The term hard water refers to water with a high mineral content. The most common minerals that cause water hardness are calcium and magnesium. As water is absorbed into the ground, the minerals are pulled from the earth and eventually end up in a household’s water supply.

Hard water is not fit to be used for household purposes like cooking, bathing and washing cloths. The main reason behind this is that the minerals present inside the hard water do allow water to form leather with soap and detergent. It rather forms a scum that is difficult to wash away. Hard water can also cause blocking of pipes.

To summarize, hard water results in soap scum, stiff clothing, clogged pipes, difficulty in surface cleaning, scale build up, spots in dishes that come out of the dishwasher etc. But you can overcome these problems by turning the hard water into soft water.

Water hardness or how much of a mineral is present in water is measured in grains per gallon (GPG), parts per million (PPM) or milligrams per liter (MG/L). Water up to 1 GPG is considered soft, water from 1 to 3.5 GPG is considered moderate and water from 3.5 to 7 GPG is hard water. Kits used to test water hardness can be purchased at a pool supplier or from a water softener dealer.

In a water softener, the place of ions in minerals that cause hardness is changed with other ions of different mineral and the resulting mineral do not cause any hardness in water. For example, inside a water softener magnesium or calcium ions are replaced with sodium or potassium ions. As a result, you get soft water. Magnetic water softeners are also available in market that turns hard water into soft water by causing some chemical changes with the help of magnetic energy.

A home water softener can be obtained in $400 to $1,200 and a salt bag in $5 to $7. Different types of water softeners have different cost depending upon type, size and kind of softening agent used in them. A magnetic water softener generally comprises of 2 magnets that are attached outside or inside of water pipes.

Ionic exchange water softener consists of negatively charged plastic beads, a brine tank and a regenerating system which has a timer or monitoring device. For regeneration, sodium or potassium chloride is added to the brine tank.

Using water softeners poses no health risks, except for those who are on sodium-restricted diets. Such people can use potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride to soften. Potassium chloride is more expensive than sodium chloride.

Scott Rodgers is a noted writer who has been providing ample guidance on plumbing works all across the nation. His luxurious knowledge has, in fact, sparked significant rise in revenue for talented plumbers across the nation, from Rancho Santa Fe Plumbers to San Marcos Plumbers .