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Hard Water Detection Methods in the Home

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At Kinetico Utah, our water softeners are designed to help turn your hard water into soft, luxurious water for better use around the home.

How do you know if your water is hard? Detecting the presence of hard water is something many people don’t know how to do. Let’s look at a few simple home methods for determining if you might have high amounts of calcium and magnesium in your water, making it hard.

Outside Examination

This method involves looking around your home for evidence of hard water. Check your sinks, bathtubs and showers for white scale build up. Glass shower doors and tile showers will have white spots or film which won’t wipe off and will etch the glass. Toilets also develop a white ring at the water level which won’t come off without the use of harsh chemicals or pumas stones.

Check laundry to see if your whites are grey and dingy, or you have to use fabric whiteners like bleach or Oxy Clean to keep them looking white and bright. With hard water fabrics will also often be stiff and rough to the touch.

The kitchen is another great place to check for hard water.  Look for spots or a film on glass and silverware, which can be caused by minerals in hard water.  Inspect the sprayer and see if it has a white crusty build up on the end and when you spray the water seems to shoot every direction except the way you want it to.

The Skin Test

Take a bar of soap and wash your hands with soapy warm water and as you rinse them rub your fingers together and notice if your skin feels slick and silky or if it feels squeaky.  Then dry your hands with a clean towel and see if your skin feels rough and they have a reddish dry look to them.

When washing in hard water skin will have a squeaky feel when rinsing and many will notice their skin feels and looks dry and rough when dry. Soft water will leave the skin feeling soft, smooth, and silky.

Have Your Water Tested by a Professional

If you’re still unsure about the hardness of your water, let the experts at Kinetico assist you. We’ll test your home water for hardness, chlorine and other impurities. Our representatives are standing by to assist you.

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Key Questions to Ask Before Purchasing a New Water Softener

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Water softeners can be a great addition to many homes in Utah, especially since most municipal water systems in the area have “hard” water, a term that describes water containing minerals like calcium and magnesium, that can cause problems with scale build up and dry skin. Before you get one, though, there are a few questions you should ask.

Does My Home Have Hard Water?

Most water in Utah is considered hard, but before you purchase a water softener it’s best to have your water tested. Not only will this let you know exactly how hard your water is, it’s important in selecting the correct size of water softener. This test is simple to do and any reputable water softening company can do it right in your home.  Also ask if there are other elements in your water you should be concerned about, such as iron or chlorine.

What Kind of Water Softener Do I Need?

There are dozens of options to choose from when you’re shopping for a water softener, and the right one for your home will depend on different factors. First, determine the capacity you need for your water softener. Next, check for third-party certifications such as those from the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) and the Water Quality Association (WQA) to make sure its performance matches up to the claims they are making.

Is This a Reputable Company?

There are a lot of companies to choose from when purchasing a water softener, so before you buy, make sure you do a little research. Not all companies will be reputable, and purchasing from a fly-by-night company that might do a poor installation, or might not be around when something goes wrong and the system requires maintenance or repairs. Choose a company that has been in business installing water softeners in Utah for many years. Ratings in publications like Consumer’s Digest and Consumer Reports can also be a good resource.

What Kind of Customer Service Do They Offer?

In addition to finding a company that provides quality products at an affordable price, you want to make sure the one you’re working with offers great customer service. Read reviews from previous customers, or ask for a phone number to check referrals and ensure you’re working with a quality company.

To find out more about water softeners in Utah and have one installed in your home, call Kinetico today.

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Kinetico’s Hard Water Vs. Soft Water Science Project Idea

Kinetico Utah - Soft Water Science Project Idea Utah

Have you ever wondered about the science behind a water softener? At Kinetico of Utah we are education advocates and love to have fun while learning! Here is a great way for you and your family to get an inside peek at some of the science behind soft water. The first thing that you will need to have is our Kinetico Utah Water Softener Words and Definitions list.

Water Softener Words and Definitions List

Soft water – water that is free from hard minerals like magnesium and calcium.

Hard water – water that contains magnesium, calcium.

Calcium – a silver-white metal found in limestone and chalk.

Epsom salt – a type of Magnesium.

Ion Exchange-the process of reciprocal transfer of ions between a solution and a resin.

Magnesium– a light silver-white metal used in lightweight alloys, flares, and fireworks.

Salt – a crytalline compound called sodium chloride. An element that gives liveliness and is also a preservative.

Soap – a substance usually made by treating a fat with alkali, as sodium or potassium hydroxide.

Distilled water – water from which impurities have been removed such as; dissolved salts and colloidal particles; chemically pure water.

Now that you have read and understand each of the above water softener words we will get started! We are going to start with an easy science project that we found on scifun.org that you can do at home with your family. Get ready to experience some of the science behind Hard water vs. Soft Water.

You will need:

Distilled water  (2 cups)

Epsom salts (1 Tsp)

2-liter plastic soda pop containers, with screw caps. (2 containers)

Liquid dish soap (do not use soap intended for dishwashers) (several drops)

Instructions:

1. Empty and clean the 2-liter plastic containers (on 1 bottle use a sharpie and write Hard and on the other container mark it Soft)

2. Pour (1 cup) of distilled water into each of the empty soda-pop containers.

3. Add (1 teaspoon) of Epsom salts only to the bottle marked Hard.

4.   Swirl the bottle until the Epsom salts dissolve.

5.   Add several drops of liquid dish soap to both bottles.

6.   Seal the bottles with their caps.

7.   Shake both bottles.

After following the instructions you will see two different results!

