Do you think of water as a nutritionless liquid that you need only to stay well-hydrated? Many people do, but tap water often contains many minerals that provide your body with dietary benefits. Common ones in U.S. drinking water include potassium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium, calcium, iron, and zinc.
These minerals are essential to your health. For instance, calcium and magnesium strengthen your bones and help cardiovascular health, copper is a natural antioxidant, and sodium improves electrolyte balance. All these benefits come from drinking water from your tap, but that same water can have negative benefits for your home if it’s too “hard.”
Hard water contains too much of a specific mineral, leaving mineral deposits of calcium and magnesium inside your pipes and water appliances.
We’re going to answer your questions with “Is limescale harmful in drinking water?” and “How do I prevent limescale?” by covering the following points:
The professional plumbers at Red Cap Plumbing & Air can help you select a water filtration system that keeps the minerals in your water under control. Schedule an appointment online or call us.
What’s that taste in your drinking water? Minerals!
Limescale is a deposit of calcium, magnesium, and trace amounts of other minerals that come from tap water. With mineral-rich hard water, you may notice limescale as white deposits appear on your sink faucet and possibly any other place where water touches or splashes consistently.
These minerals come naturally from the Earth since our planet has many layers of minerals. They make their way into every water supply through the ground. Without enough minerals in the water, you may not even know that you’re consuming them when drinking water from the tap. It’s when the water contains a bit too much that you start to notice.
You may think of limescale primarily as an annoyance because you must clean it to stop it from building into an unsightly mess. Beyond buildup, limescale can also impact the taste of your water and may affect how dishwashers, washing machines, and other appliances that use tap water function.
The minerals in limescale can greatly impact the flavor of your water.
So, is limescale harmful in drinking water? No, it isn’t dangerous and may even have some benefits if you need more of certain minerals. That said, heavy mineral content does alter the taste of drinking water.
The harder your water, the more bitterness and saltiness you may detect.
Some people prefer that taste, which is why they sell bottled mineral water rich in select minerals. In fact, many consider soft water with significantly less mineral content to be dull flavored.
Whether you prefer the taste of hard or soft water is a personal matter, but water minerals have other potential problems. Let’s get into what limescale does to your plumbing fixtures.
You may see limescale collecting on your faucets, but what about the inside of your plumbing pipes? What about those appliances that depend on water to function correctly? Anywhere that water travels regularly, you can assume limescale deposits are collecting.
With time, limescale can form large deposits that partially block pipes and drains. For example, when it accumulates inside your water heater, limescale can make your system work harder and increase your energy bills. Not to mention that these significant deposits can corrode pipes and damage ice makers, dishwashers, washing machines, and other appliances.
Even if you like the taste of hard water, you may not like the bills that come with repairing, cleaning, and replacing damaged pipes and appliances. Next, we’ll reveal the most cost-effective, practical way to prevent limescale buildup in your home.
Whole-home water purification systems can improve your water quality.
If you don’t like the taste of hard drinking water or are concerned about your pipes and appliances, you’re probably ready to learn how to eliminate limescale in water. Your best option is a whole-home water purification system.
Standard water filters catch particles that contaminate your water, removing them from your water supply before the water leaves your faucet—meanwhile, filtration systems designed to stop the buildup of limescale function differently.
Minerals in your water dissolve and will easily pass through a standard purification filter. By altering the composition of the water, filtration systems prevent minerals from forming into limescale deposits. Having a professional guide you in selecting the best water filtration system for your Florida home is an effective way to protect your plumbing and the pipes and appliances you depend on for your daily water needs.
Contact Red Cap Plumbing & Air for customer service and workmanship you can count on.
At Red Cap Plumbing & Air, we treat every customer like family. You can expect our courteous, well-trained plumbers to arrive on time, answer questions patiently, and provide honest quotes. We keep our prices reasonable because we want to help the Tampa Bay residents to maintain their homes without hassle.
To learn more about water purification or the impact of limescale in the home, read more about our filtration services online. Call us or schedule your appointment online.