Water Softener Guide: Hard Water, Limescale and Home Plumbing Advice

Limescale leave marks on a range of household appliances, from taps and sinks to shower screens, kettles and more. Its impact extends into bathrooms, washing machines, dishwashers and even hot service performance. Hard water supply is not usually a health concern, cleaning up harder at home and wearing down domestic appliances are common causes.

This system type is not suitable for every property. Factors to consider before installing one include the correct positioning of the unit, suitable pipework, salt top-ups, drainage and whether the softened supply will be used for drinking and cooking.

What is hard water

This contains higher levels of minerals, mainly calcium and magnesium. Minerals comes from different types of rocks and ground conditions, as water passes through these enter the mains supply.

Heated or dried water on appliances and fixtures leave behind a chalky residue limescale. 

Common signs of hard water

Household hard water symptoms include:

• limescale build up within kettles
• marks on taps
• cloudy shower screens
• scale on shower heads
• reduced lather with soap and shampoo
• stiff laundry
• appliances requiring regular descaling
• issues with hot service performance

These signs are not necessarily an indicator whether a water treatment unit is required, they do suggest that the water hardness in that domestic area is having an impact on property’s bathroom fittings.

Process of softeners

Most softeners use process ion exchange with the incoming supply passes through resin beads inside the system. These resin beads will attract minerals inside a supply that cause limescale formation, such as calcium and magnesium. Minerals are then exchanged for sodium ions.

A system requires regular resin beads regeneration. This is achieved by introducing salt into a water softener. This replenishes resin beads and continue to reduce minerals that create limescale.

As a result of ion exchange process, softened water contains sodium ions instead that minerals create limescale. Consequently, one cold tap should remain untreated for domestic drinking or cooking purposes. Softened supply should not be used to prepare baby formula.

Benefits of a softening unit

By installing a treatment system in within a household supply, there are a range of potential benefits. These reductions include:

• limescale on taps and showers
• scale within kettles and household appliances
• marks on sinks and sanitary ware
• need for descaling of appliances
• cleaning time within a bathroom
• strain upon heated household appliances

Softened water may also result in improved lather when using soap and shampoo, washing of laundry, and an improved feel to laundry.

The extent to which these benefits will manifest for an individual property will vary. It is advised that a plumber checks the home plumbing to see if a softening unit will suit the property.

Could it help protect appliances?

A treatment unit may help to reduce formation of scale within domestic appliances, such as: washing machines, dishwashers, kettles, showers, hot cylinders and taps.

Formation of scale inside household appliances may cause them to work harder than required to perform their daily use. This impact efficiency of these appliances over time.

No treatment unit could repair domestic appliances that may fail with time. If an appliance within a domestic property is performing poorly with respect to its intended tasks, a plumber should be contacted.

Bathrooms and hot services

Bathroom household fixtures are most likely to leave marks due to the scale in the supply. Taps, shower heads, screens and sanitary ware are all susceptible to scale build up. As a result, the frequency with which these bathrooms are cleaned may need to increase over time.

Domestic hot services may also be impacted by formation of scale within fixtures that heat the system.

An installation of a treatment unit may help to reduce formation of scale within a bathroom. This unit must be positioned correctly within the property’s plumbing setup. Ideally, this unit should be positioned prior to boiler or cylinder.

What should you know before installation

When considering an installation of a domestic water treatment unit, there are a few things to note before installation:

• One cold tap should remain untreated for drinking and cooking purposes.
• Softened water should not be used to prepare baby formula.
• This unit requires regular top-ups of salt.
• This unit requires periodic maintenance.
• Drainage is required for regular regeneration of resin beads.
• Pipework of the property must be suitable for installation.
• Some appliances may have specific guidance from manufacturer 
• comply with installation regulations within the domestic property.

Water Softener or Conditioner?

A water softener and a conditioner are not the same product. Water softeners use ion exchange to remove the minerals that cause the formation of limescale. Water conditioners may use other methods to reduce the impact of limescale that does not involve softening the domestic supply.

The different treatment products will yield different results. Before purchasing one of these products, it is important for the dwellers to understand the product.

Does Every Home Need a Water Softener?

These units may be installed within homes which domestic dwellers desire regular descaling of domestic appliances. Alternatively, some may want to reduce formation of limescale on fittings, appliances and bathrooms.

A water softener may be worth considering in homes in which limescale forms quickly, in which shower heads often become blocked, in which kettles require regular descaling, or in which bathroom fittings leave marks on those fixtures soon after being cleaned. 

Need Help With Hard Water or Limescale?

If limescale appears on taps, showers, appliances or hot services. 

Contact our team for free domestic plumbing advice and to discuss how to fix your supply issues.