Hard water is something that NJ home inspectors<\/a> should be familiar with and should be able to identify during home inspection. hard water is simply water from the tap that has high levels of dissolved calcium and magnesium. When people refer to as their water is hard, they are referring to the amount of minerals in the water. Levels of minerals are measured in grains per gallon or (gpg). Water containing less than one grain is considered to be soft water or water with low dissolved mineral content. Water that has between 1-3.5 (gpg) would be considered slightly hard water. Water containing 3.5 to 7 grains per gallon would be considered moderately hard water. Any water that contains over 10.5 (gpg) would be considered hard water.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A simple do at home water test is a simple and effective way to determine if you have hard water. These kits typically include water test strips and a color-coded chart. The strips are single use that change their color in the presence of certain contaminants. Usually testing involves filling the provided container with water then submerging the test strips. After the strips are submerged a comparison then can be done by looking at the submerged strips against the provided color chart. Each color on the chart corresponds to the hardness of the water. Follow the instructions provided by the test manufacture for best results. Both wells and municipal water supplies can have hard water.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Besides being an overall nuisance the issue with hard water is that it damages plumbing and appliances. Hard water stains build up on sinks, tubs, showers and faucets but this is not the real problem. Hard water can cause drains to clog this is because the minerals suspended in the hard water react with soap that creates excessive soap residue (or soap scum). This soap residue can harden and create drain blockages over time. These deposits can harden and clog the waste pipes over time. Hard water over time can create pin hole leaks in the water supply pipes. The more often pipes are clogged the greater the pressure placed on the piping which can lead to leaks and pipe failure over time.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hard water deposits as they pass through small sprays can cause the small orifices to clog making the plumbing fixtures or appliances less effective. The more spray jets are clogged the less water will flow through them. In fact, a shower head can loose as much as 75% of their flow rate after about nine months of use during hard water flow. This statistic comes from the Water Quality Research Foundation.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

One of the major problems of hardwater is a significantly reduced life span of appliances. The Water Quality Association provides the reduced flowing data for appliance life expectancy. The lifespan of a washer is reduced from 10 years to 8 years. The lifespan of a dishwasher is reduced from 10 years to 7 years. A faucet life expectancy is reduced from 9 years to about 5 years. An electric water heater life span is reduced from 13 years to 6 years. A gas water heater life expectancy is reduced from 11 years to 5 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Hard water makes soap suds less efficient. Homes with hard water tend to overcompensate for this\u00a0fact by using more detergents and soap. Using extra soap can add to the household budget and cause clogging\u00a0problems in appliances as well. Alos, over time the buildup of soap deposits can create bad odors.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There are also other issues with hard water. High levels of calcium prevent soap from dissolving and easily rinsing away. Soap forms a residue that sticks to fixtures, tubs, sinks, and showers. It is often challenging to remove these stains even with regular cleaning. Even with using rise aide hard water will creates spots on your glasses. hard water can make laundry look off color and dingy because the minerals left in the clothing are very challenging to remove. One of the things that home inspectors in New Jersey<\/a> can look for is hard water stains on fixtures and especially inside the dishwasher.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Now that we know that hard water is problematic and really takes its toll on plumbing and appliances how do we fix the problem. The easiest and most efficient fix is to install a water softener in the home. A water softener is a type of water filtration system that works to remove high concentrations of magnesium and calcium. Hard domestic water flows through the water softener and soft water or water with a much lower amount of minerals leaves the system.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A water softener operates in the process of ion exchange. When domestic hard water enters the mineral tank, it flows through resin beads. These are plastic beads charged with a sodium ions. The negative charge of the calcium and the magnesium is attracted to the positive charge of the resin beads. The resin beads grab and hold the hard minerals in the water as it enters and passes through the system. When this attraction occurs the sodium ions are released. As a result, soft water flows into the home.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Regeneration is an important part of the water softener’s function. The regeneration function flushes the minerals from the resin beads in the unit. If the regeneration process did not take place, then the resin beads would become too laden with minerals, and they could not do their job. The regeneration cycle uses the salt that is periodically added to the holding tank in the water softener system.\u00a0 Some water softeners will regenerate on a time schedule and others are designed to regenerate based on a volume of water use. The regeneration cycle typically is set to happen in the early morning hours when there is no water demand in the household.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Although New Jersey home inspectors <\/a>are not required to test or inspect water softeners. It is beneficial to understand how these units operate and their role in reducing hard water conditions. NJ Home inspection<\/a> clients often have questions regarding these systems, so it pays to have a basic understanding of hard water, the problems it causes and the solution.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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