If you live somewhere with hard water, the excess minerals in the water supply might cause long-term damage to the hot water system in your house. Hard water contains a lot of dissolved minerals, mostly magnesium and calcium. It may not directly endanger your health, but it can seriously damage your plumbing system, particularly your hot water heater. We at SunCity Hot Water want to give you some knowledge on how exactly hard water affects your plumbing specifically your hot water system.
Negative Effects
Hard water affects your hot water system in ways that go beyond efficiency. Here are the possible negative effects of hard water in your hot water system:
- Decreased Hot Water Output: Limescale accumulation might obstruct water passage through the pipes and tank. This may cause the quantity of hot water to noticeably drop, leaving you with annoyingly chilly showers.
- Reduced Lifespan: Your water heater is under constant stress from having to heat water through a layer of limescale. This may greatly shorten its longevity, necessitating an early replacement and extra expenses.
- Leaks and Breakdowns: The internal components of your water heater may deteriorate over time due to the accumulation of limescale. This may result in expensive repairs or replacements due to leaks, malfunctions, and even total breakdowns.
- Odd Noises: When hot water is running, limescale accumulation in the pipes can occasionally produce odd noises like rumbling or knocking. It’s a warning that hard water is wearing down, but it’s not always an indication of a ruined hot water heater.
What Causes The Hard Water Build Up?
Some of the dissolved hard water minerals in your hot water heater tank come out of the solution when the water gets hotter and builds up as scale on the interior surfaces. The insulating layer of this scale makes the heating elements work harder to boost the water’s temperature. The rate at which scaling happens increases with tank temperature.
Years of use cause that mineral build-up not just in the water heater tank but also in the pipes and fittings throughout your plumbing system. Hard water deposits and stains in showers, sinks, and toilets that need frequent washing and cleaning are probably something you’ve seen.
Even Tankless Hot Water Systems are not Safe
Although tank water heaters are very likely to experience the accumulation of hard water problems, tankless heaters may encounter similar scaling difficulties. The heating components and narrow pipe gaps can accumulate calcium buildup quite quickly in these systems since they heat water directly without the need for a storage tank.
Since continually circulating water constantly transfers hard water minerals to the heat exchanger surfaces, tankless water heaters may actually be even more susceptible to efficiency losses and clogs. For these systems, proper maintenance is important, which includes routine flushing.
Can You Prevent or Migitate The Effects?
While you can’t completely remove the effects of hard water in your hot water system you can actually reduce it. Here are some ways that you can do to reduce its effect:
- Water Softener: The best defense against hard water is a water softener. By eliminating the minerals magnesium and calcium, it keeps limescale from accumulating in any part of your plumbing system, including your hot water heater.
- Frequent Flushing: Regular flushing can assist in the removal of some collected sediment in typical tank water heaters. The tank will be drained during this procedure, and any loose limescale deposits will be flushed out. For accurate flushing methods, you should, however, refer to the handbook that came with your water heater or a licensed plumber.
- Lowering the Temperature: Calcium accumulation is sped up by hotter water temperatures. Limescale buildup can be lessened by lowering the thermostat setting on your water heater to about 49°C. As an added bonus lowering the temperature decreases energy consumption.
Now You Know!
Hard water may not seem like much of a problem, but it can harm your hot water system. You can make sure your hot water heater runs smoothly, lasts longer, and provides the reliable hot water performance you need by learning how hard water impacts your plumbing and taking appropriate action to fix it.
Want a Licensed Plumber to Check out Your Hot Water System? Contact SunCity Hot Water!
Get a free quote and a quality service here at SunCity Hot Water! We even have a 24/7 urgent service so you can contact us anytime! So get in touch with us and we’ll solve all of your hard water problems!