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Tag: water softeners

Water Softeners in Lake Havasu, AZ

Should You Invest in a Water Softener for Your Arizona Home?

Written by Amanda Zink on . Posted in Plumbing.

With hard water making up about 85% of the nation’s drinking water supply, it’s no surprise that many Arizona homeowners have hard water. While this water is certainly still usable, it comes along with many negative benefits. One of the best ways to handle hard water is by installing a water softener system.

What Is Hard Water?

Hard water is water that has a high mineral content of calcium and magnesium. These minerals can wreak havoc on your plumbing system, causing issues like water heater inefficiency, low water pressure, and limescale buildup. Furthermore, hard water can cause your hair to frizz and your skin to dry out.

What Is a Water Softener System?

A water softener is a device that gets installed right at the main water supply line coming into your home. It works to actively remove excess minerals from your water before the water gets delivered to your plumbing fixtures, appliances, and water heater. More specifically, water softeners work by using the ion exchange process.

As water enters the main tank of the water softener, it flows through resin beads. These resin beads have a negative electric charge. Minerals like calcium and magnesium have a positive charge, which makes them naturally attracted to the negative charge. As the mineral ions stick to the resin beads, the remaining soft water leaves the tank and goes to your water supply line.

The resin beads will go through a regeneration process every few hours. This works to remove the minerals from the resin beads and returns the beads to have a negative charge. This whole regeneration process works by a specialized brine coming from the brine tank and flowing through the main system’s tank. The brine solution will end up being full of minerals and will exit your water softener via a drain. Maintaining the softener system is easy, and just requires a quick visit from a professional plumbing service to change filters, clean the brine tank, inspect lines, and other tasks.

No More Limescale Buildup

One of the most desirable benefits of getting a water softener is that it prevents limescale buildup on your fixtures. Limescale is a white film that remains on your fixtures after the water dries. It’s comprised of calcium and magnesium that get left behind. Limescale buildup is not only unsavory to look at but it creates a hard film that makes it much harder to clean your plumbing fixtures.

No More Hair and Skin Issues

One of the biggest complaints that homeowners have about hard water is that it dries out the body. Just as limescale buildup can end up on your plumbing fixtures, a similar film ends up on your hair and body. This leads to frizzing of the hair as it dries out. Furthermore, the skin will start to get dry and itchy. By upgrading to a water softener system in your home, you can enjoy softer and smoother hair and skin.

Longer Pipe Lifespan

Another key benefit of a household water softener system is that it goes a long way in extending the lifespan of your plumbing system and preventing low water pressure issues. The minerals in hard water will accumulate inside your piping, which will restrict waterflow over time. Furthermore, those excess minerals can cause premature deterioration of the inside of your pipes.

Enhanced Water Heater Efficiency

When it comes to heating up water, water that’s hard takes longer to get up to temperature than water that’s soft. When your water heater is working, it has to run longer to get the hard water inside its tank up to temperature. A water softener will do wonders for enhancing the overall operating efficiency of your water heater. Plus, it will go a long way in extending the overall lifespan of your water heater as it’s much less likely to rust out due to excess mineral buildup.

Easier Cleaning

When washing dishes, clothes, and plumbing surfaces, it’s much more difficult when doing so with hard water. This is because the minerals attach to the surface of the item and create a barrier that the cleaning product will struggle to break. A water softener system is perfect for removing that barrier and making it much easier to clean your items. You’ll notice that stains will come out of your clothes more effectively and you’ll be able to use fewer cleaning products to get the job done.

Longer Appliance Lifespan

Any appliances in your home that use water can severely be impacted by hard water. Just as the excess minerals build up inside your piping, they do the same thing inside your appliances. This can lead to premature deterioration and more repair issues with your appliances. A water softener is perfect for extending the longevity of your appliances so that you can get more for your money.

Better Tasting Water

It’s very common for homes that have hard water to invest in water filtration systems or bottled water. This is because hard water tends to have a sour-like taste to it as well as an unpleasant smell. A water softener system is a great way to remove that excess sentiment buildup so that your water will taste and even smell better.

Saves You Money

One of the most desirable benefits of using a water softener in your home is that it can save you money in multiple different ways. It will make your water heater operate more efficiently so you can enjoy lower utility costs throughout the year. It will allow your laundry detergent to better penetrate your clothes and clean them so that you have to purchase clothes less often. Furthermore, the cleaning products that you use will be more effective on things like counter surfaces, plumbing fixtures, and even your dishes. This means you can enjoy purchasing fewer cleaning products throughout the year while still enjoying the same cleaning results.

Boost Home Value

One lesser-known benefit of getting a water softener system is that it can boost the value of your home. Home buyers will see a water softener as an added advantage due to its overall ability to extend the longevity of your appliances and plumbing system. They’re going to be more likely to pay extra money for your home compared to another home that does not have a water softener system installed.

Fewer Plumbing Issues

When you have hard water, you’re more likely to experience plumbing issues due to its effect on your system. Some of these issues include leaky faucets, low water pressure, and corroded fixtures. Minerals are well known to not only accumulate inside piping but also accelerate the deterioration of the internal components of your plumbing fixtures. Investing in a water softener will help to remove the excess minerals from your water and extend the overall lifespan of all your plumbing fixtures. This will go a long way in reducing your risk of needing plumbing repairs.

