Residents of Alabama can experience anywhere from soft to very hard water. However, Birmingham, AL, typically has hard to very hard water. This can cause a negative impact on your clothing, skin, plumbing system, and dishes. If you want to know whether your water is hard or not, this article can help!
What Are the Signs of Hard Water?
If hard water is plaguing your Birmingham area home, you’ve probably got at least a few of the following indicators. The good news is that you can fix these issues with a water softener.
Personal Signs
- Dry skin
- Razor burn
- Limp, dull hair
- ‘Squeaky’ skin after bathing
- Hair color fades quickly
- Irritated scalp
Financial Signs
- Up to a 50% decrease in the lifespan of major appliances.
- Higher utility costs.
- Increased usage of soap, laundry detergent, and lotion.
- Less efficient dishwasher, washing machine, water heater, etc.
General Signs
- Dingy, gray clothes.
- Spotty and/or filmy dishes.
- Reduced water flow.
- Crusty, white scale buildup on showerheads and faucets.
- Soap that doesn’t lather.
- Towels that feel scratchy and hard.
- Difficult to clean scale and film on kitchen and bathroom fixtures, toilets, and shower walls.
How to Determine if Your Water is Hard
You’ve noticed some of the previously listed indicators, and now you’re ready to find out just how bad your home’s water actually is. Fortunately, you have several good resources.
Check with Birmingham
The City of Birmingham produces its own annual water safety report, which can let you know how hard the city’s water typically is. Be aware, though, that their report can be difficult to read and interpret. It might actually be easier to call Birmingham Water Works and ask them.
Do a Quick DIY Test
There is also a quick, DIY test that can be performed with water, pure liquid soap, and a clean, clear bottle with a cap on it. Although this test isn’t perfect, it should give you an idea of what type of water you’re dealing with.
To begin, take your empty bottle and fill approximately 1/3 of it with water. Next, take liquid soap such as Castile and add a few drops of it. Put the lid back on your bottle, shake it vigorously for a few seconds and check the results. Does the water appear milky or cloudy and not have a lot of fluffy bubbles in it? Then your water is hard.
Do an Advanced DIY Test
If you’d like to receive more specific results, you can go to a local home improvement store and pick up a test kit. These will usually cost approximately $5 to $15.
Take your test kit into your bathroom and fill a glass with cold water from the sink. Next, stick a test strip into the glass and leave it there for several seconds. Once you’ve removed it, you can compare its color to the color chart that came with your kit. This will give you a general idea of how hard your water is!
Choose a Professional Test
The three options listed above might be easy and fast, but they also won’t give you completely accurate results. The only way to achieve this is by hiring a plumber to perform a professional test. Benjamin Franklin Plumbing has the ability to test your water either on-site or at our testing lab. We’ll give you results you can trust! If it turns out you do have hard water, we can also discuss water softeners with you.
Why Would I Want a Water Softener for Hard Water?
You aren’t required to soften your water, but if you’d like to do so, it’ll provide you with a whole host of benefits, including:
- Lengthens the life of some of your major appliances.
- Prevents scale from appearing on your fixtures, in your pipes, and water heater.
- Reduces or prevents mineral spots on your dishes.
- Reduces or prevents detergent curds and soap film in your bathtubs, washing machines, and sinks.
- Provides your skin with improved oil regulation and moisture retention.
Birmingham’s Stellar Plumbing Team
Want an accurate water test? Turn to the professionals at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing in Birmingham, AL. Our plumbers can also take care of several other water-related needs for your home, including faucet installation, tankless water heaters, toilet repair, and house repiping.
Contact Benjamin Franklin Plumbing today to book your professional water test. Once we’re done, we can also discuss water softeners with you. If you want to improve your skin health and save money overall on your home appliances, this is definitely the right call for your Birmingham home!