It’s not as if you need another reason to tackle your hard water problem. You are probably already familiar with the life changing advantages of adding a water softener system for your home.

If you install a water softener, you can deal with the hard water problem before it actually becomes a problem. The calcium and magnesium in your water are removed before they ever have a chance to build up in your pipes and appliances. Not only will you have fresh, clean water, but you will have less wear and tear on your home and eliminate water spots, soap scum, and limescale. The investment gives you the luxury of soft water in your home.

But the icing on the cake is that by investing in a whole house water softener, you are making an eco-friendly choice.

The Impact of Hard Water on the Environment

While fighting the effects of hard water is a frustrating battle in your home, it takes an even bigger toll on our planet. Here are just a handful of ways that hard water impacts the environment.

1. Reduced Lifespan of Appliances and Fixtures

The minerals in hard water build up over time, and that is where the problem starts. An average home uses a water heater, washing machine, dishwasher, and refrigerator. These appliances all use water to perform their task. Hard water minerals build up in the lines of your appliances, causing damage to the inner workings of these machines. The same thing is happening to your shower heads, faucets, and fixtures.

Over time, these minerals may cause enough damage to your appliances that you will need to replace them prematurely. These appliances go straight to the landfill, creating unnecessary waste and taking a toll on the environment. Appliances and fixtures that use soft water have a much longer lifespan.

2. Increased Energy Consumption

As limescale builds up in your pipes and appliances, your home systems must work harder to keep up. As build up accumulates in your pipes, water is forced to move through a smaller area. As a result, your appliances have to work harder in order to accomplish the same task. This internal build up in your home’s systems will quickly drive up your energy consumption. Using more electricity and water will drive up your energy bills, using more of the planet’s precious resources.

3. Reliance on Harsher Household Chemicals

Keeping up with hard water deposits can feel like an endless battle, and it is easy to let regular maintenance slip through the cracks. While vinegar can be used for a majority of hard water cleanup, build up that has been left unattended will need more powerful chemicals. The chemicals needed to cut through tough limescale are not the safest choice for your family or the greenest choice for the planet. But if you have hard water you know they are necessary.

4. Increased Waste

Hard water is hard on everything it touches. Dishes, clothes, appliances, fixtures, and pipes can all become victims of hard water. Countless things in your home are destined for the landfill due to the minerals in your water. When you look at every single item in your home that comes in contact with your water, you may quickly realize that within a single household, the environmental impact of the waste created by hard water is pretty significant. Softening the water in your home will help your possessions stand the test of time and allow you to enjoy them longer.

5. Greater Consumption of Bottled Water

Across the globe, people use 1.3 billion plastic water bottles every day. This means that every minute, over a million single use plastics are used for water. Homes with good water have a simple solution. Reusable water bottles filled with delicious water from your home make it easy to pack along fresh water anywhere you go.

If you have hard water, you may prefer to drink just about anything else instead of the hard water from your tap. Purchasing bottled water to drink at home and on the go adds to the plastic waste produced every year. Investing in clean water for your home can make your little corner of the planet a little greener.

The Simple Solution to Lessen the Impact of Hard Water

Making the planet a little bit greener has never been easier. By contacting a water professional in your area, you can explore solutions for your water problems. It takes just a few hours for an expert to install a water softener system in your home. Once you have a system installed, a little monthly maintenance is all that stands between you and contributing to a better and greener planet.