What is Hard Water? 
Definition: Excessive levels of dissolved calcium and/or magnesium cause hard water. Hard water minerals form a white precipitate on plumbing and fixtures, Commonly referred to as calcium or lime scale. Hard water was termed this due to the fact that it was “harder” to wash clothes in water high in Calcium and Magnesium.
Calcium and Magnesium are measured in concentration as grains per gallon (GPG) or parts per million (PPM). The higher the GPG or PPM the harder the water and the greater the problems with plumbing, heating, washing and agriculture.
(See chart below) 

HARD WATER CHART

Characteristics of hard water

• Hard water will cause a build-up scale on pipes, heating elements, plumbing and fixtures reducing the flow.  
• It reduces the efficiency of your heating elements in water heaters, boilers, coffee/espresso machines by scaling over the elements and effectively insulating them from heating your water.     
  

  Increases in Energy Consumption as a Function of Scale Thickness
  Scale Thickness (inches)	Increased Energy Consumption (%)
  1/32	8.5
  1/16	12.4
  1/8	25.0
  1/4	40.0

• Hard water clogs drippers, fogging & misting systems, evaporative coolers, and reduces the effectiveness of filters.
• Hard water reduces the effectiveness of soaps and detergents by bonding chemically to them forming curds instead of suds and interfering with soaps ability to form large "bubble" molecules.
• Hard water makes clothes stiffer and not last as long.
• Hard water uses more energy.   Hard water scum makes clothes look gray and unclean and leaves a film of sticky soap curd on the skin and hair making it dull, lifeless and difficult to manage.
• Hard water quickly ages and dries clothes, skin and hair.
  

How to determine if you have hard water?
On Site Observations

• Look at your faucets, shower heads, mirrors, windows and glasses. If you have hard water you will see white calcium deposits in the form of a haze, “water” spots and scale build-up.
• Look at your toilet bowl, spa, pool, fountains and planters. They will have calcium build up on the edges where water evaporates leaving stains.
• Look at the way soaps suds in your sink or laundry. Few and/or quickly bursting bubbles indicate hard water as hard water interferes with the chemical bonds holding bubbles together.
• Listen to your water heater. If you are developing scale over your heating elements you will hear a gurgling, bubbling, popping sound inside your water heater as heat tries to escape into the water.

Testing

• If you are on city water, ask for the water districts water analysis report and look at the Calcium Carbonate (CaCO4) or hardness results and compare with the chart above.

• If you are on your own well water and the above visual tests are not conclusive, you can test it by buying our simple water test kit or have a water lab in your area test it for you.  It is advisable to test your well water yearly for E-Coli, Coliform and other toxins and minerals anyway, just make sure hardness is on the test list.  

• Try the Home Soap Bubble Hard vs. Soft water Bench Test
  
                                               

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