The bottle marked Hard represents hard water. In this experiment, you created hard water by adding a small amount of Epsom salt to distilled water. Hard water is found in your home before it is treated with a water softening system. Calcium and magnesium in water interfere with the cleaning action of soap and detergent by creating a barrier (soap scum). If you have hard water in your home you will use about 50-80% more soaps and detergents to get things clean! Hard water has a hard time creating bubbles, and that means your laundry doesn’t get as clean and you will be taking more expensive bubble baths!

Look at the container marked Soft. This bottle represents Soft water and will have more bubbles! Soft water does not contain hard minerals, allowing the water to work with the soap which increases the cleaning capacity of detergents and creates more bubbles! Home water softening systems help protect plumbing and appliances by decreasing the buildup of lime scale deposits. Laundry cleaned with soft water is softer and cleaner. Bubble baths get bigger and better. A Kinetico Quality Home Water Softener saves you more time and money, time and money that you can spend on the people you love most!

Thank you for your participation! If you enjoyed this post please like us on our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter!

The first thing that you will need to have is our Kinetico Utah Water Softener Words and Definitions list.

Water Softener Words and Definitions List

Soft water – water that is free from hard minerals like magnesium and calcium.

Hard water – water that contains magnesium, calcium.

Calcium – a silver-white metal found in limestone and chalk.

Epsom salt – a type of Magnesium.

Ion Exchange-the process of reciprocal transfer of ions between a solution and a resin.

Magnesium– a light silver-white metal used in lightweight alloys, flares, and fireworks.

Salt – a crytalline compound called sodium chloride. An element that gives liveliness and is also a preservative.

Soap – a substance usually made by treating a fat with alkali, as sodium or potassium hydroxide.

Distilled water – water from which impurities have been removed such as; dissolved salts and colloidal particles; chemically pure water.

Now that you have read and understand each of the above water softener words we will get started! We are going to start with an easy science project that we found on scifun.org that you can do at home with your family. Get ready to experience some of the science behind Hard water vs. Soft Water.

You will need:

Distilled water  (2 cups)

Epsom salts (1 Tsp)

2-liter plastic soda pop containers, with screw caps. (2 containers)

Liquid dish soap (do not use soap intended for dishwashers) (several drops)

Instructions:

1. Empty and clean the 2-liter plastic containers (on 1 bottle use a sharpie and write Hard and on the other container mark it Soft)

2. Pour (1 cup) of distilled water into each of the empty soda-pop containers.

3. Add (1 teaspoon) of Epsom salts only to the bottle marked Hard.

4.   Swirl the bottle until the Epsom salts dissolve.

5.   Add several drops of liquid dish soap to both bottles.

6.   Seal the bottles with their caps.

7.   Shake both bottles.

After following the instructions you will see two different results!

The bottle marked Hard represents hard water. In this experiment, you created hard water by adding a small amount of Epsom salt to distilled water. Hard water is found in your home before it is treated with a water softening system. Calcium and magnesium in water interfere with the cleaning action of soap and detergent by creating a barrier (soap scum). If you have hard water in your home you will use about 50-80% more soaps and detergents to get things clean! Hard water has a hard time creating bubbles, and that means your laundry doesn’t get as clean and you will be taking more expensive bubble baths!

Look at the container marked Soft. This bottle represents Soft water and will have more bubbles! Soft water does not contain hard minerals, allowing the water to work with the soap which increases the cleaning capacity of detergents and creates more bubbles! Home water softening systems help protect plumbing and appliances by decreasing the buildup of lime scale deposits. Laundry cleaned with soft water is softer and cleaner. Bubble baths get bigger and better. A Kinetico Quality Home Water Softener saves you more time and money, time and money that you can spend on the people you love most!

Thank you for your participation! If you enjoyed this post please like us on our Kinectico Utah Facebook page and follow Kinetico Utah on Twitter!

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How a Kinetico Water Softener Can Help With Eczema

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Do you or someone you know have eczema? Eczema is a medical condition also known as atopic dermatitis. Eczema causes healthy skin to become inflamed or irritated, in addition it is usually characterized by sore, itchy and burning skin. According to the National Eczema Association 30 million Americans, both adults and children are afflicted by this chronic skin disease.

Healthy skin appears smooth, soft, and supple but some visible symptoms of skin afflicted by eczema may be a rash, raised, scaled skin, or the skin may ooze or weep. Eczema can appear on the face, wrists, hands, back of the knees and even the feet.

The cause of eczema is unknown but we do know that many people choose to use a water softener to help alleviate some of the painful symptoms and improve the ability of the skin to naturally heal itself.

The science of soft water allows the soap to clean the skin efficiently and effectively. Hard water has calcium and magnesium. Calcium and magnesium love to bind to the ingredients in our soaps. This can create residue. If you have hard water then you probably have had problems with water spots on your dishes.

Water softeners are engineered to remove the hard calcium from the water, therefore, removing the mineral that allows the soap to stick to your skin. When the calcium is removed the water is considered soft. With a water softener you will also use at least 50-80% less cleaning products. For someone who has eczema, less cleaning products can mean less discomfort and a reduction of painful flare ups. With eczema and water softeners, less is more; less flare ups, less cleaning products lead to more enjoyment in life!

If you have eczema, damaged or dry skin, read more about how Kinetico’s efforts to help in the fight against eczema.