Have you ever heard someone refer to their water either being ‘hard’ or ‘soft’? These terms are commonly used to describe the quality of water and refer to the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium ions in the water supply. If there is an above-average amount of calcium and magnesium, this means that the water is ‘hard’; if there is a low level of these minerals, it is considered ‘soft’ water. In a residential environment, the term ‘hard water’ was originally applied to water sources that proved difficult to wash clothing and linen in, making reference to the soap-wasting attributes of hard water, due to high levels of dissolved calcium and magnesium can diminish the lathering ability of cleaning products.
Levels of water hardness vary significantly across Australia, with some areas as low as 10ppm (parts per million), right up to areas of South Australia that are reaching up to 600ppm. Whilst figures as high as these are not cause for concern in regards to our physical health, they are often aesthetically displeasing (affecting taste and smell) and can be attributed to most mechanical failures and blockages of equipment that utilise water as part of a process.
In hard water, the dissolved calcium and magnesium salts are primarily responsible for most of the scale build-up seen in water pipes and drains. Whilst this build-up is usually slow to occur in cold water lines, it is exacerbated by temperature. This is why build-up is commonly found in heating elements such as those found in washing machines, hot water systems, and coffee machine boilers. This occurs due to the break-up of hydrogen carbonate into carbonate and carbon dioxide. As the temperature increases, the removal rate of carbon dioxide increases, leaving the calcium to form with the carbonate. As the concentration increases, calcium carbonate crystalises as the salt CaCO3 – this is the almost insoluble substance seen inside kettles and boilers.
For more information or assistance with water hardness or removal of scale build-up, send our team an email at [email protected] or give our friendly sales staff a call on 1300 742 249.
