Did you know Tucson’s ground water is naturally hard? This is caused by mixing the area's hard groundwater with the Central Arizona Project water, which increases the hardness levels.
The good news? Hard water is harmless to your health and is safe to drink.
The bad news? Just because hard water is harmless to humans, the same can not be said about our appliances and fixtures.
Evidence of hard water can be found in calcium deposits left inside water heaters, dishwashers, washing machines, etc.. where the signs are harder to miss, and the deposits reduce an appliances life-span. Easily spot-able areas include dishes, glassware, shower heads and faucets. Luckily, most of the latter problem areas can be cleaned with vinegar, speciality cleaning products, and elbow grease for a temporary solution.
If you are looking for the best solution, purchase a water softener and have it installed.
What is a water softener?
A filtration system that works to remove high concentrations of calcium and magnesium that cause hard water. Using specially charged resin beads to attract and hold the calcium and magnesium particles, the output is a "softer" water.
The benefits:
How do I pick the right system for my home?
First, analyze the water. Your local hardware store will have water test kits that are around $30. They can give you all the information you never knew you wanted about your water, including the water hardness test level.
Second, analyze the gallon capacity that your household uses per day. Start with an average from your water bill or ball park an estimate of 80 gallons per person, per day. For example, a two person household will use about 160 gallons a day.
With the average household gallon use and a grain hardness number from the water test, multiply the gallons of water by the grain hardness to calculate the amount of hardness a water softener will need to be rated to remove the grains. For example, a family of five with 400 gallons of daily water use and a hardness level at 9 grains would need 3,600 grains of hardness removed per day.
What should I buy?
You have two options of water softeners, non-salt base and a salt base. The salt based water softener is the most commonly used.
Salt based water softeners use an electric metered valve that runs a cleaning cycle by the gallon when the ion bed reaches a certain point of saturation. During this process the electronic valve cycles a series of back flushes to purge the hard deposits and flush them down the drain. The salt is then replenished in the resin bed ready for its next run. This is the truest form of softening water.
Non-salt based water softeners do not remove any hardening materials, it simply changes their form so they cannot adhere to surfaces. There is no electrical valve needed because this system simply conditions the water.
We know, this is a lot of information but the benefits are great. If you are interested in installing one of these, make sure to do your research, find the system you want and purchase the unit.
While All Pro Rooter & Plumbing does not sell the units, we can certainly install them!
If you have any questions or need more guidance, you can always give us a call at 520-325-8681.