Comfort Line - Hard Water

This quarter our questions and answers segment discusses hard water problems, which are prevalent in our service area.

What is hard water?

Water described as "hard" is high in dissolved minerals.

What causes hard water?

Water is an excellent solvent and picks up impurities easily. As water moves through soil and rocks, it dissolves small amounts of minerals and holds them in suspension. Calcium and magnesium (commonly referred to as lime or limescale) dissolved in water are the two most common minerals that make water hard. The greater the amount of lime, the harder the water.

How does hard water effect me and my home?

As hard water is heated to make hot water, the minerals precipitate out of the water and collect on the inside of pipes, water heaters and appliances connected to the system. This limescale can result in reduced flow rates, loss of efficiency and early failure of components. Eventually, the hot water pipes can become completely clogged. In addition, hard water can reduce the ability of soaps to lather.

Are there any government standards for water hardness?

The hardness of water is reported in milligrams per liter or grains per gallon. The U.S. Department of Interior and the Water Quality Association have generated the standards, which are outlined in the accompanying chart.

Classification of Water Hardness
Classification Soft Slightly hard Moderately hard Hard Very hard	mg/l or ppm 0 - 17.1 17.1 - 60 60 - 120 120 - 180 180 & over	grains/gallon 0 - 1 1 - 3.5 3.5 - 7.0 7.0 - 10.5 10.5 & over

How hard is the water in this area?

Water in the Sussex County, New Jersey area tends to be relatively hard because of the composition of local rock formations. The hardness level can vary greatly depending upon where you live and whether or not you are on a municipal water system. Local municipal water systems report hardness levels ranging from 3 - 27 grains per gallon.

How can I find out how hard my water is?

If you are on a municipal water system, your water supplier can tell you the hardness level. If you have a well, you can test the water for hardness. This can be done at a lab or directly in the home. All our service technicians have water test kits and can check the hardness level for you.

How hard should my water be before I treat it?

Experts recommend that mineral hardness should be treated if it’s greater than 4 grains per gallon.

How can I prevent the negative effects of hard water on my plumbing system?

Historically, there have been two primary ways to treat hard water. The first is to soften the hard water through the use of a water softener. Water softeners remove hardness using an ion exchange process that replaces the calcium and magnesium with an equivalent amount of sodium or salt. The second approach is to condition the water and keep the minerals in suspension so they don’t build up or scale on the hot water pipes. We have done this for many years with a water treatment compound known as Aquadene.

A new way to treat hard water is with a product recently introduced into this country from Europe. This patented product is known as HydroFlow. HydroFlow produces electric fields that propagate through the water in your plumbing system. These electric fields keep the minerals in suspension so they are washed away in the flow. HydroFlow requires no maintenance and costs just pennies a day to operate. For more information, see the related article on this page.