The quality of the fresh water that comes into your home greatly impacts how your water heater works. Hard water, soft water and contaminated water can damage your heater and shorten its working life. Hard water is full of calcium and magnesium and is actually healthy to drink. Bad quality water is full of sediment and other contaminants. Water that’s too soft or acidic can also damage your hot water tank.
What Happens When Your Water Is Hard
The problem with hard water is that it forms a crust called limescale inside your hot water tank. Limescale is more likely to form in hot water pipes and heating elements. Over time, it can clog pipes and force your water heater to work harder than it should. This costs you money in the form of higher energy bills and constant plumbing repairs. Limescale may even accumulate to the point where it causes the heating element to shut down.
What Happens With Water Full of Sediment
Sediment is made up of sand, soil or other debris. It may not cling to heating elements the way limescale does but rather sinks to the bottom of your hot water tank, where it slowly builds up. Eventually, sediment can prevent the heating element from warming up the water properly. Again, the water heater works harder than it should, and this raises your energy bill. Not only this, but the sediment can also make areas in the tank hotter than others. This can attack the lining of the water heater to the point where the tank starts to leak. If sediment isn’t cleaned out, it can even clog the pipes.
Soft Water in Your Water Heater
Some softened or naturally soft water can be corrosive, especially if it has a low pH. Because of this, it can corrode the components of your water heater over time. Cracks and pinholes form, and the tank can leak. These cracks and holes can grow and cause serious leaks that are beyond repair.
What Can Be Done
The good news is that the quality of your incoming water can be improved. Water softeners remove calcium and magnesium ions from hard water and replace them with sodium. Reverse osmosis filters remove sediment. Even soft water can be mitigated by installing a calcite filter to raise the pH of the water or by having your plumber install a potassium sacrificial anode rod.
Your local water source inevitably affects your water heater, and sometimes that isn’t a good thing. Whether or not your local water is a problem for your water heater, the tank still needs maintenance. For water heater service, don’t hesitate to call our plumbers at Hendrix Air of Brunswick, Georgia.
