Do I need a water softener (10 signs to tell)

How do I tell if I need a water softener?
At what hardness is a water softener needed?
Do I need a water softener with city water?
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This is the question most people ask “do I need a water softener with city water or for well water, keep on reading to find out.

How do I tell if I need a water softener?

Test your water hardness

One of the best ways to find out whether you need a water softener is to measure water hardness at home. You can do the test yourself right at home using a water hardness test kit which you can buy at the most local store or online stores. There are other simple methods you can use to test water hardness at home if you don’t want to use a water hardness test kit.

The other way to know water hardness is to request a water quality report from the municipal water department. You can send a sample to a testing laboratory in your area; some do for free, and others charge a small fee for testing.

After testing your water hardness how do you define whether your water is hard or soft? The below table will help you understand better. The water hardness is measured in either grain per gallon (GPG) or ppm (parts per million) or mg/L

1GPG= 17.118 PPM or mg/l

	GPG	PPM	mg/L
soft	below 3 gpg	below 60ppm	below 60ppm
moderately hard	3-7 grains	61-120ppm	61-120ppm
hard	7-10 grains	121-180ppm	121-180ppm
Very hard	10-15 grains	181-256ppm	181-256ppm
Extremely hard	Above 15	above 256 ppm	above 256 ppm

According to the above table anything above 3-grains you need an ion exchange system to treat your hard water.

Although testing water hardness is the best way to find out if you need a softening system some signs could tell your water is hard, and a water softening system could be an addition in your house. Such signs include:

Soap is not lathering well

If you have a hard time getting a good lather when doing laundry or bathing that indicates your water is hard and you need a unit.

Noticing build up on the appliances

If you have hard water mineral scale will start to form on a home appliance such as kettle and pipes

Stains on sink and bathtubs

After showering or bathing using hard water white chalky residue will be left on the floor of the bathtub or on the sinks that is a good indication you have hard water and softening unit is needed.

Faded and dull clothes

It is tough to rinse laundry detergent using hard water they leave them on clothes. Also, the laundry detergent does not dissolve well in hard water; the soap will remain on the clothes making them look faded and dull.

Dry skin and hair

What happens when hard water comes to contact with your skin and hair the hard water mineral is left behind it absorbs the natural oil on your skin and hair making your skin dry.

Constant repair of your plumbing and home appliances

Most pipes and home appliances are made of quality metal or material that doesn’t get spoilt more often. But when they come to contact with hard water minerals, they are easily damaged by the scale buildup causing you to keep on repairing the appliances more often.

High utility bills

Hard water causes scale build-up on your pipes and home appliances. Over time the buildup causes clogging on the pipes or appliances. Your pipes will work hard to let your water pass through therefore increasing the water bill. When it comes to heaters or boilers, the scale will affect energy efficiency leading to a high electricity bill.

Stain on the kitchen utensils

Hard water cause kitchen utensils have stained all over them.

Low water pressure

After using hard water for a time, the foam build-up on the pipe causing them to clog this can cause your water to have low pressure.

When you know you have hard water in your house, you should take appropriate action and invest in an ion exchange water softener such as a single tank water softener, Cabinet style water softener, and Twin tank water softener or electronic water conditioner. If you are on a restricted sodium diet in invest in a salt-free water softener.

At what hardness is a water softener needed?

If your water hardness is more than 7 GPG (grains per gallon)/120mg/l then you need a water softener

Do I need a water softener with city water?

Every city water has different water quality. To determine whether you need a water softener you need to find out the hardness level of your water. You can test hardness at home using a water hardness kit or contact the local municipal council to find out.

How do I tell if I need a water softener?

At what hardness is a water softener needed?

Do I need a water softener with city water?

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