Hard water is something that affects homeowners in Rancho Cucamonga and throughout much of Southern California. While hard water doesn’t pose a health risk, it can have an off-putting taste and smell. The bigger concern for many homeowners is the long-term impact hard water can have on plumbing systems and household appliances. In this article, we’ll look at why hard water in Rancho Cucamonga is such a common problem and how it can affect your pipes, appliances and plumbing fixtures.
Why Hard Water Is So Common in Southern California
Water hardness is measured by the concentration of dissolved minerals (primarily calcium and magnesium) that the water contains. These minerals come from rainwater seeping down through rock and soil that have a high mineral content into underground aquifers or sitting within mineral-rich reservoirs. Southern California is home to vast limestone formations that are primarily made of calcium carbonate, which is why the water in our area is much harder than in other parts of the country.
The Link Between Hard Water and Mineral Scale Buildup
When water sits within pipes, plumbing fixtures and appliances, some of the minerals end up precipitating out of the water and forming a hard layer of mineral scale. Whenever water evaporates, the minerals also get left behind. This is why you’ll commonly see white mineral deposits around faucets and showerheads and on tiles and glass shower partitions.
Even fairly soft water still contains some dissolved minerals. That means you can still experience these issues, unless your home has a water softener or a filtration system that can remove the minerals. If you have hard water, the issues will be much more pronounced since the water contains a much higher concentration of minerals that can get left behind.
How Hard Water Can Cause Plumbing Issues
Hard water and plumbing damage often go hand in hand. Plumbing scale buildup within pipes causes them to become narrower over time, eventually restricting water flow. This often leads to low water pressure at faucets and fixtures. However, the water can also put excess pressure on pipe fittings or valves and lead to them leaking.
Mineral scale doesn’t just affect water lines. It also builds up within drain pipes and a home’s main sewer line and can lead to recurring drain clogs or frequent sewer backups.
Mineral scale buildup is especially a concern for certain appliances, including dishwashers, washing machines, water heaters, coffee makers and ice makers. The scale eventually starts to clog internal water lines, resulting in increased pressure that can cause valves to blow out and the appliance to leak. Without addressing hard water issues, these appliances may wear out faster than expected.
One of the biggest concerns is the impact that hard water has on a home’s water heater. Mineral sediment naturally forms when water gets heated and then settles at the bottom of the water heater tank. This sediment buildup can greatly decrease how quickly and efficiently a traditional gas water heater heats, resulting in it running longer and experiencing more wear and tear. Mineral scale also collects on the heating elements in electric water heaters and on the heat exchanger in tankless water heaters, creating the same sort of issues.
The minerals in hard water can create significant issues with corrosion as well. With a traditional tank water heater, the minerals can gradually weaken the steel over time. This usually leads to the tank eventually starting to leak. In some cases, the tank can eventually fail and release a significant amount of water into the surrounding area.
Copper is the most commonly used material for cold and hot water lines, mainly because it’s fairly resistant to corrosion. However, hard water minerals can still corrode copper pipes and cause small pits to develop in the pipe walls. These pits can eventually result in pinhole leaks forming. Pinhole leaks can be difficult to spot because they often form within walls, ceilings and floors. Nonetheless, the water continually dripping out of the pipe can ruin insulation, cause wooden studs and joists to rot and lead to hidden mold growth.
The Importance of Preventative Maintenance in Avoiding Hard Water Issues
The fact that hard water in Rancho Cucamonga is such a prevalent problem means that you need to take extra care to ensure your plumbing remains in good shape. The best way to do so is with preventative plumbing maintenance.
Professional maintenance for tank and tankless water heaters is important for reducing issues related to sediment buildup and mineral scale. Professional hydro jetting can help remove mineral buildup from drain pipes and sewer lines while reducing the risk of clogs and sewer problems.
Professional plumbers can also perform camera inspections of water lines, drain pipes, and sewer lines. This allows them to spot issues with mineral buildup and corrosion that could result in leaks.
Depending on the age and condition of your house’s pipes, you may even want to consider whole-home repiping. At some point, pipes can get so choked off with mineral deposits that the only options are either to replace them or deal with your water pressure constantly being too low. Repiping can help improve water pressure and reduce the likelihood of future plumbing leaks. While repiping is a fairly major undertaking, it can save you money in the long run by lessening the need for plumbing repairs and avoiding issues with water damage.
How to Permanently Overcome Hard Water Problems
If you’re tired of dealing with hard water in your home, the best solution is to install a water softener or a water conditioner. Traditional water softeners use a salt brine solution to facilitate an ion-exchange process. This process fully removes all of the calcium and magnesium from the water and replaces it with a small amount of sodium or potassium salt.
Some places in California have banned the use of salt-based water softeners because of the impact that the salt they release has on the environment. Nonetheless, there are also salt-free water softeners, also known as water conditioners, that can still help to prevent issues with mineral buildup throughout a home’s plumbing system.
These units don’t remove calcium and magnesium from the water like traditional water softeners do. Instead, they use one of several different processes to chemically alter the minerals so that they remain suspended in the water and don’t leave deposits behind. While they’re not quite as effective at preventing mineral buildup compared to traditional water softeners, they still greatly reduce the amount of limescale that forms within pipes and appliances.
Get Professional Help for Hard Water Problems
We have over 15 years of experience providing dependable plumbing services throughout San Bernardino, Riverside and Los Angeles Counties. From water heater repair and installation to leak detection, drain cleaning and repiping, our team helps homeowners address hard water problems and protect their plumbing systems.
If you’re dealing with hard water issues in your Rancho Cucamonga home, contact us today to schedule professional service.