Hard Water vs. Soft Water: What’s The Difference?

(EWT Water Specialists)

If you’ve spent time in different areas around the country, you’ve probably noticed that the tap water can taste different depending on where you are. But what causes these differences in taste and appearance of our water? Read on to learn more.

Hard Water

Hard water is water that contains a higher content of minerals. This type of water is formed due to water percolating through limestone or chalk deposits that are mostly made from magnesium carbonates and calcium. The most common indicator of hard water is a residue in the bottom of your kettle or limescale in your shower head or around your taps.

Soft Water

Soft water, on the other hand, contains fairly low concentrations of calcium carbonates or limescale deposits. If your water lathers easily with soap, that’s a relatively good indication that your water is soft.

But which is better?

A high proportion of the United Kingdom and Ireland has hard water, which is water with a higher mineral count. This means that UK and Irish residents may notice deposits such as limescale in their kettle, dishwasher, and appliances.
This can be dealt with through the addition of dishwasher salts that can help to reduce the mineral levels and prevent build up. For kettles, many suggest regularly boiling white vinegar in the kettle with an equal part solution of water.
Taste is also a factor to be considered. Some people find that hard water has more of a ‘taste’ than soft water, while others disagree. In London, the general consensus is that the local hard water is excellent, whilst those from the North of England may argue that the softer the water, the better it is to drink.

If you feel as if you and your family would benefit from softer water in your home, a water softener can be installed to reduce and remove limescale and improve the efficiency levels of your appliances as soft water breaks down the existing limescale built up in your water system. You’ll also find you spend less time cleaning too! But as well as saving you time cleaning, the softer water will also improve the condition of your hot water and heating systems by clearing existing limescale.
EWT can supply water softeners backed by a 15-year parts guarantee from one of the largest water softener companies in Europe. Plus, not only are they reliable, the Gold Range water softener systems use under £1.50 of electricity each year.
For more details, don’t hesitate to get in touch with EWT Water Specialists today. Call us on 0203 384 0204 Visit our websites www.ewtwater.com.

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