Fixing Water Hardness in MN Homes

Does Minnesota Really Have Hard Water? YUP

Did you know that 4.5 million Minnesotans drink water from over 6,000 public water systems each and every year? While the land of 10,000 lakes has plenty of water a surprising amount of it is actually hard. Water hardness is a challenge that many Minnesotans deal with on a daily basis. While it isn’t dangerous, it does have a negative impact on an individual’s skin and hair, as well as the plumbing and appliances inside their home.

Minnesota – the Land of Hard Water

Minnesota residents depend on groundwater for their water supply, and 75% of them consume it. Hard water, which is generated from leached minerals from underground aquifers, builds up in pipes and appliances, causes dry and flaky skin, and produces hard water spots. To eliminate the hard water, water softeners use ion exchange. Actually, a majority of towns and cities in Minnesota deal with hard water.

2022 Minnesota Water Hardness Chart

Soft water in the home is generally viewed as 1 grain per gallon, moderately hard is 3-7 per gallon while very hard is 10+ grains per gallon. A majority of Twin Cities suburbs have hard water, below is where you can find some of the hardest water in the Minneapolis St. Paul area.

• Brooklyn Park 24-34 GPG
• Buffalo 17 GPG
• Burnsville 16 GPG
• Champlin 18-26 GPG
• Chanhassen 22-26 GPG
• Edina 18 GPG
• Maple Grove 22-36
• Medina 20 – 23 GPG
• Mound 22 GPG
• Osseo 17 GPG
• Plymouth 22-28 GPG
• Robbinsdale 22 GPG
• Rogers 22 GPG
• St. Louis Park 18 GPG
• St. Michael 19 GPG
• Shorewood 20-26 GPG
• Wayzata 20-24 GPG
• Woodbury 17-22 GPG

The Effects of Water Hardness

Hard Water and Your Skin

When hard water makes contact with your skin, some of the minerals that cause the water to be hard are left behind, absorbing your skin’s natural moisture and oils. This lack of moisture in your skin and high amounts of hard minerals can negatively influence your skin’s hydration and pH balance, which may result in pimples. In addition to harming your skin, soap and hard water mineral deposits may accumulate on your bath or shower as a result of using hard water.

Hard Water and Your Homes Appliances and Plumbing Systems

The water heater, dishwasher, and refrigerator, among other water-consuming devices, are adversely affected by hard water. Scale deposits clog pipes and valves, reducing water flow or leading to leaks, which may result in costly part replacements.

Hard water is exactly what it sounds like; water with high concentrations of minerals. In this case, those minerals are mostly calcium and magnesium ions. These are called “hard” because they are difficult to remove using standard filtration techniques.

Water heaters using hard water have been found to reduce performance and lifespan significantly, in addition to increasing energy consumption. An extensive study by Battelle Memorial Institute in 2010 compared water heater efficiency with hard and soft water. Every 5gpg of water hardness resulted in an increase in scale accumulation of 0.4 pounds per year, leading to an 8% loss in efficiency and an 8% increase in energy consumption.

But don’t worry— Dean’s Minneapolis Plumbers have solutions! Here is how you can fix hard water in your home.

Best Way to Fix Hard Water in Your Home

Water Softeners

Water softeners work by replacing calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions. Benefits of soft water from water softener in your home include:

• Prevents the build-up of minerals (scale) on the inside of pipes, fixtures, and hot water heaters.
• Lengthens the life of some appliances.
• Reduces or prevents mineral spots on glassware.
• Prevents or reduces soap films and detergent curds in sinks, bathtubs, and washing machines.

Installing a Reverse Osmosis System

Reverse osmosis systems work by using a semipermeable membrane to filter out the minerals in your water. They have a couple of advantages over traditional water softeners.

You no longer have to worry about your soap leaving a residue on your dishes or skin.

Reverse Osmosis is able to remove more minerals than softeners, which means your water will be super soft. Reverse osmosis filters work best on large particles, like iron and nitrates. They are not as efficient at removing smaller ions like calcium and magnesium. If you want the best water quality, an RO system might be the best option for you.

If you need help with hard water in your home, Dean’s team of professional Plumbing professionals has solutions for all types of homes in the Twin Cities. Stop hard water buildup, scale, and everything bad that it does to your hair and skin with a call to the Plumbing professionals at Dean’s Home Services.