What is “hard water”?
Hard water is the most common problem found in the average home. Hard water is water that contains dissolved hardness minerals above 1 GPG.
The grain per gallon (gpg) is a unit of water hardness defined as 1 grain (64.8 milligrams) of calcium carbonate dissolved in 1 US gallon of water (3.785412 L).
It translates into 1 part in about 58,000 parts of water or 17.1 parts per million (ppm).
Calcium and magnesium ions present as sulfates, chlorides, carbonates and bicarbonates that cause water to be hard. Water chemists measure water impurities in parts per million (ppm).
For understandability, hardness ordinarily is expressed in grains of hardness per gallon of water (gpg).
According to the Water Quality Association the measurement of water hardness is as follows:
- soft: 0-3.5 grains per gallon (gpg)
- moderate: 3.5-7.0 gpg
- hard: 7.0-10.5 gpg
- very hard: over 10.5 gpg
?What minerals make the water hard?
Calcium, manganese and magnesium are the most common.
?What is Wrong with having Hard Water?
For bathing, washing dishes and clothes, shaving, washing your car and many other uses of water, hard water is not as “efficient ” as soft water.
For example:
?with soft water you only use 1/2 as much soap to wash your dishes or your laundry so you will save money.
?hard water and soap combine to form “soap scum” that can’t be rinsed off, staining all surfaces and dries leaving unsightly spots on your dishes and shower walls. So with soft water it is much easier to keep these areas clean.
?when hard water is heated, the hardness minerals are re-crystallized to form hardness scale. This scale can build up inside your pipes and hot water heater, causing premature failure, and costly replacement.
?If your water is hard, soap scum remains on your skin even after rinsing, clogging the pores of your skin and coating every hair on your body. This serves as a home for bacteria, causing diaper rash, minor skin irritation and skin that continually itches.
?for many industrial uses, hardness minerals can clog equipment requiring expensive de-liming processes.