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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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Effects of Hard Water

water softener

While hard water may not be a serious threat to your health, it can certainly have significant effects on other areas of your life, making household tasks more difficult and causing long-term damage to your clothing, skin, hair and appliances.

The average American family of four uses about 400 gallons of water every day, for everything from showering and cleaning to washing dishes and laundry. Hard water can have a significant impact on your daily life.

Disadvantages of Hard Water

Hard water in the laundry, for example, can cause soap curds to lodge in the fabric during washing and leave clothes feeling rough and stiff. It may cause graying of white fabrics and the loss of brightness in colored ones. Over time you may even start to notice an undesirable odor, and it could shorten the useful life of your clothes.

Dishes and glasses washed in a dishwasher using hard water may end up spotted when dry. Hard water can also cause a film or spots on glass shower doors, shower walls, bathtubs and sinks that require significant scrubbing and harsh cleaners to remove.

Bathing with hard water is discouraged as it leaves a sticky coat on the skin, doesn’t lather as well (so you have to use more soap), and may not remove bacteria and dirt as effectively. Soap residue may even lead skin to become irritated and dry, and make hair dull and difficult to manage.

Hard water also contributes to inefficient and costly operation of water-using appliances. When limescale forms in appliances and water heaters it may cause breakdowns. Heated hard water forms a scale of calcium and magnesium minerals that can damage appliances such as your dishwasher or washing machine.  It will also cause scale buildup in commercial equipment such as boilers, cooling towers, and other large-scale equipment.

Benefits of Adding Soft Water

To enjoy softer skin and hair, shiny spot free dishes, fluffy and fresh smelling towels and have your appliances provide years of trouble free service we encourage you to consider having a Kinetico water softener installed in your home.

Here at Kinetico Utah, we believe everybody deserves soft water to make life easier and cleaner. We offer home filtration systems that soften water to make everyday activities a breeze. Contact us today to find out more about your water treatment options.

 

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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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4 Ways Water Softeners Can Save You Money

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Most people know that water softeners make it easier to keep water spots and scum off of dishes, plumbing fixtures and silverware, but did you know that a water softener can also save you money? While it may cost a bit up-front, the four following money-saving benefits make up for the initial cost.

Reduces the Amount of Laundry Soap You Buy

Laundry detergent is fairly expensive, especially if you have hard water and need to use a lot of it. Hard water contains minerals that inhibit the ability of detergents to clean properly. This means that you will need to use  larger amounts of detergent in order to try and get your laundry sufficiently clean. Installing a water softener allows you to use less laundry detergent and experience a significant savings advantage over time.

Soft water also eliminates the need to use expensive products like Oxy Clean,  Calgon and Clorox to try and keep your whites from turning gray and dingy.  Soft water will also eliminate, or virtually eliminate, the need for fabric softeners and your towels, sheets and other clothing be soft and fresh smelling.

Eliminates Damage to Plumbing

Want your plumbing system to last as long as possible? Installing a water softener may be the best way to extend its life. Mineral deposits from hard water can collect in your  pipes, appliances, faucets and fixtures.  It also leaves unsightly and hard to clean build up and rings in sinks, toilets and on faucets.   Soft water eliminates these problems and helps ensure that your plumbing lasts as long as possible. Healthy, non-clogged plumbing pipes and appliances are less likely to require expensive repairs and replacement.

It is estimated that 17-20% of the cost of a home is for the plumbing system, that’s a lot of money invested, and soft water protects this investment and significantly extend its life.

Reduces the Amount of Soap and Lotion You Use

Soaps, shampoos and lotions may not seem very expensive, but their costs can add up to surprising amounts over time. Soft water makes it possible to use less of these items so that you don’t need to purchase them as frequently.

University studies have shown a 50-80% reduction in soap usage with soft water vs. hard water.  As an example, the Maytag Answer Book  recommends using 3tsp of detergent with soft water and in hard water  10-12tsp.  In extremely hard water  they say “it’s very difficult to achieve acceptable dishwashing results” no matter how much detergent is used.

In an attempt to get their dishes clean and spot free in hard water most people add additional products like Jet Dry or Lemi -shine.  In soft water these products are not needed at all, adding to the cost savings and protects the environment at the same time.

Extends the Life of Your Clothing

The minerals found in hard water can be rough on your clothing and cause them to look dull and dingy. Water softeners are gentler on fabric and can help you save money by extending the life of your clothing.  According to a Purdue University study “the life of clothing and household textiles was prolonged up to 15% when washed in soft water.”

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Three Little Known Benefits of Water Softeners

Cute little girl washing face and hands in bathroom

If you have hard water in your home and are considering water softeners from Kinetico Utah, we want you to make the best choice for your family. Our goal is to educate you about all the benefits that come from installing a water softener.  Here we have several little known benefits of using water softeners.

Brighter, Longer-Lasting Clothing

Hard water is hard on your laundry, and using soft water ensures that your clothes stay brighter and last longer. If you’re raising kids and it seems like you do several loads of laundry each day, this can greatly cut back on fading and wear and tear that is common when clothes are washed.  You will also have soft fluffy towels again, instead of the hard crunchy ones you now have.

Along with your clothing, your washing machine may last longer because the buildup of deposits and minerals that are common with hard water are eliminated. This not only improves the function of your machine, but saves you money in the long run.

