If your home has hard water, you’ve probably noticed brownish stains in your sink, residue on your dishes no matter how often you wash them, and a reddish tint to your drinking water. While hard water isn’t dangerous to your health, it can seriously hurt your plumbing system if left unchecked. Since old pipes can contribute to higher hard water levels and are more likely to be damaged by hard water, it’s essential to know why an old pipe replacement can potentially reduce hard water.
Hard water refers to water with high levels of mineral content, with the common minerals being magnesium and calcium. Over time, these high levels of magnesium, iron, and calcium can cause rust in your pipes, sinks, and other areas that come into contact with the water.
When your home has hard water running through its pipes, it can cause various problems. For example, hard water can give the water that comes out of your shower and taps a reddish look. This water discoloration is due to rust build-up, which can leave brownish stains in your sinks. Additionally, high rust or iron levels in your water can cause your clothes to feel stiff after a wash and your dishwasher to leave residue on your dishes.
Besides being unsightly, hard water can damage your plumbing system over time. As hard water passes through your plumbing system, it will leave behind minerals that will build up inside your appliances, pipes, and fixtures. This mineral build-up can damage pipes, reduce your water pressure, corrode your water heater’s anode rod faster, and clog your drains.
Typically, hard water is caused by high concentrations of magnesium and calcium in a home’s water source. Homes that rely on groundwater usually have hard water since groundwater passes through soil and rock, transporting the minerals in these substances into the groundwater supply.
While groundwater is usually the cause of hard water, some old pipes can also contribute to your home’s hard water levels and harm your water’s quality. If your pipes were installed before 1975, they were likely galvanized pipes made out of steel and coated with zinc. Over time, water passing through the pipes will corrode their walls and cause deposits of iron and other minerals to separate from the pipe. These deposits will then increase your water’s hardness and make your pipes corrode faster.
When you have galvanized pipes installed before 1975, you can likely benefit from an old pipe replacement. Since older pipes are more susceptible to corrosion due to hard water and can even raise your hard water levels, an old pipe replacement can help you reduce hard water in your home. Besides lowering your hard water levels, swapping out old pipes for new, more durable ones can reduce the risk of needing a pipe repair or replacement in the future.
Though old pipe replacement services can be a helpful way to reduce hard water, they won’t eliminate it entirely, especially if your home uses groundwater as its water source. Another way you can further reduce hard water levels is to invest in water softening services.
With water-softening services, a plumber will install water-softening solutions in your home to improve your home’s water quality. With one of these solutions installed in your home, it will remove minerals like magnesium and calcium from your water to reduce your water’s hardness. By lowering your water’s hardness, water conditioning solutions help to increase your plumbing system’s lifespan and reduce the adverse effects of hard water.
We recommend talking to your local plumbers about the water quality you would like to achieve. Softening systems eliminate hard water, while professional-grade filters can help purify your water. With the right support, you could get bottle-like quality from the water at your kitchen faucet.
If you’re looking for a plumber near you in Vacaville, Fairfield, Vallejo, Benicia, or surrounding areas, turn to Peter Levi. Our certified plumbers regularly provide hard water solutions to homeowners in the area. With our plumbing services in your corner, you can replace old pipes and receive water-softening solutions. We also offer multiple coupons to ensure the services you receive from us fit your budget.
Learn more about our water line replacement and water softening services today. If you have any questions or want to schedule an appointment, please contact us.
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