What hard water is
Hard water has a lot of dissolved minerals, mostly calcium and magnesium. It's safe to drink, but when it's heated or left to dry, those minerals turn into scale.
Signs you're dealing with it
- White crust on faucets and shower heads
- Spots on dishes and glass shower doors
- A water heater that pops or rumbles
- Faucets and toilet valves that wear out early
- Low flow at shower heads
What it does to your water heater
Scale settles on the bottom of a tank heater, where the burner or element has to heat through it. The heater runs longer, makes noise, and wears out sooner. In a tankless unit, scale builds up inside the heat exchanger.
What helps
- Flush the water heater once a year. See water heater flush.
- Descale tankless units once a year.
- Add a water softener. It stops most scale before it starts. See water softeners.
- Reverse osmosis for better-tasting drinking water at the kitchen sink.
Want it checked?
Call (480) 877-0310 or send the form. A plumber can flush your water heater, check your softener, and tell you where scale is causing trouble.
Common questions
Is hard water bad to drink?
No. It's a plumbing problem, not a health problem.
Does a softener remove everything?
A softener removes hardness minerals. For taste and other contaminants, a reverse osmosis system or filter is added.