Reliable Water Softener Service

Air Control Home Services offers reliable water softener services to the entire Lake Havasu City, AZ area. We can also help with all your heating, cooling, electrical, plumbing, and indoor air quality needs. Simply give our office a call today to book your next service consultation.

Hard water in Lake Havasu, AZ

Understanding the Impact of Arizona’s Hard Water on Plumbing Fixtures

Written by Amanda Zink on . Posted in Plumbing.

Updated: November 19, 2024

Although modern plumbing systems are designed to withstand damage to an extent, they can’t hold out indefinitely. After a while, pipes and other plumbing components that are exposed to hard water will eventually wear out or otherwise become defective. There are a number of ways in which poor water quality can wreak havoc on your home’s kitchen and bathroom plumbing. The team at Air Control Home Services explains what to look for to see if your home has hard water issues.

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Hard Water Can Result in Clogged Drains

One of the common signs of hard water in your home is the presence of clogged drains. As water flows through your pipes, it will leave a layer of sediment that sticks to their interiors. Over time, the sediment will accumulate to a point where water cannot get through it.

The primary sign of a clogged drain is water pooling inside a sink or tub instead of just going through its designated pipe. In some cases, you’ll notice backflow occurring in different parts of the house. For example, you might see the toilet fill up with water when you turn on the bathroom faucet.

If left unchecked, a slow drain can become fully blocked, which may require it to be replaced instead of merely cleared out. When clearing a blocked drain, it’s important to use a snake or remedies such as hot water or vinegar and baking soda as opposed to caustic chemical cleaners. This can reduce the risk of causing more damage to a drain as well as prevent toxic fumes from wafting around your house.

You Might Notice Water Pressure Issues

A clogged drain can also result in water pressure issues. This could mean that it’s difficult to flush your toilet or take a shower because it isn’t possible to create or sustain a consistent flow of water. It may also be difficult to wash dishes, run your washing machine or otherwise complete tasks that require a steady stream of water.

Water pressure issues may also be a sign that a pipe has burst or is otherwise seriously damaged. Therefore, you should have a licensed plumber come and take a look at your home’s plumbing the moment you suspect that something is wrong.

Faucets and Pipes Can Corrode

signs hard water

Over time, sediment can cause corrosion on pipes and inside faucets. This means that each time you turn the water on in the bathroom, you could be causing damage that might cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to fix.

You might also notice damage to your water heater, washer or dishwasher after several months or years of use. At best, failing to remedy a hard water problem can result in having to repair household appliances or replace them well before their typical useful lives are over.

It’s possible that you might learn about a hard water issue because your water heater stops working, or you discover an issue with your dishwasher or washing machine. Water heaters are highly susceptible to sediment even if your home doesn’t have hard water, so it’s important to regularly inspect and flush them to prevent damage.

In addition, washing your dishes or clothes in hard water can mean that they aren’t truly clean. Instead, they may have residue on them that is difficult or impossible to remove. You may also notice that your skin is dry and itchy after taking a shower in hard water. Therefore, even if you aren’t worried about a corroded pipe, the impact to your health and comfort should be enough motivation to schedule a plumbing inspection.

Your Home Might Be Susceptible to Leaks

If a pipe is rusted out, it will have a hole or gap that water might be able to get through. If a number of pipes are rusted out, a significant amount of water might be able to seep into areas of your home where it shouldn’t be.

Perhaps the clearest consequence of a water leak is an increase in your monthly utility bills. In some cases, you’ll notice the impact that hard water is having on your pipes or other fixtures and can take action quickly.

However, even if the problem has only turned serious in the past few days or weeks, your water bill could easily be double or triple what you’re used to paying. The longer you ignore the problem, the larger the increase in water costs will be. It’s not unheard of for homeowners to be stuck inadvertently using hundreds of dollars worth of extra water.

Of course, there are other issues that you’ll need to consider, such as water serving as a breeding ground for mosquitoes, termites or other insects. It might also serve as a tool to attract scorpions, rodents or other creatures looking for shelter and water to drink.

You may also have to contend with mold or mildew growth in areas where water has leaked from a pipe. That mold or mildew could easily grow and spread throughout the rest of the house in a relatively short amount of time. In some cases, it may not grow in areas that you can see, which means there could be a major problem that you don’t even know to mitigate until it’s too late to do it easily.

You Might Have Poor Tasting Water

The metal that is in the water is going to impact the way it tastes, and it will also impact its color and the way it smells when it comes out of the faucet. If you consume too much water with a high metallic content, you could make yourself vulnerable to future health issues.

One easy way to remove contaminants from the water is to install a water filter on the faucet. You can also install a water softening system that is designed to treat your whole home. This will make your water safer to drink as well as less destructive to pipes and other fixtures. Your only other practical alternative would be to buy bottled water to drink or cook with.

Your Water Heater May Struggle to Produce Hot Water

Issues with a water heater may prevent you from taking hot showers, washing your dishes or cooking food even if you don’t have water pressure problems. This is because sediment can erode the lining inside of it that allows for effective heat transfer. In the event that water is capable of getting hot, it will take more effort to reach your preferred temperature, which means that you’ll pay more each month. A water heater that has to work too hard may also be at risk of dying earlier than necessary even if it’s free of sediment.

At Air Control Home Services, we can help you with air conditioning repair, furnace installation and other HVAC projects around your home. Our team can also help with electrical services, ductless air conditioning and heating systems to ensure that your house stays comfortable throughout the year.

If you are in need of plumbing services for your Lake Havasu, AZ home, call Air Control Home Services today!

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