Scale deposits are a typical indicator of hard water.
Hard water is a common quality of water which contains dissolved compounds of calcium and magnesium and, Sometimes, other divalent and trivalent metallic elements.
The term hardness was originally applied to waters that were hard to wash in. referring to the soap wasting properties of hard water. Hardness prevents soap from lathering by causing the development of an insoluble curdy precipitate in the water, hardness typically causes the buildup of hardness scale (such as seen in cooking pans) Dissolved calcium and magnesium salts are primarily responsible for most scaling in pipes and water heaters and cause numerous problems in laundry, kitchen, and bath hardness is usually expressed in grains per gallon (or ppm) as calcium carbonate equivalent.
Symptoms include:
- Stiff, dingy laundry
- Mineral deposits on dishes and glassware
- High soap usage & need for fabric softeners
- Dry, itchy skin and scalp
- Unmanageable hair
- Extra work to remove soap curd on bathtubs & shower stalls
- High energy costs, possibly due to scale build-up in pipes and on appliances.
Stains on plumbing fixtures
What causes discoloration on sinks, tubs, and toilets?
If the stains or water are blue-green in color, then most likely, corrosion of copper is occurring within the household plumbing stain that are various shades of yellow , tan, brown , black, orange, or red can indicate the presence of metals other than copper.
Two others metals that are typically to blame for staining are iron and manganese. While these minerals serve as essential nutrients for your body, they aren’t so kind to plumbing fixtures, appliances and even clothing. Reddish and yellow-tan discoloration is often caused by iron, white black or dark brown discoloration points to manganese. Due to their similarities and their frequent occurrence in tandem, iron and manganese generally treated in much the same way.
Discoloration usually results from the exposure of these metals to oxygen, known as oxidation In your plumbing, water often has limited exposure to oxygen, keeping any soluble (ferrous) iron or manganese in solution once these metals come out of a faucet and are exposed to the air, Oxidation occurs and chemicals reactions may cause them to from a substance that creates visible staining.
Staining may result from water with very low concentrations of these metals: 0.3 parts per million (ppm) of iron or 0.05 ppm of manganese. This is why water that levels stains on plumbing fixtures may appear clear when coming out of the tap.
Some specific kinds of bacteria, which can cause discoloration, thrive in iron- and manganese rich water. While these bacteria may not be harmful to the human body, they can clog pipes and affect flow rates in a home’s plumbing and appliances.
Taste & Odor Issues
While taste issues are only noticed at the faucet(s) where water is used for drinking, bad smelling water can be noticeable any place in or around a home or office where water used Depending on the extent of faucets affected, a choice can be made whether or just at a specific faucet is best suited for your needs.
