What’s the Difference Between Hard Water and Soft Water?

Written by Kevin on March 28, 2025. Posted in Plumbing Tips, General Category, Water Quality. No Comments on What’s the Difference Between Hard Water and Soft Water?

Have you ever wondered why your dishes have stubborn spots or why your skin feels dry after a shower? It’s not your soap’s fault; it’s your water.

At Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain, we understand the importance of quality water for your home. This guide will explore hard water versus soft water, discussing the benefits of the former and explaining how water-softening systems can help.

Hard Water vs. Soft Water: What’s the Difference?

The primary distinction between hard water versus soft water is the mineral content. Hard water is rich in minerals like calcium and magnesium, which it absorbs as it flows through underground deposits. In contrast, soft water has been treated to remove these minerals, making it gentler on plumbing and appliances.

You might notice a filmy residue when you wash your hands with high-mineral-content water. This happens because hard water prevents soap from lathering properly, leaving behind scum. Soft water allows soap to lather quickly, leaving your skin refreshed and reducing buildup on surfaces.

The Impact of Hard Water

While hard water is not harmful to your health, it can cause several household problems due to its high mineral content. For instance, mineral deposits can clog pipes and reduce water flow, leading to costly plumbing repairs.

Scale buildup may also cause appliances such as water heaters and dishwashers to become less efficient, increasing energy consumption and shortening lifespans. Hard water often leaves white spots on dishes and glassware while stripping natural oils from your skin and hair, leading to dryness and irritation. If you’ve been battling these issues, the root cause could be the water hardness in your home.

The Benefits of Soft Water

Switching to soft water can transform your daily routine. Without harsh minerals, your soap and detergent will lather more effectively, leading to cleaner dishes, softer laundry, and residue-free surfaces. Reduced mineral buildup will also benefit your plumbing and appliances, improving efficiency and extending lifespans.

Soft water is gentler on your skin and hair, helping to retain moisture and prevent dryness. A water-softening system can save you money in the long run by reducing the need for equipment repairs and lowering your energy bills.

How Water Softening Systems Work

A water softening system works by eliminating calcium and magnesium ions through a process called ion exchange. As hard water passes through the system, resin beads capture these minerals and swap them with sodium or potassium ions. This method effectively softens the water, ensuring it reaches your taps and appliances without hardness-causing minerals.

Regular maintenance, such as refilling the system with salt or potassium, is essential for smooth operation. The benefits of soft water—improved plumbing performance, cleaner surfaces, and healthier skin—far outweigh this effort.

The Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Solution for Ontario Homes

Understanding the differences between hard water and soft water lets you make informed decisions about your home’s tap quality. If you have challenging hard water problems, upgrading to a water-softening system is a wise investment.

At Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain, we specialize in providing high-quality plumbing solutions for homeowners in Ontario. Call us at (519) 622-7770 to experience the soft water benefits firsthand.

Do Water Softeners Improve Water Quality and Reduce Limescale?

Written by Kevin on December 31, 2024. Posted in Plumbing Repair, Plumbing Tips, Water Quality. No Comments on Do Water Softeners Improve Water Quality and Reduce Limescale?

Did you know that the United States Geological Survey reported 89.3% of households in the country as having hard water at home? Hardness refers to the presence of minerals like calcium and magnesium. Being able to reduce hard water is important for protecting your appliances, so you should know that water softeners improve water quality (and why that matters!).

Below, learn more about how sustainable water softeners can improve water taste.

Better Water Taste

One of the most important softened water benefits is improved taste. The water softener uses softener salt that you add to the appliance to remove the hard water minerals through a process called ion exchange. The minerals become sodium ions, which stay behind in the water.

By removing excess minerals through a water-softening appliance, you’ll experience an improved feel and taste of the water, even though the sodium ions stay behind. Although softened water is fine to drink for most people, others prefer to use a reverse osmosis system to further purify the water for consumption.

Improved Appliance Lifespan

By using a water softener, you can completely eliminate limescale buildup inside your kitchen appliances, such as:

Water heaters
Dishwashers
Washing machines

When you don’t treat your hard water, the magnesium and calcium cause limescale that builds up on the interior of the appliances. This type of buildup shortens the lifespan of your appliances, increasing the need for repairs. You may have to replace your appliances more frequently when they have untreated limescale buildup.

Softer Hair and Skin

Water softeners improve water quality by giving you healthier hair and skin. Water treated with a water softener allows soap and detergent to lather more easily, creating improved cleaning power.

You’ll notice softer hair and skin after bathing when you install a water softener. Your skin will appear healthier and will remain more hydrated when you use soft water for bathing and showering. Your hair should be smoother and shinier, too.

Longer Lasting Plumbing System

Your home’s plumbing efficiency noticeably improves when you install a water softener. You avoid having limescale build up inside the plumbing pipes when the water softener is operating.

You might notice the limescale buildup as white, crusty stains on the exterior of your plumbing, bath, and shower fixtures. This buildup affects the aesthetic of your fixtures, and it may block or reduce water flow.

Switching over to a water softener will not eliminate the limescale that already exists on your fixtures and in your plumbing. You’ll have to clean it separately.

Why not hire our plumbing technicians to inspect your plumbing to determine the level of limescale you have?

