Hard Water Stains - Top Tips to Improve Your Well Water Supply and Prevent Water Stains.

The water from your well could be costing you hundreds of dollars a year. This is because well water (or borehole water as it is sometimes called) contains high levels of dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which cause stubborn hard water stains. These minerals also stick to the elements on kettles and boilers causing them to be much less efficient.

If your water comes straight from a local well it may contain several components that could be potentially harmful to your family. There are many people in the US and around the world who have the same problem, especially the very common and annoying hard water minerals that cause hard water stains, which end up on fixtures and fittings. However, there are some really simple ways to combat these unwanted minerals and by installing a device to your home that will give you the peace of mind of knowing that your water is the best it can be.

Top Tips To Improve Your Well Water Supply:

One of the simplest ways to improve the quality of your water is to install a water softener. These devices remove the calcium and magnesium minerals that cause hard water stains, and replace them with sodium which makes the water much "softer". The advantage of this is it also prevents these same minerals from sticking to the heating elements of kettles, boilers and other appliances in the home.

Water softeners generally contain an easy to install cartridge that must be replaced every few months, or recharged, to keep it in top condition.

Water filters are also a great way to improve the quality of your well water and there are some great devices available that do an excellent job. Basically, these devices contain a filter that removes the unwanted minerals from your water and makes it cleaner and of higher quality.

One of the best types of filter to purchase is called a reverse-osmosis filters (see image on left). These filters are often considered the best form of water filtration available today. The water is passed through several types of filters including a semi-permeable membrane, which filters out almost every contaminant.

They are more expensive than other types of filters but have reasonably low running costs, very effective filtration and can also be used to filter water to the whole house. These devices are the industry standard and can help to achieve very high purification, so much so that often people comment that they can actually taste the difference themselves once one of these has been installed.

Electromagnetic water conditioners are another way to reduce the level of minerals in well water and are a relatively new invention. The idea is that by passing water through a magnetic field, the calcium and magnesium ions are altered in such a way that they lose their ability to cause scale.

These devices have a number of benefits and many are used in industry; although the water is not technically soft, it has the useful properties of soft water, that is, it may reduce limescale in pipes and may increase heating efficiency as well as lengthening the lifespan of any clothes washed in the conditioned water.

However, the jury is still out on whether these devices work effectively in a residential environment. The magnetic current that passes through the water does not technically remove the unwanted minerals but simply changes the chemical make-up of them. This is supposed to prevent the minerals from "sticking" to the sides of pipes and fixtures around the home - thus reducing hard water stains and scale formation. However, as they are still present in the water, they can still cause problems around the home and are not particularly effective in hard water deposit removal. There was a period of time in the 60's and 70's where many of these anti scale devices were installed in industrial systems, however they are not used as frequently these days.

Summary:

So, if you receive your water from a well water supply then there are some proven techniques for removing the annoying minerals and potentially toxic chemicals that are present in this type of water. Installing a device to filter your water is a great idea and could reduce the formation of hard water stains in your home, as well as making your morning coffee taste even better!

4 Quick and Easy Tips for Hard Water Areas

For some quick and easy tips to combat hard water problems around the home, see below for some tried and tested methods that could save you hundreds of dollars!

Use a synthetic body wash to shower:

Some confusion may arise after a first experience with soft water. Hard water does not lather well with soap and leaves a "less than clean" feeling. Soft water lathers better than hard water but leaves a "slippery feeling" on the skin after use with soap. For example, a certain water softener manufacturer contests that the "slippery feeling" after showering in soft water is due to "cleaner skin" and the absence of "friction-causing" soap scum.

However, the chemical explanation is that soft water, due to its sodium content, has a much reduced ability to combine with the soap film on your body and therefore, it is much more difficult to rinse off. Solutions are to use less soap or a synthetic liquid body wash.

Choose a correct laundry detergent:

Some laundry detergents do not produce as many suds in hard water, these are likely to be soap-based products and do not work as well in hard-water as detergent based products. Nowadays, there are washing powders and liquids available for a wide range of water hardness. Make sure you choose the correct detergent for your area; you may also need to use slightly more detergent than the manufacturers recommended amount to compensate for the hard water. In many cases the manufacturer will give specific instructions on how to use the product in hard water areas, look out for these labels on your product.

