Do El Paso Residents suffer from hard water?
You most likely have heard the terms hard water and soft water. But you may not know what the difference between them is, or if it even matters. Now, scientifically speaking, hard water contains more minerals than soft water. Water falls from the sky as rain and is made of up of an oxygen and hydrogen compound. H20 as you may have learned at school. That’s water in its pure form. But once that pure water falls from the sky and makes contact with the ground, it begins to pick up various minerals.
Hard water contains more minerals than it’s soft counterparts it picks up more minerals from the ground as it travels through. These minerals are measured in grains per gallon, (GPG). The GPG for hard water will start at 1, but the water that is very hard may have a GPG as high as 10. The harder the water, the more calcium and magnesium that they generally contain. Our company can help you identify if you have hard water and give you possible solutions how to soften it, visit this link to read more about us.
Enough of the science lesson. How does this actually affect you and your day-to-day life?
Due to the higher amounts of minerals, hard water tastes better to drink than soft water. It’s also understood to be healthier to drink because of the added calcium and magnesium.
Sounds good, right?
Well, not all is good with hard water. You have probably seen limescale spreading over the bottom of your faucets and pipes. This is caused by that hard water leaving mineral deposits on the metal. Limescale looks gross and can restrict water flow through your pipes. This lime scale and other mineral deposits can drastically reduce the life of your plumbing fixtures. If you’d like to learn more about water hardness levels in the US, click here.
What About Soft Water?
If you’ve been on holiday abroad, you might notice just how much cleaner the water feels on your skin and how you feel just generally fresher after showering or bathing. The soap seems to lather far better and you step out feeling squeaky clean.
This is because most homes in El Paso have hard water, so when you go abroad to a place that has softer water than what you’re used to, you can notice the vast difference. With soft water, you will also find that your dishes and clothes wash up far better. Again, because of the lack of mineral deposits.
How Do I Get Soft Water in El Paso?
As I mentioned, most homes in El Paso have hard water as it is the more common type. There are pros and cons to both varieties of water but you can have the water in your home changed to soft from hard.
The most commonly used way to soften your water is by adding sodium ions to it. This involves installing a water softening system that adds these ions itself. Whilst this soft water is advantageous in its cleaning benefits and it will allow your piping and other plumbing fixtures to last much longer, the drinking water quality will diminish.
The water will have a more salty taste to it and the other minerals that were beneficial for drinking will have been removed. So make sure you think hard before investing in a water softener in your El Paso home. You can read this buying guide to see which water softening option is best for your individual purpose and needs.