How Hard Water Impacts Your Home & Why You Need Plumbing Repair
If your available water supply is “hard,” that is, it has a high concentration of mineral salts, you are probably aware of the daily hassles hard water causes in residential plumbing. Left unaddressed, these issues often escalate into expensive plumbing repair needs.
- Small amounts of mineral scaling remain when water evaporates. This can be viewed in the small holes of a shower head or on the aerator of faucets.
- The same scaling may develop as a ring around a toilet bowl.
- If a faucet leaks, the salt may create a stain on the sink or tub; it may be red, white, or black, depending on local mineral content in the water.
Is Hard Water Ruining Your Tankless System? Expert Plumbing Repair Tips
Hard water is especially damaging to water heater tanks; gravity causes the minerals to drop as sediment to the bottom of the tank. This sediment can cover the heating element and/or insulate the water from the heat source. It can also cause corrosion inside the tank.
But what happens in a tankless water heater? Usually, the water flows through the heater very quickly, so do minerals have time to distill inside the equipment? How does hard water affect a tankless system, and when does it warrant professional plumbing repair?
If you have a tankless water heater, it would be helpful to understand water quality in your area. Since the passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act, water quality reports are available online.1
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency set standards to define the hardness of water,
- 0-60 mg/L is considered soft water
- 61-120 mg/L is considered moderately hard water
- 121-180 mg/L is considered hard water, and
- >180 mg/L is considered very hard water 2
You can determine the hardness of your water supply with this information.
Signs That Hard Water Is Affecting Your Tankless Water Heater
Three properties of mineral salts in the presence of heat affect the performance of a tankless system.
- Minerals are heavier than water, so gravity tends to pull them earthward. They tend to collect on the bottom of pipes and appliances.
- Heat also makes the salt stickier.
- Heat and ionic compounds eventually cause corrosion.
Evidence of Hard Water Damage
- Reduced water flow due to heavy sediment buildup inside pipes or fixtures—a classic sign you need plumbing repair.
- It takes longer for water to heat. The time before hot water becomes available can fluctuate widely.
- The tankless heater might make a popping or crackling sound as it heats, the results of water striking extremely hot surfaces.
- White or red crusty residue on fixture surfaces.
- An error code on the electronic controls of the heater.
Schedule Your Hot Water Heater Repair Assessment Today
Hard water mineral scale can quickly degrade your tankless system’s performance and lead to costly repairs down the road. Ignoring these warning signs can lead to total system breakdown. Specialized plumbing repair flushes out harsh mineral deposits before irreversible heating-element damage occurs. Our certified plumbing repair experts at Doctor Cool use specialized solutions to safely flush away stubborn deposits and restore full heating efficiency. Call Doctor Cool at (281) 516-5935 today to schedule a comprehensive hot water heater repair assessment and protect your home’s plumbing supply.
1https://ordspub.epa.gov/ords/safewater/f?p=136:102
2 https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/drinking-water-regulations-and-contaminants