What Are Water Softeners And What Does Hard Water Have To Do With Stains In My Bath?

How can water be hard? Water is said to be hard when it contains excessive amounts of magnesium and calcium. Water that occurs in the chalky countryside and in limestone rich areas is normally very hard. Some rivers in England rivers are commonly known as chalk streams ... i.e. rivers that are not effected by rain and normally flow gently and smoothly. The water flowing into these streams is rainwater that infiltrates through calcium and magnesium rich structures.

Aquatic creatures adore hard water and trout grow very big when feeding in hard water. The native Americans refer to chalk streams as Spring Creeks.

The majority of natural water supplies contain from around 3 grains per gallon (gpg) to 50 gpg (or 51 mg/l to 855 mg/l). These hard water substances in the rain leave a film scale) on any surface that come in contact with the water ... such as the bath tub, coffee cup and etc. Hard water stains in the sink are very common in areas with hard water.

Hard water results in form lime scaling in pipes (this is an extreme case of a hard water stain), boilers, water heaters and air conditioning units. The lime scaling results in higher fuel bills and serious damage to water pipes and heating systems. In water heaters minute amounts of scale results in the reduction of the water heater's efficiency by up to 15%. Scale functions as an insulating material and greatly reduces heat conductivity rates.

In water that is very hard it is virtually impossible to make a smooth lather when washing and soap consumption nearly doubles in extreme cases. Hard water leads to the development of horrid grey-coloured soap remains ... which is another example of a hard water stain. These soap stain remains get stuck on clothes, glassare, food dishes and ceramic surfaces.

Degree of water hardness mg/l as CaCO3

Very soft water 0-20
Soft water 20-50
Hard water 50-500
Very hard water >500

There are a wide range of water usage articles which cover issues such as water usage in the house, filters, softeners, heaters and water in the garden as well. Links to topics change every time you visit the page