Cost of Living in Florida: 5 Affordable Hard Water Solutions

Living in Florida, hard water is very common in households and comes with many irritating side-effects. The dissolved calcium and magnesium ions commonly found in city water sources can cause sedimentary buildup in your plumbing systems, appliances run on water and can cause dry skin and hair. These side effects can dramatically increase your cost of living in Florida. Luckily, there are five easy hard water solutions to get rid of these effects in your home that you can do yourself:

1. Use distilled white vinegar to remove stains

Most people already have this solution hidden in their kitchen cabinet, and is a cheap solution for fighting hard water. If you have water spots on your dishware even after you run it through your dishwasher, the probable cause is the hard water running through your plumbing and appliances. By adding distilled white vinegar to your dishwasher load, it easily cuts through the chemicals in your hard water causing the stains.

Vinegar can also be used to clean out hard water build up in your smaller appliances that run off of tap water. A coffee filter’s lifespan will be shortened if you are using hard water to brew your coffee. Running two cup of white vinegar through your coffee machine will clean out the build up hiding inside of it and keep your coffee tasting fresh.

2. Remove hard water build up from your pipes regularly

Hard water damage to your pipes can be one of the most expensive consequences of hard water. To avoid the costly repairs and replacements of your plumbing pipes due to hard water build up, you can take preventive action yourself without hiring a professional plumbing service to do it for you.

You can purchase acidic cleaning products designed to wear away the calcified buildup in your pipes and appliances caused by the calcium in hard water. Always remember to flush out your drains with boiling water after using a calcium removing product to achieve the best results.

3. Flush your hot water heater occasionally

You should do this anyway to keep your water heater running efficiently, but flushing out your water heater can also save you money in the long run if you battle with hard water in your home. As time goes on, sedimentary build up can accumulate at the bottom, blocking your water from getting heated correctly.

When you flush out your water heater, you are clearing out the hard water minerals that may be costing you hidden money on your energy bills. Always follow the specific instruction on your water heater’s manual before flushing it out yourself.

4. Purchase small, point-of-use filters

If you rent a home or apartment and you need a short term solution for hard water, purchasing under-sink filters and small filters for your drinking water can be a simple way to avoid having to deal with hard water effects that are more noticeable, including bad tasting water and dry skin. Keep in mind that although these are easy solutions to obtain softer water, the hard water running through them will ultimately wear them down and need replacements periodically.

5. Install a whole house water softener

If you don’t want to have to worry about constant upkeep to maintain quality water in your home, then installing a whole house water refiner system can save you the hassle of DIY techniques of removing hard water and will save you money in the end by reducing the amount of money you spend on cleaning supplies, repairs and replacements.

At Guardian Water Services we will come out, test your water quality for free and install a whole house water filtration system in your home for you. Not only will our system filter only soft water throughout all the appliances and faucets in your home, but your water will taste refreshing, be thoroughly filtered out for harmful contaminants and leave your skin and hair softer than ever. Sign up today for a free water quality test and receive a $50 retail store gift card.