Hard water negatively affects the majority of homes in America, but what causes it?
The water we get through precipitation is naturally soft and does not contain the minerals responsible for scale buildup. That occurs when water accumulates minerals from running over rocks or passing through soil.
Calcium and Magnesium ions are responsible for making water hard.
Water should naturally produce a lather, however the lather is replaced by sodium when hard water ions react to salt in soaps and other cleaning products that contain fatty acids.
Calcium and magnesium show up in multiple forms: Bicarbonate, Chloride and Sulfate. Hardness of calcium and magnesium bicarbonate are said to be temporary and can be removed as easily as boiling the water. If you notice a white film on appliances or cook wear, that is known as permanent hardness and is caused by calcium and magnesium chloride or sulfate. The white build up is nothing more then the build up of the salts caused by chlorides and sulfates in the water.
Hard water can affect your household plumbing and all water based appliances. Dishwasher jets often become clogged with scale buildup, reducing the pressure during rinse cycles, which is one of the main reasons many people have to wash their dishes before washing their dishes. Scale buildup can also occur in coffee makers, washing machines, and water heaters.