Main Cause for Scale in Pipes – Hard Water
Hard water is a problem for most residents of the United Kingdom. Hard water is water that contains a high level of dissolved minerals and ions, the most troublesome of which are calcium and magnesium. Water is made hard when rain water falls on land that contains high levels of minerals. The water picks up the minerals as it seeps through the ground and into the water table. Water that falls on ground that is made up mostly of hard rock or peaty soil is less likely to pick up minerals or other elements and will stay “soft.”
Hard water is definitely less desirable than soft water. This is because the minerals that are dissolved in hard water often collect in the piping systems of homes and buildings as well as on the insides of machines and other household appliances. This build up of minerals makes it harder for the machines to work properly.
The minerals also counter-act the natural lathering action of most soap, which means that keeping your house, clothing and body clean becomes very difficult. The extra work that your household machines and appliances have to do can mean an increased energy and water bill. As the mineral scale builds up in the pipes, the pipes need replacing and this can also be a costly endeavour.
A large portion of the UK population has found that the installation of a water softener is the best way to combat the effects of hard water. A water softener is a machine that filters your home’s water as it flows from the ground water or well supply and into your home. It has special filters built into it that help it “strain out” most of the minerals that are found in hard water.
Some water softener companies build machines that will filter out a variety of other materials as well as hard water minerals. Soft water is much easier to use for household activities and it is safer for the pipes in your house.
Hard water is dangerous both for the home and for the body, though that danger largely depends upon which minerals are prevalent in the water supply for your local area. Magnesium and Calcium ions are the most dangerous minerals as they can have disastrous effects on a person’s health if too much of either is absorbed.
Left unchecked, mineral scale can do so much damage to your home’s plumbing system that your pipes wear thin and start to leak. The damage is clear when one looks into a water or heating pipe which is fully blocked by minerals deposits.
Tal Potishman, editor of Heating Central, writes articles about boilers, central heating, plumber Brighton, underfloor heating and solar thermal. He specializes in helping save money by advising on efficient heating.
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