Serving Forth Worth & the 
While Texas can certainly be a beautiful place to take in the sunset or a fun-filled rodeo, homeownership here comes with its own regional complications. Hard water can wreak havoc on your plumbing fixtures and even your body. A water softener system may just be the perfect solution to handle this unfortunate problem. Here’s why.
Understanding Hard Water
All water is given a rating on the hardness scale, with anything over 120 MG/L considered hard. When your water has a high concentration of excess minerals, it can lead to a slew of problems. One of the more notable ones is the limescale buildup on your sinks and plumbing fixtures. That buildup will prematurely deteriorate the metal components of your plumbing fixtures and appliances. Hard water can even dry out your skin and make your hair frizz. It makes cleaning dishes or clothes even harder, as the detergent can’t penetrate deep enough to get rid of all the dirty residue.
The geology of Texas includes a high amount of limestone and gypsum. As both are water soluble, these minerals regularly seep into the water supply. Within these rock types, magnesium and calcium are found in local hard water.
Common Signs You Have Hard Water
There are many common signs that indicate you have hard water at your home. The most obvious is a white chalky limescale buildup on your sinks, tubs, and even shower walls. You may notice your laundry is constantly stiff and you can’t get rid of stains during washing. Your dishes may have white spots or cloudy film on them after getting washed. If you’re unsure whether you have hard water, one of our plumbing professionals can gladly perform a water test at your home to determine the hardiness level of your water supply.
What’s a Water Softener System?
A water softener system is a water treatment device that removes excess minerals from your water supply. This appliance is installed where your main water line enters the home. This means that it can send softened water to all your appliances and plumbing fixtures.
Most water softeners will come with two different tanks in an adjoining unit. The first tank is the main resin bead tank that is filled full of specialized resin beads. These beads have charged sodium ions that naturally attract the magnesium and calcium in your water. The water softener works on the ion exchange process where the hard minerals will attach to the resin beads and release the sodium in the process.
A small amount of sodium remains in your water supply while all the excess minerals adhere to the resin beads. Every so often, the water softener will do a regeneration cycle, which is where a special brine solution from the brine tank is introduced into the main resin bead tank. This solution flushes all the excess minerals from the resin beads out of your home’s drainage system. The remaining resin beads are recharged with new sodium moles and the ion exchange process starts all over again.
Maintenance and Lifespan Info
Most water softener systems will last for about 10 to 15 years if they receive proper care and prompt repair service. As a homeowner, you’ll want to check the salt tank for your water softener every six to eight weeks. Whenever the salt level gets low, you’ll need to add more to the system.
Water softener salt can be purchased at most hardware stores. Apart from checking the salt level, it’s highly beneficial to have one of our professionals inspect your water softener annually to do an in-depth cleaning and replace any malfunctioning or worn-out components.
Get Rid of Limescale Buildup
One reason you may want to invest in a water softener system for your home is to get rid of pesky limescale buildup. Having a white chalky film on all your fixtures can be extremely irritating and require constant cleaning. It also creates stubborn rings at the top of the water line of your toilet bowl. A water softener will prevent those excess minerals from entering the pipes. This will extend the longevity of your plumbing fixtures and piping.
Enhance Water Heater Efficiency
One big downside of having hard water is it decreases the efficiency of your water heater. Hard water takes more energy to heat up than soft water. When you invest in a water softener, your water heater’s efficiency will increase.
Make Appliances Last Longer
If you’re constantly feeding hard water through your dishwasher, water heater, and washing machine, you’re shortening their lifespan. The Water Quality Association has shown that hard water can decrease the lifespan of typical appliances by between three and five years. Using a water softener will help extend the longevity of your appliances and make your money stretch further.
Cleaner Laundry and Dishes
Having laundry that just won’t clean or white cloudy spots all over your dishes can be extremely frustrating. A water softener will remove the limescale buildup that’s making it challenging to adequately clean these items. You’ll notice your clothes will be much cleaner and softer and you won’t have any cloudy spots on your dishes. Soap will foam more efficiently in soft water. This means you get a better lather and use a lot less soap.
Smoother Hair and Skin
The excess minerals in hard water will strip your body of its natural oils. This will leave your skin overly dry and your hair frizzy. Many homeowners notice an immediate difference in how they feel after taking their first shower with softer water. Your skin will be smoother because it’s able to retain its natural moisture. Your hair will no longer frizz but feel smooth to the touch.
Fewer Plumbing Repairs
Minerals like magnesium and calcium can take a toll on your pipes by causing internal corrosion. As the corrosion gets worse, it will restrict the flow of water. This can cause low water pressure issues and clogs in your drain line. When you use a water softener system, you can reduce your risk of experiencing plumbing issues related to corrosion and clogs. If you have clogs now, you can call a plumber to clear the blockages and install a water softener at the same time. This helps prevent the issues from returning.
Get Professional Installation Service
If you believe a water softener system can be highly beneficial for your Texas home, it’s typically best to consult one of our plumbing professionals for the installation process. Our team is highly experienced in assessing your water quality level and recommending the perfect softener system to meet your specific needs. Professional installation by expert plumbers is typically necessary to sustain the warranty coverage on your new water softener.
Reliable Water Softener Installation Service
Cattlemans Plumbing provides reliable water softener installation services for the Fort Worth, TX community. We can also help with all your water softener repair, maintenance, and replacement needs. Call our office today to book a consultation with one of our highly experienced plumbing professionals.
