The chances are that if you live in a hard water area, your energy bills will be considerably higher than a home in a soft water area, and as around 60% of UK homes are affected by hard water, those bills add up to significant extra energy usage.
Hard water contains various elements from region to region and is measured by the level of calcium and magnesium in the water supply. It is based on the type of soil and rock combinations which occur in your area.
Water will have passed through the soil and rock underground, absorbing minerals before it gets to your home. If the area where you live has high levels of chalk or limestone in the rocks, then the water will have absorbed calcium and magnesium, making it hard.
Hard water creates limescale and other deposits which can cause havoc in your home and drive up energy costs. It can cause clogs in your kettle, dishwasher and washing machine, as well as blocking your pipes.
All of these mineral deposits make your water-using household appliances, including your boiler, run less efficiently. The deposits coat pipes and also cause more frequent breakdowns, leading to expensive and regular repairs due to hard water damage.
The inefficiency of your household appliances will increase your household energy usage due to the hard water. Also, when washing up, or washing clothes, you may find that soap and shampoo are less efficient, so you end up using more products and therefore more water to rinse afterwards, meaning your water bills will also increase.
This is because hard water does not interact thoroughly with soap and detergents, making it harder to create bubbles, and harder to rinse out afterwards. You may see a scummy residue on your dishes and find yourself developing skin irritations.
Using a water softener system in your home can help to resolve all of these issues and really bring down your water bills significantly. Soft water won’t cause the damage or leave the deposits in your household plumbing system so you will find your appliances working far more effectively.
Softening the water will also help your soap, washing powder and other cleaning products to work more efficiently and be rinsed away properly, so your water usage should be reduced as well, not to mention your clothes and dishes coming out cleaner.
Living in a hard water area can cause havoc on your home plumbing system and household appliances, sending your energy use and energy bills skyrocketing. But by installing a water softener, once you have paid up front for the right system, you should notice a big difference as your home gets back into balance again.
It’s not just your home’s energy consumption that will be reduced either, but softening water can help reduce the amount of energy and time you have to spend cleaning the house. As the detergent and soap you are using start to work better and rinse off better, you will find you need to spend far less time scrubbing areas like the sink and kitchen.
Plus, those annoying limescale stains around the sinks and taps, and in the toilet, will become a thing of the past once you start using a water softener, so far less of your energy will need to be spent to make your bathroom and kitchen spotless.
So if you want to lower your household energy bills, improve your appliance efficiency and reduce the time spent cleaning your bathroom, then a water softener could be the way to go to your home.