Softer Skin

Hard water contains minerals that can be hard on your skin. With soft water, those minerals are removed, ensuring that skin is softer and smoother after you wash it. Hard water creates a dingy film that resides on the skin, and soft water ensures that your skin is clear and fresh every time you bathe.

Stronger Plumbing Systems

As with your washing machine, your other water using appliances, pipes and fixtures may have scale buildup in them, if you have hard water in your home. After several years, this can wear on your plumbing. If you hate clogged jets in your dishwasher, leaky faucets and hard water rings on your toilets, a water softener may solve your problems. A water softener removes minerals like calcium and magnesium that buildup in your homes plumbing.

Call Kinetico Utah Today

If you want to know more about the benefits of water softeners, give us a call today at 800-969-4420.

 

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Four Benefits of a Kinetico Water Softener System

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You may already know about the benefits that a water softener can provide for your home—everything from protection against faded clothing to softer skin and, not to mention, money savings from using less detergent and soap—but not all water softeners are created equal. If you have considered purchasing one, you probably know that there are a lot of different choices out there, but how do you know which is the best? Here are four reasons that you should put Kinetico in Utah at the top of your list.

No Electricity

All other water softeners use electricity, but combining salt, water and electricity is usually not a very good idea.  Kinetico systems are different because they are non-electric and use the force of water to power the unit, which means you won’t have to plug it in (and pay for electricity), plus there aren’t any electrical components that might go haywire or need repair in the future. According to Consumer Reports Magazine “servicepersons report that microprocessors are among the most frequently broken components of these systems” and “the damp often salty environment is hard on electric circuitry.” A non-electric Kinetico water softener eliminates all of these concerns and never requires you to program or reset it.  When water is used it simply measures the usage and regenerates whenever it needs to.

Automatically Adjusts to Water Usage

Regular water softener systems determine when to regenerate based on an average of your past daily water usage. Therefore, you get the same treatment interval when you are on vacation and using no water, as you would when you have your entire extended family in town for the holidays using 10 times your normal volume of water. Kinetico systems monitor your water use so it processes whenever it’s needed—not sooner, not later—which means you always get quality soft water and never have excess waste.

Long-Lasting and Dependable

Kinetico has been making water softeners for more than 40 years, so when you get tired of another water softener that is causing you all sorts of problems, constantly requiring repairs or needing parts replaced, call us and we’ll replace it with a Kinetico system. Our non-electric, dual softening tank water softeners are engineered to provide 20-30 years of reliable service and are backed by an industry-leading ten year warranty. 

Uses 70% Less Salt 

Yes, that is correct; a Kinetico water softener will use an average of 70% less salt than a traditional water softener.  Imagine how nice it would be to significantly reduce the number of trips you make to the store to pick up salt! That’s less times you have to haul those heavy 40 lb. bags from the garage down to the basement and then empty them into the salt tank.

It may sound too good to be true but, a Kinetico water softener really does operate without electricity, it automatically adjusts to your water usage so, you always have soft water, it uses an average of 70% less salt and provides many decades of reliable, trouble-free service.  

To find out more, contact your local Kinetico professional.

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Signs Your Water Softener Needs Service or Repair

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Water softeners are a great addition to many homes, and when they are working properly they provide plenty of benefits, ranging from cleaner, more comfortable clothing and towels to healthier skin and hair. When they are not working, though, you want to get repairs done quickly so you can get back to enjoying that nice soft water every day. Here are a few early signs that there might be a problem so you can stay on top of the repairs.

Dishes Appear Cloudy

If you notice that your dishes are not as bright and clean as they have normally been, you should check your water softener first. The minerals in hard water often leave water spots or deposits on your glass dishes, so this is a quick way you can spot a problem.

Soap Isn’t Lathering as Well

You may also notice that when you’re soaping up in the shower you have to use a lot more soap and you’re not getting those luxurious, sudsy bubbles that you were before. That could be a result of hard water, which makes soaps more difficult to lather.

Skin Feels Itchy and Dry

Another time you might feel the water softener not working is when you shower or bathe and get out feeling itchy and dry. Soft water is better at moisturizing your skin, so that itchy, dry feeling is not something you would normally experience.

You’re Not Replacing the Salt as Often

This is one that you may not notice right away, but something you will see gradually over time. If you normally replace a bag of salt about once a month, then you go for two or three months without needing to replace it (and with no substantial change in your water usage habits), that means the tank isn’t using up the salt correctly, and it likely means that your water softener has malfunctioned.

Troubleshooting the Issues

The easiest way to find out if something is wrong with your water softener is to call a professional to come and inspect it, but there are also a couple of things you can do on your own to check the system. Simply making sure your system is plugged in and the clock is properly timed for the backwash cycles can save you a lot of headache in the long run. You can also check hardness settings if your unit comes with those to make sure that they are still on your preferred level.

You may also need to clean out the resin bed if your water softener requires it, but in many cases it’s better to call a professional for this. They can also inspect for problems in the supply tank that feeds salt to the unit. Other issues might include a malfunctioning resin rinsing system that has clogged the intake. In the absence of an obvious way to fix it yourself (such as plugging it back in if it came unplugged), it’s often best to leave it to the professionals so you don’t risk injury to yourself or others, or the chance that you will cause even more damage.