water from the shower in the modern bathroom

Why Do You Need a Residential Water Softener System in Ontario?

Hard water can lead to a lot of problems for your home, appliances, and even members of your household. Hard water has an extremely high mineral content. The minerals present in hard water are typically limestone, gypsum, and chalk. Composed of bicarbonates, magnesium carbonates, and sulphates, hard water might have a few health benefits, but it typically does more harm than good for your household appliances, skin, and hair. Residential water softener systems in Ontario can help alleviate your hard water problems by reducing the mineral content in your water.

Not only will this prolong the lifecycle and improve the performance of your household water-dependent appliances and plumbing system, but it’ll also save you money on your water bill.

What Is a Water Softener System?

Water accumulates a high mineral content as it moves through local waterways and water systems by coming into contact with various types of substances and geological structures or rocks. A high mineral content in your water supply isn’t necessarily bad for your health, but it can lead to a host of problems for your home’s pipes, appliances as well as your skin, hair, and clothes.

Whole-house water softeners, which are also referred to as ion exchange units, are connected directly to your home’s main water supply. This is usually in a somewhat discrete or out of the way, yet easily accessible location such as under the kitchen sink, in the basement, or in the garage.

Domestic water softeners work by filtering out minerals such as magnesium, calcium, quartzes, crystals, and any other water hardening deposits. As water passes through the water softener system, mineral deposits become trapped in several layers of filters composed of miniscule resin beads which are then exchanged for potassium or sodium ions.

Excess ions in the system are flushed out and regenerated before being recharged into sodium ions.

Top Signs That You Need a Residential Water Softener System in Ontario

Before installing a water softener, it’s important to determine that you actually have a hard water problem. The following is a list of common signs that you may have hard water in your home.

Appliances

If you notice an accumulation of a chalky substance on water-based appliances and fixtures in your home such as tea kettles, coffee pots, sinks, faucets, showerheads, etc., this is what’s known as limescale buildup. Limescale is a dead giveaway that you have a hard water problem as it’s one of the many minerals that water collects during its journey from the main local water supply to your home. Composed of calcium and magnesium bicarbonate, limescale can create blockages in your piping system, making it harder for water to pass through and eventually clogging it up entirely.

Itchy Dry Skin and Hair

The mineral deposits in hard water can prevent your skin from properly absorbing moisture and dissolving soap and shampoo when you shower, leading to dry and itchy skin. If you’re constantly scratching your head and have a dry, flaky scalp then this could mean you have a hard water problem. Mineral deposits in hard water don’t dissolve. When mixed with soap and shampoo, they create a residue that remains on our skin and blocks your pores on your skin, preventing it from absorbing the moisture it needs. Since hair gets its nutrients from the skin on the scalp, this lack of moisture can also lead to brittle hair and you may even notice increased hair loss.

Clothes Fade a Lot Faster Than They Should

Unfortunately, your washing machine can also fall victim to hard water deposits. Just like your shower, hard water deposits can also mix in with laundry detergent and softener to form a residue that can cause more harm than good for your clothes. Abundant minerals in hard water can cause the dyes in your clothes to fade faster, even if you don’t wash them that often, by becoming lodged in the fabrics and breaking them down. This can damage your clothes, which means they’ll need to be replaced more frequently.

A short-term solution is to buy a liquid laundry detergent that contains a water softening agent to protect your clothes and running the clean cycle on your machine at least once a month to remove mineral deposits. Investing in a water softener system for the home, however, is a far more effective long-term cost-saving solution—for your appliances and your clothes.

Stains on Sinks, Bathtubs, and Toilets

If you notice yellowish, rust-like, or even white chalky residue in water fixtures throughout your home, then this is a definite sign that you have hard water. This is most likely caused by magnesium and calcium deposits in the water. Cleaning it is fairly easy with vinegar to wipe down the base of the faucets. You can also mix together half a cup of powdered dishwasher detergent with one cup of bleach to effectively wipe off mineral deposits. But once again, these are just short-term solutions to a recurring problem. The best solution is to install a water softener for your home as a preventative measure.

For more information, check out our blog post about how to get rid of hard water stains in your home.

Frequent Plumbing Repairs Needed

Hard water can lead to large mineral deposit buildups throughout the pipes in your home. Limescale, calcium, and magnesium can block water from efficiently running through your pipes and eventually completely clog them. Water backups or frozen pipe water in the winter can cause your pipes to burst, leading to expensive repairs. If you constantly have to call a plumber to flush out your pipes, then it’s time to invest in a domestic water softener.

Inexplicably Higher Water Bills

Mineral deposits in your pipes force them to work hard to push water through. This means increased water pressure in your pipes, which requires using more water just to get a normal amount to go to the various fixtures and appliances in your home. If you’ve noticed that your water bill has inexplicably gone up without any changes to your water usage, this could be the reason why. Installing a water softener for your home will flush out your piping system and exchange minerals in your water for ions to create a more efficient and evenly distributed water flow.

Call Georgian Water & Air for Efficient Residential Water Softener System Installation

Your search for “water softener near me” ends here.

Georgian Water & Air is one of the leading providers of residential water softener systems in Ontario. We offer professional product recommendations and installation based on the specific structural requirements of your home. Contact us to learn about our state-of-the-art water filtration and softening systems for your home.