Unfortunately, if you have hard water, you can expect to lose 30 percent to 50 percent of an appliance’s projected lifespan. Rust and buildup form due to the high amounts of iron, calcium and magnesium found in hard water areas. The constant contact of these materials may cause severe damage, and the longer the iron and other minerals build up the worse the damage to appliances, sinks, and tubs.

Commercial products with strong chemicals provide a powerful solution for eliminating scale buildup and rust stains left behind by iron in hard water, but this is only a temporary solution to the problem.

The Hard Water and Rust Stain Solution
You may be able to find short-term fixes including lemon juice, vinegar, and commercial products, but you will not be solving the actual problem at hand. A water softener is the core solution to eliminating iron minerals that form rust stains in your home. The water softening process is able to absorb hard minerals from the water as well as clear water iron by using tiny resin beads, which act as a sponge. Installing a water softener is your only solution to eliminating rust stains from iron permanently.

You can find out if you live in a zone with hard water by referencing the map on our website. You may also fill out a form on our website to receive a free water test in the mail.

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Do you know where your water comes from? While you may not think much about it, water touches every corner of your home. Most homeowners get their water from a municipal source (versus a private well), but did you know that even water from a city supply could be partially sourced from a well? Your water can come to you in several ways: from the city water supply, a city well or a private well.

Determining your water source

If you rely on your city for water, how can you learn more about where it comes from? Start by checking with your water supplier for more information (their contact information is typically on your water bill). Additionally, you should receive a consumer confidence or drinking water quality report online or in the mail each year. This report tells you where your water comes from and what’s in it and may even include your water hardness (you can test your water hardness for free here). Homes with a private well won’t receive a water report, as they rely on a septic system instead of sewer systems.

Decoding well water differences

If you discover that a portion of your water comes from a well, you may wonder about the quality. Municipal water systems treat all of their water sources, making it safe and clean to drink and use in your home. Homeowners with private wells, which use ground water, are responsible for maintaining their well with regular service and periodically testing for bacteria, pesticides and other common contaminants.

Another characteristic of well water is that it tends to contain more minerals and sediment. Sand and soil can enter wells through infrastructure defects in the well, and the harder your water is, the greater the quantity of calcium and magnesium there will be. Together, these two issues can lead to clogged valves and fixtures, as well as damaged water heaters and appliances.

Selecting the right softener

If your home relies heavily on well water, investing in a system that not only softens but also removes extra sediment and iron is key.

Wondering if your water supply contains too much iron? Unless the water straight from your tap is yellow or orange colored, you may not realize that you have high levels of iron. Ferrous, or clear water, iron completely dissolves in water, which is why you don’t notice it right away. The presence of clear water iron will be characterized by reddish-brown stains in your sink or toilet and yellow-tinged water after your water has sat out. An easy way to rid your household of this problem is to add iron-removing salt pellets to your water softener. Additionally, larger capacity softeners are also capable of removing extremely high levels of ferrous iron. If you find these systems are not taking care of the problem, a separate iron system can be installed before your softener. This system will help remove the iron and eliminate staining.

While you won’t see the damage of sediment-rich water on your fixtures, it can easily cause muddying in your softener or clog pipes and appliances over time—both of which can lead to costly repairs. This is another instance where a more advanced softening and filtering solution will improve the quality of your water and safeguard your home against unnecessary repairs.

Whether you’re on well water, city water or a combination of the two, there is a water system that can meet your needs. From making your hard water soft to including a whole-home filter, your biggest water woes can be easily fixed no matter where your water comes from.

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