How to Identify and Address Hard Water Problems in Northern California Homes

Hard Water Wreaking Havoc on Your Northern California Home? Here’s How to Fight Back

If you’ve noticed white, chalky deposits around your faucets, persistent soap scum in your shower, or dishes that never seem to get completely clean, you’re likely dealing with one of Northern California’s most common household challenges: hard water. This mineral-rich water affects millions of homes throughout the region, causing everything from minor annoyances to costly appliance damage.

Understanding Hard Water in Northern California

For many years, some of our Northern California communities, like Folsom where Lisa lives, have had hard water because their towns draw their supply from groundwater rather than a river. Hardness is a measure of dissolved minerals (usually calcium and magnesium) in water. As water comes into contact with soil and rock, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals resulting in increased hardness.

Hard water has a higher mineral content than most tap water because it has percolated through deposits of limestone and chalk, materials made up of calcium and magnesium carbonates. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, hard water is common in many parts of the country, including the Sacramento and Central Valleys of California. In general, hard water is any water that contains significant amounts of naturally occurring minerals – particularly calcium and magnesium.

Identifying Hard Water Problems in Your Home

Recognizing hard water issues early can save you from costly repairs and replacements down the road. Here are the telltale signs to watch for:

  • Mineral Buildup: You will see a crusty scale develop around your faucets and sinks if you have water hardness. That chalky white buildup on your faucet? That’s limescale–calcium deposits left behind after the water in your hard water has evaporated.
  • Soap and Cleaning Issues: Add some dish soap to a container with water, and shake it. If the solution does not produce a lot of suds (foam), you likely have a hard water problem. Many people with hard water find that soaps, shampoos, and household cleaners don’t lather well.
  • Appliance Problems: Those scale deposits can wreak havoc on many appliances in your home, from the dishwasher to the hot water heater. A build up of sediment in your water heater can make it far less efficient.
  • Skin and Hair Issues: Has your skin felt drier since moving into your new home? There is research indicating that bathing in hard water could cause eczema symptoms to worsen. Another study concluded exposure to hard water could increase the risk of developing eczema in elementary-school-age children.

The Hidden Costs of Hard Water

Beyond the obvious inconveniences, hard water can seriously impact your wallet. The American Water Works Association says hard water can cause a washing machine to wear out 30% faster than normal. In fact, it’s estimated hard water expenses could cost you $800 or more every year.

Hard water can also cause the build-up of scale on pipes and fixtures that can eventually lead to lower water pressure and reduced efficiency of water heaters. Limescale can also build up inside your pipes, especially as your home ages. If left untreated, limescale buildup in your pipes can cause major (read: really expensive) plumbing issues.

Testing Your Water Hardness

Before investing in solutions, it’s important to confirm and measure your water’s hardness level. Water hardness can be measured pretty easily by using a soft water test kit, which will measure grains of hardness. There are multiple types of these kits available, all of which you can find pretty easily online.

Generally, anything over 5.0 grains per gallon is what we might deem as hard water that can, over a long enough period of time, cause problems with your plumbing. You can contact your water provider to ask them for a recent water testing report. This report will include a list of the tested contaminants and their concentrations present in your water.

Professional Solutions for Hard Water

Once you’ve confirmed hard water issues, professional intervention is often the most effective approach. Installing a water softener in your home. Water softeners remove things like calcium, magnesium and iron from your water as it comes in from the source.

For Northern California homeowners dealing with these challenges, working with experienced local professionals makes all the difference. murray plumbing has been serving the El Dorado Hills, Placerville, and surrounding areas with comprehensive plumbing solutions, including water quality improvements. With a 5-Star reputation, Murray Plumbing proudly offers free estimates and fair pricing, putting quality first every step of the way. Our team has over 24 years of residential and commercial plumbing experience.

Treatment Options to Consider

Several effective solutions can address hard water problems:

  • Ion-Exchange Water Softeners: Ion-exchange water softeners are the most common and effective solution. These systems replace calcium and magnesium ions with sodium or potassium, softening the water throughout your entire home.
  • Salt-Free Conditioners: Salt-free conditioners don’t remove minerals but instead prevent them from sticking to pipes and surfaces. They’re lower maintenance but less effective for homes with very hard water.
  • Reverse Osmosis Systems: If your concern is focused more on drinking water quality, a reverse osmosis (RO) system may be the answer. RO is ideal for apartments, rentals, or homes where full softening isn’t possible.

Taking Action

The next step, once you know you have hard water, is to simply to call out a plumbing professional to advise you from there. As a small, locally-owned business with low overhead, we can keep our plumbing prices down. Family-owned, we offer free plumbing estimates!

Don’t let hard water continue damaging your home and impacting your quality of life. Murray Plumbing services businesses and homes throughout Sacramento County and El Dorado County. Our family-owned plumbing company is licensed and insured, servicing Placerville, Cameron Park, Shingle Springs, Diamond Springs, Camino, Pollock Pines, Coloma, Folsom, and the westward side of the Sierra Nevada area.

Early intervention is key to preventing costly damage and ensuring your family enjoys clean, soft water throughout your home. With professional assessment and the right treatment system, you can transform your hard water headaches into a thing of the past.