water treatment system in your home. This will prevent lime scale from forming in your home’s pipes, so you don’t have to worry about having it scraped out.