How Hard Water Ruins On-Demand Water Heaters

85% of US water is hard water so you’re likely living in a neighborhood that receives hard water. Though you can drink this water, the excess of minerals can make it taste and smell unpleasant. Your body may also get more minerals than it should, which leads to health conditions. Apart from that, several other issues can occur because of hard water, such as damaging your water heater. Therefore, it becomes vital to solve this issue to live a healthy life and keep your water heater in good condition.

Wondering how water hardness impacts water heaters? What steps can you take to solve this problem? In this guide, we will go over all of the questions you might have.

What do we mean by Water Hardness?

Hard water usually refers to water that contains a lot of magnesium and calcium. The water develops this property by passing through different rocks before reaching the ground.

The level of water hardness depends on the region where the water was present before you treat and distribute it. Hard water can not only affect your health but it can also damage the plumbing system and water heater in your house. Therefore, experts recommend avoiding hard water or opting for quality water filters that can turn hard water into soft water.

How does Hard Water Ruin a Water Heater?

If the minerals build up on different parts of the water heater, they can affect its effectiveness. Here are a few more reasons why hard water impacts water heaters.

Lowers Water Heater Efficiency

The primary goal of a water heater is to keep the water warm. But when you have a hard water source, it stays warm for a short time. Also, your water heater requires more energy to warm hard water, as the excess of minerals increase the boiling point of a water heater.

Besides that, using hard water to remove to remove the shampoo or soap from your body can be challenging. This means you will use more water when taking a shower or washing your hands. All these issues will only increase your energy and water bills, costing you more than necessary each month.

Have to Frequently Drain the water

If your house receives hard water, you need to maintain and clean your water heater regularly. Experts will suggest you flush your water heater annually to clean every type of build-up and sediment from the system.

Water hardness can contribute to continuous limescale formation. Therefore, your water heater will require you to drain it more requently than you would with soft water. Draining the heater every few months can be very inconvenient, as avoiding doing so can cause problems in your heater. It also wastes a lot of water, which further contributes to your water bill. Though how many times you need to flush your water heater every year depends on the minerals present in it. Regadless, you can expect to do it at least 2 to 3 times every year.

Reduce Heater’s Lifespan

As we discussed earlier, your heater needs more time to heat up the water and buildup that occurs due to minerals impacting the system. This greatly damages your water heater. You will also need to repair and maintain it more often, which can be expensive.

You water heater is an expensive investment, so it should at least work for its expected. But hard water makes it more difficult to use your heater for more than a few years.

Cause Heater to Produce Noises

Have you heard a rumbling or squealing sound from your water heater recently? This happens because minerals present in the water heater accumulate on different parts of your system, resulting in strange noises.

These noises are also a sign that your water heater is not functioning well and it needs repairing and replacing.

Test the Hardness of Your Water

The best way to determine thisis to Call Pure WaterSsytems of NV and askfor a Free In home consultation and Water test

You might be wondering how you will know if your house has hard water. There are several ways to test your water. You can choose one that best fits your needs and XXX references. Here are some best options you have to test the water.

Bring a water test kit to your house, which is easily available in pool and aquarium stores and hardware shops. This kit comes with a strip, which will change color based on the hardness of your water.
Contact an expert to assess the water quality of your house. They will use different methods to check water hardness, including sending a water sample to a laboratory.
Send water samples by yourself to any nearby lab.
Check whether your neighborhood gets hard water through the municipal website. You can also Google it and find articles and newspapers that might have addressed this issue.

Off all the above-mentioned tips, the most effective one is to consult an expert. This is because a professional will give you a complete idea of why the water is hard and how you can fix it.

How to Protect Your Water Heater?

If your property has a hard water source, you can’t do anything except install systems that turn your hard water into soft water before it goes into the water heater. However, you need to test your water hardness and understand the level of minerals in it before you make a decision. This is because if your water is already balanced, you don’t need to invest in a water softener.

Here are some most common types of systems that people usually use to prevent scale buildup.

Magnetic Water Treatment

You can use this ideal water treatment to soften the water. Magnetic water treatment prevents build-up in the water heater. Wondering how? This device creates a magnetic field that impacts the scale-forming particles in the water. So, when the water reaches your heater, minerals present in it don’t collect on the fittings, walls, and joints of the water heater. But ask your expert whether the system will be suitable for your property. After 30 years in business @ At Pure Water Systems of Nvc we haven’t had any success with magnets and do not recommend them for hard water.

Water Treatment System For the Entire Home

This is another great option for homeowners. A water treatment system needs to install on the water heater’s inlet. With this treatment system, you can prevent scale buildup in the system. This system filters the water flowing into the tank before it gets into the water heater. The results of the water treatment system are great, and they work best for every type of property.

Also , water treatment systems today also reomove many dangerous contaminants

If you can’t opt for any new installation now, you can simply set your water heater temperature to 60 degree Celsius. This can help you reduce the risk of scale formation until you can find a better solution.

Bottom Line

If you notice any signs of hard water, you need to start caring for your water heater. Besides regularly maintaining your heater, you need to find ways to prevent the minerals in the water from damaging your water heater. If you are confused and don’t know which system to choose for your house, then contact an expert who can help you choose and install the right system. Just make sure to consult a qualified and experienced professional.