Water softeners and what is hard water. Hard water stains in baths

What is hard water? Hard water contains calcium and magnesium and this is quite natural. However excessive amounts create what is commonly referred to as hard water. High levels of hardness occur in water that occurs in chalky countryside, in areas where limestone is present. In England some rivers are referred to as chalk streams ... rivers that are not greatly effected by rain and tend to flow nice and smoothly. The water feeding these streams is rainwater that percolates through calcium and magnesium rich structures.

Hard water tends to support lots of river life and trout grow big. In the USA chalk streams are often called Spring Creeks.

Most natural water supplies range contain from around 3 grains per gallon (gpg) to 50 gpg (or 51 mg/l to 855 mg/l). These hard water substances precipitate and leave a film or scale on surfaces that come in contact with the water ... like the bath tub, coffee cup and so on. Often in hard water areas many homes develop a hard water stain on water surfaces like sinks

Hard water will form lime scaling in pipes (think of this a hard water stain but on the extreme side) , water heaters, boilers, and air conditioning systems. The impact of this is higher fuel bills and often permanent damage to pipes and heating equipment. In water heaters scale even in minor thicknesses can reduce a water heater's efficiency by up to 15%. The scale acts as an insulating material and thus lowers the rate of heat conductivity.

In very hard water it is difficult to make a lather when washing and soap consumption can almost double in bad cases. Hard water can also result in the formation of horrible greyish-coloured soap residues ... another example of a hard water stain. These soap stain residues stick to cloth fibers, glassware, ceramic surfaces and food dishes and other products.

You can read a wide range of water usage articles. They discuss the use of water in the house and home ... topics covered include filters, heaters, softeners and water in the garden too. The links change each time you visit the page