Reduce the temperature of your boiler:

As the water temperature increases, the more mineral deposits will appear in your dishwasher, water tank and pipes. By reducing the heat of your boiler to about 55ºC, you will have enough hot water for your shower and you will reduce the amount of mineral build-up in your pipes and tanks.

Use rinse agents to remove mineral deposits:

There are many rinse agents available to remove mineral deposits from crockery and dishwasher. Alternatively, you can use white vinegar by using the dishwasher dispenser or placing a cup of vinegar on the dishwasher rack. Boil some white vinegar in your kettle as a useful way of removing hard water deposits

Top Tips on How to Clean-Up Your Home Water Supply

While the quality of water supplied to our homes today has improved dramatically over the last few decades, there are still big advantages to installing a water filter to our domestic supplies. They are able to remove most types of chemical or mineral in the water which may be potentially dangerous or harmful. In some cases they have been able to save the user money in medical bills. Drinking unfiltered water is mainly associated with certain diseases, but with the use of water filtration systems, people are assured of constant high quality water supply.

Heavy metals

In order to remove the particles from the raw water to be treated, certain chemicals are added to the water. These include aluminium or iron compounds that help to clean up the water and remove suspended matter. While nearly all of this is removed from the process before leaving the treatment works there will always be a small amount remaining that reaches customers taps.

Zinc and Lead

These can sometimes be found in water supplies through contact with the pipes but they are certainly not wanted in drinking water. Older water pipes used to be made from galvanised zinc, which is iron coated with zinc. These pipes can break down over many years, releasing rust or zinc into the water supply. Water authorities may say that the levels are so low they are not a problem, and are only really a problem in soft water areas because they can dissolve into the water. However, a filtration system would effectively remove these chemicals and ensure the water is purified to a higher level and reduces these chemicals to acceptable amounts.

Chlorine

Chlorine is often added to the water to disinfect it and kill the bacteria and harmful organisms. It is very effective at this and has been used for decades to ensure that our water is fit for consumption. However, there is always a small amount of chlorine that remains and some people are especially sensitive to the taste of chlorine and can be easily detected when levels are too high.

Trihalomethanes

When the chlorine is added to water and combines with natural organic matter it forms trihalomethanes (THM's). These have directly associated with cancers and certain allergies.

Peat

When a water supply is taken from an upland source that contains peat it gives a orange/brown colour to the water. This is not a health issue in itself and not a hazard but does not make the water particularly appealing to drink!

Hard Water Minerals

Calcium and magnesium present in water are the minerals responsible for the stubborn hard water stains and limescale build-up found on faucets, sinks, shower doors, glass. As anyone who has hard water in their area knows, these stains can be a pain to remove, however, these are also easily removed by water filters.

Other contaminants

In some water sources, in particular river supplies, there can be organic solvents, pesticides and fertilizers from run-off from farmland. There have even been traces of hormones and the contraceptive pill present in some cases! These are often removed during the water treatment process but there are always residual amounts that can reach the customers taps causing potential health problems.

What Can You Do To Remove These Chemicals?

One of the easiest ways to increase the quality of your water supply is to consider installing a water filter. These days they are simple to install, are relatively cheap and have been proven to eliminate harmful organisms that could cause health problems. A top tip before deciding on what water filtration system to purchase for your home is to have your water tested for impurities in order to determine which type of filtration system to purchase. This will give you a good idea of the type of water filter required to improve the quality of the supply.

Depending on the impurities contained in the water, consumers have the option of buying an in-line reverse-osmosis system or a carbon filter. Carbon based filters are mainly used to filter water that contains organic chemicals, chlorine, pesticides and trihalomethanes. Reverse-osmosis filters on the other hand are best to filter water that has organic compounds such as sodium, nitrates, ferrous iron, lead.

So if you want to be certain that your water supply is free from potential contaminants that could cause potential health problems to you or your family it can be a good idea to consider the benefits of a water filter. This not only ensures you have access to a constant supply of wholesome water to your home, but also gives you the piece of mind that your water has a consistently high quality.