Introduction
Damage to hard Water plumbing systems is a very common problem with many homeowners. The homeowner typically does not recognize the damage caused by hard Water until major, costly repairs have occurred. Although hard Water seems like nothing serious, the minerals found in the Water will slowly harm all parts of the plumbing system; the pipes, fixtures, Water heater, and household appliances. Eventually, all of the minerals will build-up inside the plumbing system and decrease its efficiency.
Knowing how the hard Water affects your home is important so that you can start taking preventive measures and protect your plumbing before there is major damage. Regular maintenance and scheduling of professional plumbing inspections can help prevent plumbing damage and increase the length of your plumbing systems’ lifespan.
At AC Plumbing Construction, we assist San Diego homeowners in recognizing what effects hard Water has created on their homes and provide them with a solution to protect their plumbing systems and ensure everything works efficiently.
What is hard Water?
Hard Water is made up of excessive amounts of dissolved minerals. Specifically, it is primarily composed of calcium and magnesium. Both of these minerals get into the Water supply when the groundwater flows through underground rock and soil deposits.
Although hard Water is safe to drink, it can cause trouble with every part of your home’s plumbing system. When Water flows through your pipes and fixtures, it leaves behind minerals. Over time, the amount of mineral deposits grows and restricts the amount of space that exists for Water to move through. At this point, there could be enough restriction to eventually cause plumbing damage.
Most people do not notice any immediate changes. Gradually, however, hard Water will negatively affect the functionality of numerous components within your home’s plumbing system.
The effects of hard Water on pipes
The most typical type of damage that occurs to your pipes because of hard Water is mineral buildup inside your pipes. This buildup takes place on the inner surfaces of the pipes and continues to grow over time. As the buildup increases, the amount of space available for the Water to flow decreases.
Some possible results include:
Decreased Water pressure
Restricted Water flow
Plumbing systems working under increased stress
Higher likelihood of pipe corrosion
More money spent on repairs
Eventually, if pipes continue to experience reduced Water flow, then homeowners will likely find that it takes longer to obtain sufficient hot or cold Water from their faucets or other fixtures located throughout their home.
Maintenance can be used to protect your plumbing system and detect potential buildup prior to it becoming a bigger problem.
Effects of hard Water on faucets
Faucets are usually among the first items that display symptoms of being affected by hard Water. Deposits can form around aerators, handles and spouts due to mineral accumulation.
Indications that your faucets have been damaged by hard Water deposits include:
White mineral residue
Decreased Water flow
Difficulty turning faucet handles
Water stains surrounding fixture
Cleaning can remove mineral buildup and stains; however, continuing buildup may indicate long term hard Water related problems in your plumbing system.
Problems related to heating inefficiency due to hard Water
Water heaters are particularly susceptible to damage resulting from hard Water. Minerals settling out inside the tank ultimately cause sedimentation at the base of the tank.
Buildup such as:
Reduction in heating efficiency
Prolonged recovery time after each use
Increased energy usage
Abnormal noises coming from tank
Sudden death of equipment
A Water heater required to operate under greater stress will consume more energy and require premature repair or replacement.
Regularity of maintenance, and periodic draining/flushing of your Water heater, can significantly aid in protecting your plumbing devices and maintaining better operation of your Water heater.
Deposits forming inside Showerheads & fixtures
Due to continuous exposure to flowing Water, shower heads commonly develop mineral deposits which obstruct small holes in Showerheads over time, causing poor distribution of Water (uneven spray) and diminished Water flow.
You may observe:
Poorly distributed spray
Reduced Water pressure
Nozzle clogs
Visible mineral residue
Cleaning regularly may restore temporary function, but persistent buildup suggests larger issues associated with hard Water affecting all areas of the plumbing system.
Effects of hard Water on appliances
In addition to damaging your plumbing, hard Water may also damage household appliances that utilize Water for proper functioning, including:
Dishwashers
Wash machines
Ice makers
Water dispensers
Mineral deposit buildup in various components of household appliances will diminish appliance effectiveness. Consequently, appliances requiring additional repairs and having limited operational lifetime may occur more often.
Typically, protecting these systems requires identifying and addressing hard Water concerns prior to extensive buildup occurring.
Protective measures against hard Water damage to your plumbing systems
Fortunately, homeowners may take several actions to minimize the adverse impacts of hard Water on their plumbing systems.
Additional helpful techniques include:
Schedule routine professional plumbing inspections
Scheduled plumbing inspections enable licensed plumbers to discover mineral buildup before creating significant problems for your plumbing system.
Perform regular maintenance on your Water heater
Flushing your Water heater periodically will help eliminate built-up sediment and increase operational efficiency.
Regular cleaning of fixtures
Cleaning away obvious mineral deposits can maintain optimal performance from faucets and shower heads.
Assess any changes in Water pressure
Changes in available Water pressure may suggest building mineral deposits inside your pipes.
