Hard water could be costing you thousands in household maintenance and repairs
Hard water affects 17m UK households and London is no exception. According to Thames Water, this is due to the soft chalky limestone found in the region. Hard water not only increases your energy bills but also damages expensive appliances, as well as your home’s plumbing system.
Hard water causes limescale to build up on every surface it comes in contact with. While you can physically see limescale on your taps, shower heads and elsewhere around the home, it’s the hidden limescale that does the most costly damage.
How does hard water damage plumbing and appliances?
Hard water creates limescale build-up which acts as an insulator when it accumulates on a heating element, meaning that the element must work longer and harder in order to heat the water surrounding it. This additional strain causes heating elements to burn out prematurely or even explode, resulting in expensive engineer visits or even replacement.
In addition to your appliances, your plumbing is also at risk of costly damage. Limescale causes narrowing within the pipework, affecting your water pressure and flow rate and damaging plumbing components.
Which appliances are affected?
Limescale is a common sight in the kettle, and while it’s not very nice to look at, it’s relatively easy to clean. However, there are many more places for limescale to accumulate and cause damage which may surprise you.
Boilers
Limescale within your boiler can add hundreds of pounds to your energy bills every year. While you might assume the damage is done when you turn on your central heating, that’s not actually the case. Central heating is a ‘closed system’, meaning the water that is inside it remains there and continually circulates, so limescale is not actually much of a problem when it comes to heating your home. However, when you heat water for your shower, bath or for any other purpose, limescale adds up to 25% or more to your energy consumption. Being one of the most expensive appliances to replace in the home, limescale damage inside your boiler is extremely costly.
Showers
Shower heads are particularly susceptible to limescale, reducing the flow of water and eventually blocking it completely. However, like kettles, shower heads are reasonably easy to clean. If you have an electric shower, limescale damages the unit internally where it’s impossible to clean, eventually leading to premature failure. And if you have a mixer shower that is built into your shower wall, the outlook is even worse. The thermostatic valve which controls your shower temperature is typically built into the wall so you can imagine the work involved to replace it when it fails due to limescale buildup.
Toilets
Toilet cisterns are also prone to limescale, affecting the function of the ball valve which controls water flow. When limescale builds up and prevents it from functioning properly, the toilet can run continuously, wasting water. If your water supply is metred, this wasted water will increase your bills while the damage done inside the cistern will eventually require repair or replacement. And just like built-in showers, if you have a built-in toilet, repairing or replacing the toilet will require access through the wall, adding expense and inconvenience to the problem.
How do I treat hard water in my home?
While there are many limescale treatments available, they typically use harsh chemicals which are then washed down the drain and into the watercourse, and that’s bad news for the environment. However, by treating hard water as it enters the home with a sustainable water conditioner which does not use any salts or chemicals, you’ll be protecting your expensive appliances and plumbing system from damage.
Samantha Mant, CEO of Halcyan Water Conditioners, said: “As the cost of living continues to rise, the last thing a household wants is to spend money fixing or replacing expensive appliances in the home. This small device takes under an hour to install and requires no additional cupboard space. It not only prevents future limescale but also treats existing limescale in your system and with a 30 year warranty, users can relax knowing that limescale damage is one thing less to worry about.”
Featured Photo by Jong Marshes on Unsplash
