Why You Need a Water Softener in Phoenix
Calcium and magnesium are simultaneously helpful and destructive to your pipes.
These minerals assist your blood vessels and digestive tract inside your body, but an overabundance of them in your home’s water supply can clog and damage its plumbing.
Fortunately, at Desert Diamond Air, we have the remedy to keep the pipes healthy in your Arizona home: water softening. It eliminates the calcium and magnesium that are common characteristics of hard water.
Why Do I Have Hard Water in Maricopa County?
Water in the Greater Phoenix area is known for its high calcium and magnesium content. Our water supply primarily comes from the Colorado, Verde, and Salt rivers, which pick up minerals from the soil. This high concentration of calcium and magnesium makes our water very hard.
Drinking a glass of hard tap water typically is not harmful, but the thousands of gallons that flow through your home can wreak havoc on its pipes, fixtures, and water-loving appliances.
Hard Water Leaves Clues
You can easily determine if hard water affects your Phoenix, household by paying attention to telltale signs:
Limescale Buildup: As hard water evaporates, it leaves behind white, chalky residue on faucets, showerheads, and sinks. This mineral deposit is limescale. The presence of sediment, limescale or biofilm in pipes can provide a habitat for bacteria like Legionella, which causes Legionnaire’s disease, a severe lung infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Soap Scum: Look for buildup in your tub and shower.
Spotty Dishware: Even after a cycle in the dishwasher, your dishes may come out with cloudy spots and streaks, making them look dirty even when they are clean. Glassware loses its sparkle and appears cloudy.
Dry Skin, Dull Hair: Hard water minerals can prevent soap from lathering and leave a sticky film on your skin and hair, stripping out natural moisture. Your skin may feel dry and itchy, and your hair looks dull and brittle.
Stiff Laundry: Minerals in hard water can get trapped in the fibers of your clothes and towels, making them feel stiff and rough. They can also cause colors to fade faster.
Water Pressure: Mineral buildup in pipes may reduce the water pressure in your home.
Appliance Problems: Over time, limescale builds up in water-using appliances like your washing machine and water heater. It can coat the heating elements of your water heater, forcing it to work harder and use more energy, which shortens its lifespan and increases your utility bills.
How a Water Softener Helps
A water softener uses an ion exchange process, a simple and effective solution to the problems associated with hard water and limescale buildup. These devices remove calcium and magnesium ions from your water supply and replace them with sodium or potassium ions. Here’s a simplified breakdown of how they work:
As hard water enters the softening system, it flows through a tank filled with tiny, resin beads coated with sodium ions. The calcium and magnesium ions in the hard water are attracted to the resin beads and swap places with the sodium ions.
The hard minerals remain bonded to the resin beads while the softened water exits the tank free of the minerals that cause hardness.
The system regenerates periodically, recharging the beads with a saltwater solution. A separate tank holds salty water for cleaning and recharging.
Softened Water Advantages
Our water treatment experts at Desert Diamond Air can install a water softener in your Phoenix, home to stop hard water damage, saving you money, time, and hassle. Here are a few benefits:
Extended Appliance Lifespan: A water softener protects your dishwasher, washing machine, coffee maker, and water heater by eliminating mineral buildup. Keeping appliances free of limescale significantly extends their lifespan and prevents costly repairs and premature replacements.
Lower Energy Bills: Your water heater will work more efficiently without mineral scale on heating elements. It will also heat water faster and reduce your monthly energy consumption.
Better Laundry: Softened water allows detergents to work more effectively, improving the look and feel of your laundry. Your favorite towels will feel fluffy, and your clothing will look brighter and feel softer.
Healthier Skin and Hair: Soft water enables soap to rinse away thoroughly, leaving your skin clean and your hair smooth and manageable.
Easy Cleanup: You will spend less time scrubbing faucets, tubs, and showers, and your fixtures will sparkle like new.
Trust Desert Diamond Air With Your Water
Hard water is a fact of life in Phoenix, but it doesn’t have to be a daily nuisance. Whether you are building a new home in Phoenix, upgrading your plumbing, or simply are tired of dealing with soap scum and chalky deposits, Desert Diamond Air can help you switch to softer, cleaner water.
Let us recommend and install the best water softener for your household so you can experience the difference soft water makes. Call us at 602-638-3866 or request service online.