Hard vs. Soft Water - Keidel Bath, Plumbing, Kitchen

Hard water is probably the most common water problem found in the home. It should come as no surprise to those living in the Tri-State area, that our water is "Very Hard"

The Water Quality Association of the United States defines hard water as water containing dissolved hardness minerals above 1 GPG (grains per gallon). The most common hardness causing minerals are Calcium and Magnesium. Levels of hardness are classified as follows:

Soft Water - less than 1 GPG
Slightly hard - 1 to 3.5 GPG
Moderately hard - 3.5 to 7 GPG
Hard - 7 to 10.5 GPG
Very Hard - 10.5 and higher GPG

Hard water is fine for many uses around a home, such as watering a garden, washing cars and general outdoor lawn care. Water, as it comes from a well or from a municipal treatment plant, works fine for these purposes. But for indoor use such as showering and bathing, washing dishes and clothes, shaving, and dozens of other uses, hard water is not as efficient or convenient as "soft water." For example, soft water:

Uses less soap and cleaning products
Reduces "soap scum" and 'bathtub ring' that are difficult to remove
Minimizes unsightly spots on dishes, glassware and flat ware
Cuts down on scale that clogs plumbing and builds up on the inside of water heaters; which can increase gas or electric bills, and may lead to early failure of the heater
Increases life expectancy for appliances, including washing machines, dishwashers, and water heaters.
Contributes to softer skin after bathing or showering, opens skin pores and cleans hair more thoroughly. This reduces the risk of diaper rash, rough, red hands, and skin irritation and discomfort.
Improves the taste of ice cubes and boiled foods such as vegetables

Your local water department or City government should be able to provide information about your water supply, but if you prefer, you can have the water tested through a laboratory analysis.

Such analysis may be bacterial, microbiological, or chemical, depending on the purpose. Chemical analyses made by test labs show iron in milligrams per liter and hardness minerals in grains per gallon or milligrams per liter.

If you are using a private well, contact your county extension agent. Take a sample of the water to be tested and send it to the state health department or an EPA laboratory for testing.

If water comes from a private well, the homeowner should test it for bacteria annually. Check with local authorities for recommended tests and their frequency.

There are four units of measure commonly used in water analysis:

milligrams per liter (mg/l) or parts per million (ppm)
grains per U.S. gallon (gpg)
equivalents per million (epm);
and grains per imperial gallon (gpg imp).

To convert from milligrams per liter or parts per million to grains per gallon, divide the former by 17.1. Similarly, multiply grains per gallon by 17.1 to arrive at milligrams per liter or parts per million.

If water tests over 1 GPG hard, consider softening it with a water conditioner.

Water Softeners

The most common way to soften water is by use of an ion exchange water softener.

This device uses an ion exchange process to replace hardness minerals in the water with another substance. Most water softening equipment today uses sodium for this exchange.

The process consists of flowing the hard water over a bed of plastic resin beads. On each bead, slight electric charges hold sodium ions on the surface of the bead. As hard water flows through the water softener, it passes around the plastic beads.

The hardness minerals (ions) in the water have a greater attraction to the bead than the sodium on the bead. Therefore, they attach themselves to the bead, and in the process they displace the sodium ions (Thus the name ion exchange).

When the plastic resin bead is covered with hardness ions, the removal of ions stops. The water softener in this condition is known as being exhausted. In order to remove additional hardness from the water a brine solution is introduced into the resin tank, which scrubs the hardness ions from the resin beads. Then clean water is used to flush away the excess brine and accumulated ions, leaving the beads ready to remove additional hardness.

Using softened water has many advantages , but soft water does have disadvantages.

Soft water is not for everyone

Softening household water supplies is not a decision to be made lightly. Factors to consider are family composition, stage in the family life cycle, lifestyle, health, maintenance of the equipment, and cost.

The obvious disadvantage to soft water is the level of sodium (salt) deposited in the water.

Potassium Chloride used in place of Sodium Chloride can reduce the levels of sodium in softened water. Anyone who has heart or circulatory problems, or on a low sodium diet should discuss the installation of a water softener with a physician.

There are 3 alternative methods are available to reduce sodium in softened water: reverse osmosis, distillation, and deionization. Discuss these alternatives with your plumbing contractor.

Researchers have found conflicting results relating the mineral content of water to the risk of cardiovascular disease. The risk appears lowest when the drinking water contains lots of minerals and highest when the water is soft. Consumers may want to consider installing a bypass to the kitchen water supply for cooking and drinking.

According to a report by the University of Kentucky, softened water also increases the potential for leaching heavy metal from pipes, solder, and plumbing fixtures. Increased levels of copper, lead, zinc, and cadmium are found in soft water, particularly when it stands overnight in the plumbing system. Heavy metal concentrations can exceed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) primary drinking water standards, particularly for water standing overnight in brass plumbing fixtures and faucets.

Be sure to ask your plumber any questions you may have concerning your home's piping.