Every year we invest considerable amounts of our money into appliances to make our lives easier. Gaining access to the latest technology isn’t cheap, and it makes sense to protect your investment. Of course, an extended warranty can be a great idea, and we all need insurance to protect our homes and their contents. It may surprise some people, but water based appliances are extremely susceptible to premature damage. The source of this is the very water that is being used in the appliance, and it can drastically shorten the life of your equipment. Let’s look at this phenomena in greater detail and how it can be addressed by using filtered water. 
The Properties of Hard Water:
Essentially, hard water is water that has a significant quantity of dissolved minerals present. Hard water can prevent washed clothes from being softer and make your shower look dirty. As detrimental as hard water is, it’s even harder on your water using appliances. A simple look inside a kettle in a hard water household will tell its own story as the heating element will be covered in scale. The dissolved minerals will build up thick layers of scale in your devices and drastically reduce their effectiveness. In a simple kettle, the element will take longer to reach the correct temperature; this will use more energy and cost more to use. The scale will also break off into pieces and chunks of scale could be floating in your beverage.
Now imagine these properties at work inside a more complex piece of equipment, such as a water heater, a dishwasher or a washing machine. Over time these devices will be clogged up with scale, be less effective and cost more to run. If that wasn’t bad enough, the scale buildup will cause the machine to work harder and cause it to fail earlier than it would have. This means that you may have to replace your appliance every few years rather than every decade. Over time this represents a lot of money wasted in unnecessarily large energy bills and equipment that has to be replaced.
Being Proactive:
If you have a hard water problem, there is no need to put up with it and steps can be taken to correct the problem. Fitting a water filter or water softener should correct the problem. This is a significant investment, but it will more than pay for itself in the medium to long term. Every water related task from showering to laundry will be easier, and your appliances will also benefit. These machines will last longer, work more effectively and cost far less to run.
If you’re worried about the hardness of your water or have any other water quality issues, get in touch with your local water treatment professional. There are many kinds of water filters/water softeners and water treatment solutions available that can address water quality issues. Always ensure that your water specialist has full WQA certification and you can be sure that the device meets or even exceeds water industry standards.
With more than 25 years experience in the residential and commercial water treatment space, Terry is a WQA (Water Quality Association) certified water specialist, LEVEL 3, as well as a WQA certified sales representative. Terry currently sits on EcoWater Systems (a Berkshire Hathaway Company) national Peers committee, as a water treatment expert advising other water professionals with less experience on best trade and technology practices. EcoWater Systems of Nebraska is one of the biggest water treatment and water delivery businesses in the state.