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How Hard is Your Water?

We get several calls from customers saying they believe they have hard water. First, what is hard water? This is when the water has a high mineral content. So as rain drains down through the surface to the aquifers it absorbs minerals like calcium, manganese and magnesium carbonate. The hardness of the water depends on how much of these minerals is in the water.  Hard water in your home, as potable water, is not necessarily harmful but can cause significant issues. The problems can arise when the hard water reacts with cleaning products, creates build up and can wear down fixtures and appliances. Cleaning products may not be as effective when used with hard water, causing your normal cleaning chores to be more frustrating and expensive. The buildup of the minerals from the hard water can be deposited on your dishes, clothing, fixtures and even your skin and hair.  The other issue with hard water isn’t just on the outside of the faucets but what is it doing to the inside of your plumbing. These minerals start to build up inside your pipes and appliances. This can cause water flows to drop, clog and even increase the stress on the pipes and fixtures. If the hot water heater has to heat up all the scale buildup, as well as the water, your energy costs are going to increase. 1/4″ scale = up to 39% energy loss and 1/2″ = up to 70% energy loss!

 Now to explain a little further for us all in Florida. If you look at the picture below, you can see that Florida as a state has hard to very hard water. Ideal measurements would be 7 grains per gallon (gpg)…but here in Florida…well, it’s way more than that!

Shocking! We know! Check out these facts:

7,000 Grains = 1 Pound of Rock

Average US Water Supply

Hardness = 15 Grains per Gallon (gpg)

467 Gallons = 1 Pound of Rock

How can we here at Filter Pure help? We would first need to test your water to see how hard your water really is. We then need to find out your water usage. For example, how many people reside in the home? How many hours per day would it be operating? You would need to be able to provide the total number of fixtures, including toilets, sinks, dish washer, washing machine and showers? If you can find out your water usage per month, that would also be helpful? The more information we can get the better. Based on those readings we can suggest a water softener that would best suit your needs. If you have any further questions regarding hard water, water softeners, or whole home filtration please contact us 800-942-7873.  Have any questions? Click the button below and ask away!

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