Let Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain Install a New Water Softener for You

Do water softeners improve water quality? They certainly can, as long as they’re running efficiently and you have a professional installation done.

Our plumbing technicians are the local water softener experts you can trust to install your new system. To learn more about what Hy-Pro Plumbing & Drain can do for you, call our customer service team today at (877) 554-9776!

Factors That Affect Water Quality

Written by Kevin on September 29, 2023. Posted in Water Quality. No Comments on Factors That Affect Water Quality

Ontario is a beautiful and sprawling province where many of Canada’s finest attractions can be found. For those of us who call Ontario home, we know how important water is for the enjoyment of our community. Whether taking a jet boat through Niagara Falls, spending an afternoon on Toronto Islands, or visiting Ripley’s Aquarium, water is all around us.

When it comes to the water supply that fuels our everyday activities at home, it’s vital that this elixir of life is clean and accessible. Hy-Pro Plumbing and Drain Cleaning services a vast array of communities in Ontario to ensure that your water is of the highest quality.

How Do We Define Water Quality?

First and foremost, it is essential that the water we drink is suitable for serving that purpose. There should be no foreign particles or other impurities within the water that give it a repugnant taste or eventually cause harm to our health or the health of our loved ones. The water supply in our homes serves many different purposes—from washing our hands to washing our dishes—but we ultimately absorb its contents one way or another. At times, professional assistance may be needed for maintaining or correcting the quality of water available to you. For that, Hy-Pro Plumbing and Drain Cleaning is here to help!

Why Do We Need To Keep an Eye on Our Water’s Quality?

The clearest reason for needing to maintain good quality water at home is for our own sake. Simply put, we need water to live, so we need to know that we can trust its source. Staying hydrated is crucial for maintaining our energy levels, dental health, and primary bodily functions. Beyond that, water ensures our ability to maintain our hygiene, which not only makes us all more pleasant to be around but also prevents the spread of disease. In addition to keeping ourselves clean, water is the ultimate cleaning agent for our homes and provides an efficient way to dispose of waste.

If the water quality in your home is sub-par, it could be a sign of an underlying plumbing issue that needs to be resolved. Hy-Pro Plumbing is here to help with any and all issues of this kind that may arise. Whether it’s a minor fix or more of a system overhaul, we offer professional-grade service, renowned customer care, and upfront pricing that won’t leave you in sticker shock. In this blog, we list some factors that could be affecting your home’s quality.

The age and state of your piping
Hard water build-up in shower heads and faucets
A failing water heater
Clogged drains

The Age and State of Your Piping

Your home’s piping is like a network of highways your water must pass through to get in and out of your home. The materials used to manufacture these pipes have changed a lot over the past century. From the rare Cedar piping of the not-so-recent past to the PVC piping that is recommended today, homes in Ontario may face water issues from outdated or faulty pipes.
Lead and copper pipes can deliver toxic amounts of heavy metals into your water supply if you live in an older home, and this is especially dangerous when it concerns the development of young children. Cast iron pipes can fall subject to rust and corrosion that ultimately also contaminates the water with unhealthy particles.

Furthermore, cracked and leaking pipes can invite organic material and other polluting substances that fester inside the pipes. These contaminants are carried with the flow of water passing through them. To help you avoid these unwanted hazards, Hy-Pro Plumbing offers top-tier pipe repair and replacement that ensures your water is consistently fresh and pure.

Hard Water Build-up in Shower Heads and Faucets

While hard water constitutes dissolved nutrients like calcium and magnesium that are not unsafe to ingest, these nutrients can solidify around faucet openings and shower heads. This causes inconvenient back-ups and low water pressure, affecting the appliances where our water comes from and leading to scaling deeper in your piping. When these issues arise, they indicate that your water is not serving its full purpose, nor is it being used efficiently. The experts at Hy-Pro Plumbing are here to guide you if you’re interested in a water softener or water filtration system.

A Failing Water Heater

Just as the industry has found innovative ways to refine the piping networks that transport water to and from our homes, we’ve also instituted several upgrades when it comes to water heaters. Properly warmed water gives us the opportunity to take a long, hot bath after a longer day, gives us peace of mind that our utensils are free from harmful bacteria, and serves many other purposes in our homes.

However, like piping, these integral units are susceptible to deterioration over time. When this happens, pollutants from a corroding or contaminated water heater can find their way into your hot water supply. Hy-Pro Plumbing specializes in urgently needed repairs to your water heater and can support you in the process of installing a new water heater.

Clogged Drains

Think of all the things you’ve poured down a drain. Would you ever want any of those things to make a reappearance? If you’re like most people, the answer to that is a resounding no. Drains are meant to flush away waste and unwanted household debris. Using harsh chemicals to clean the drains can increase the risk of contamination if these substances become lodged in the tubes as well. That’s why you should rely on the experts at Hy-Pro Plumbing to provide proper drain cleaning services that will guarantee the integrity of your water quality.

Water Quality Is Too Important for Compromise

Don’t let a plumbing problem negatively affect the water you use every day. Regular water testing and maintenance of your home’s plumbing system are crucial for the upkeep of your precious water supply. Placing your trust in Hy-Pro Plumbing and Drain Cleaning’s exemplary services in Ontario is the safest and easiest way to ensure that your water is always pure. Call us to schedule an appointment today!