What Is a Good Water Hardness Level for Your Home?

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You rely on your property's water supply for a lot of daily tasks, such as preparing meals, bathing, cleaning cookware, and doing laundry. However, your water hardness levels can affect these activities and make them less effective.

What is a good water hardness level? Water hardness refers to the amount of calcium carbonate and magnesium in your water. It can affect the taste and quality of your water, as well as the cleanliness of your hair, skin, clothes, and dishware. We measure water hardness by grains per gallon (GPG) and parts per million.

Determining the right water hardness level for your home isn't easy. Let Babe Plumbing help with this guide. After reading about this topic, contact Babe Plumbing to see if installing a water softener system in MN is right for you.

Signs Your Home Has Hard Water

Hard water often appears as mineral deposits on your clothes or dishes. You typically will use more hand soap, laundry detergent, and dish detergent to get your skin, clothes and dishes clean. If you're unsure if you have hard water in your home, look for the following clues:

• Your glasses still look cloudy after running the dishwasher. 
• Your skin is itchy, and your hair is dull and brittle.
• You're experiencing frequent plumbing issues.
• Washing your hands leaves a strange residue behind.
• Your clothes don't feel clean, but rather stiff and uncomfortable.

Ways To Measure Your Water's Hardness Level

The grains per gallon (GPG) water hardness scale ranges from less than one to greater than 10, with hard water having a higher number. While this is the most popular unit of measurement, others include milligrams per liter and parts per million. You can purchase water testing kits online or at popular retail stores, but some places will offer test kits for free.

Anything higher than one grain per gallon for your reading indicates you have some amount of hard water. At the low end of the scale, you might have between less than one grain to 3.5, which suggests your water is relatively soft and not too hard. Moderate hardness ranges from 3.5 to seven grains per gallon. If your water hardness levels are reading at seven or higher, you likely have a major hard water issue and could benefit from a softener solution.

Most Commonly Accepted Water Hardness Levels

What is a good water hardness level for your home? The typical level that people accept for properties is between 3.5 and seven grains per gallon, but many prefer lower numbers.

Ultimately, it's up to you what you deem the best water hardness for your property. A plumbing professional can help you reach a more desirable rating if you believe your water is too hard and affects your daily routine in a negative way. 

Why Is Water Hardness a Concern for Property Owners?

Hard water could make your appliances run less efficiently and decrease their lifespans. Your dishwasher, washing machines, and other systems may experience sediment buildup and struggle to function as well as they once did. Limescale may also cause some damage to your pipes and the rest of your plumbing system, increase your need for costly replacement or repair services, and leave a gross residue on surfaces.

Scale can affect water pressure and flow throughout your pipes. It creates an obstacle that becomes increasingly difficult for your water to pass through and causes you to shell out money earlier than unexpected for a replacement. 

If hard water is affecting the cleanliness of your home, it's a big problem. Hard water can cause you to double your efforts to clean clothes, dishes, and your skin and hair while showering. Softer water will waste less water and soap, helping you effectively maintain a clean house.

Is Drinking Hard Water Bad for Your Health?

No, drinking hard water isn't necessarily a bad thing, but you might notice a difference in your water's taste. Since hard water has a higher concentration of calcium and magnesium, it may taste slightly different than softer water, which has more sodium ions. We need each of these things for our health, so it's not always bad to consume hard water.

Many property owners like having the cleanest, most purified water and invest in a water filtration or purification system. These pair well with water softener systems and can change the way you enjoy your water. Scheduling a consultation appointment can help you explore your options.

How Water Softener Solutions Can Improve Your Water Quality

Water softeners decrease the amount of magnesium and calcium in your water supply by filtering them out. These devices include reverse osmosis (RO) systems, ion exchangers, salt-based systems, or electromagnetic water softeners. A dedicated and knowledgeable plumber can walk you through options that meet your needs and budget, comparing popular water softener options to find you the perfect fit.

Investing in a water softener can save your appliances, help you feel cleaner, and cut down on your water bills. Plus, purchasing a softener could put more money back in your pocket and offer many long-term benefits.

Change Your Hard Water With Babe Plumbing's Professional Water Softener Services!

When we're not providing incredible services to our clients, Babe Plumbing covers some of the most common plumbing topics on our blog, such as what happens if you drink unfiltered water. Now that you know the answer to, "What is a good water hardness level?" you can figure out the hardness level of your water supply with water testing kits or the dish soap-and-water test. 

If you're unhappy with the hard water in your home, our business offers an affordable solution to improve water quality, taste, and more with our state-of-the-art water softener services. Schedule an appointment in or near Mankato, Minnesota by calling (507) 418-8387 now and learn more!