7 Signs Your Home Needs a Water Softener

Most Americans think of water as basically “wet” and don’t consider its other attributes. But many residential water users have had to confront one of water's less-appealing characteristics: hardness. Water hardness is a measurement of the concentration of minerals—primarily calcium and magnesium, along with traces of other metals—that are naturally dissolved in drinking water. Using hard water can negatively impact a number of everyday activities, including showering, doing laundry, and washing dishes. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there is quite a bit of variation in the mineral content of drinking water supplies across the United States. The agency found the softest waters in parts of New England, the South Atlantic-Gulf States, the Pacific Northwest, and Hawaii, while the hardest were measured in "streams in Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Arizona, and southern California.” But no matter what part of the country you live in, hard water can become an issue. Its effects can, however, be mitigated by installing a water softener, which removes the dissolved minerals, typically by exchanging the calcium and magnesium ions with sodium or potassium ions. Is your water too hard? Here are just a few of the tell-tale signs that you may need a water softener.

By Donna Boyle Schwartz | Updated Nov 16, 2020 12:10 PM

Results of a Professional Water Test

1/8
Water Hardness Test

The best way to determine if you have water that would benefit from a softener is to have your water professionally tested, although there are DIY testing kits widely available at home centers and hardware stores. Many companies offer take-home sampling kits that you can drop off or mail in to have your water evaluated for a fee; in municipal water systems, you can contact the local water department to find out the hardness of your water. Water is classified according to the milligrams per liter (mg/L) of dissolved calcium carbonate: 0 to 60 mg/L is classified as soft to slightly hard; 61 to 120 mg/L is moderately hard; 121 to 180 mg/L is hard; and more than 180 mg/L is very hard.

Related: 14 Home Maintenance Mistakes That Only Take a Minute to Fix

istockphoto.com

Staining

2/8
Hard Water Stain

Because hard water contains dissolved minerals and metals, it can create ugly, stubborn stains on your sinks, toilets, and bathtubs, and leave white, scaly deposits around your faucets. A short-term fix for stains on fixtures is to soak the stain in one cup of bleach and one-half cup of powdered dishwasher detergent; to remove white deposits from faucets, spray with white vinegar, let sit for a few minutes, and then rinse and wipe thoroughly with a soft cloth.

Related: 7 Common Water Problems—and Their Cures

istockphoto.com

Find trusted local pros for any home project
+

Scale Buildup

3/8
Scale Deposits

Mineral deposits—known as scale or limescale—can build up on your pots, coffeepots, teakettles, dinnerware, glassware, and cutlery, leaving a hard, chalky film that is difficult to remove. Even worse, scale can build up inside appliances that use water, such as dishwashers and washing machines, as well as inside your plumbing system, leading to expensive repairs.

Related: 9 Signs Your Tap Water Might Be Contaminated

istockphoto.com

Higher Utility Bills

4/8
Higher Water Bills

If your utility costs are rising, you may want to check your home's plumbing for signs of scale. Over time, scale buildup can clog pipes, and as this happens, your heating system has to work harder to push water through. As well, scale buildup can affect the energy efficiency of boilers and hot water heaters. 

Related: 14 Sneaky Ways to Save Money on Your Water Bill

istockphoto.com

Gray or Faded Laundry

5/8
washing machine turning clothes grey

Hard water makes soap and laundry detergents less effective and can leave behind a scummy residue that causes your linens and clothing to fade, appear dull or gray, develop a sour smell, and become rough and scratchy. Washing clothes and linens in hard water can also cause premature wear on the fabrics.

Related: 12 Laundry Mistakes You’re Probably Making

istockphoto.com

Dry Skin and Hair

6/8
Hard Water Dry Skin

The minerals in hard water can leave your skin and hair dry, flaky, and itchy, and can also block your skin’s pores, causing pimples, blackheads, or inflammation. Because soap doesn’t dissolve properly in hard water, a sticky soap film can linger on your skin and prevent the removal of bacteria and dirt. The same sticky film can make your hair dry, dull, and limp.

Related: 11 Bathroom Hazards That Harm Your Home and Health

istockphoto.com

Water Heater Woes

7/8
hard water water heater

One of the most costly and inconvenient signs that you need a water softener is having your water heater malfunction or fail. Hard water can lead to rapid and premature aging in water heaters, especially electric models, because heating hard water accelerates the formation of scale inside the tank as well as on the tank’s expensive heating elements.

Related: 10 Home Heating Mistakes That Spike Your Bills

istockphoto.com

Soften Up

8/8
Soften Up

Thankfully, the solution to hard water is fairly easy.

bobvila.com

Find trusted local pros for any home project
+

Don't Miss!

1pixel

If you have the money to hire a handyman for every household woe, go ahead. But if you want to hang on to your cash and exercise some self-sufficiency, check out these clever products that solve a million and one little problems around the house. Go now!