Hard water what does it mean

Anagrams for hard water » earthward. How to pronounce hard water? Alex US English. David US English. Mark US English. Daniel British. Libby British. Mia British. Karen Australian. Hayley Australian. Natasha Australian. Veena Indian. Priya Indian. Neerja Indian. Zira US English. Oliver British. Wendy British. Fred US English. The hardness of water is determined primarily by the amount of calcium and magnesium it contains.

Higher levels of these and other minerals make water hard. Instead of having higher levels of calcium and magnesium, soft water tends to have higher concentrations of sodium , or salt. Sometimes the feel of water and what it does to items in your dishwasher or washing machine can be a tip-off.

There are no serious adverse health problems associated with drinking hard water. However, hard water can contribute to dry skin and hair. Washing your hair frequently with hard water can leave your scalp feeling itchy. The minerals in hard water can also change the pH balance of your skin, weakening it as a barrier against harmful bacteria and infections. People with eczema may be especially vulnerable.

If you notice problems with dry skin and hair, you may want to look into a water-softening system for your home.

Because hard water contains high concentrations of magnesium and calcium, drinking hard water may help you get your recommended daily intake of these essential minerals.

If your diet typically includes rich sources of calcium and magnesium, then there are likely no risks in drinking water with lower concentrations of these minerals. If there are deficiencies in your diet, taking a multivitamin or calcium or magnesium supplements may be enough to meet your daily needs. The bigger concern is for people with high blood pressure who could be susceptible to the blood pressure-raising effects of drinking water with a higher sodium content.

Just as some with high blood pressure are advised against adding salt to their food, they may be advised against softening their home drinking water. These are molecules with a net electric charge. Concentrations of sodium essentially replace the magnesium and calcium in the water.

Water softening units require ongoing maintenance, and sodium pellets need to be added to keep the resin electrically charged. Some systems can use potassium pellets instead of sodium.

Technical Announcements. Employees in the News. Emergency Management. Survey Manual. In scientific terms, water hardness is generally the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in water. But in layman's terms, you may notice water hardness when your hands still feel slimy after washing with soap and water, or when your drinking glasses at home become less than crystal clear.

Learn a lot more about water hardness on the Water Science School site. The simple definition of water hardness is the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in the water. Hard water is high in dissolved minerals, largely calcium and magnesium. You may have felt the effects of hard water, literally, the last time you washed your hands. Depending on the hardness of your water, after using soap to wash you may have felt like there was a film of residue left on your hands.

In hard water, soap reacts with the calcium which is relatively high in hard water to form "soap scum". When using hard water, more soap or detergent is needed to get things clean, be it your hands, hair, or your laundry. Have you done a load of dishes in the dishwasher, taken out the glasses, and noticed spots or film on them? This is more hard-water residue—not dangerous, but unsightly. Many industrial and domestic water users are concerned about the hardness of their water.

When hard water is heated, such as in a home water heater, solid deposits of calcium carbonate can form. This scale can reduce the life of equipment, raise the costs of heating the water, lower the efficiency of electric water heaters, and clog pipes. And, yes, mineral buildup will occur in your home coffee maker too, which is why some people occasionally run vinegar an acid through the pot.

The acidity of vinegar helps to dissolve mineral particles by making them charged. These newly charged particles become attracted to the positive and negative charges in water and can be washed away easily.

But hard water can have some benefits, too. Humans need minerals to stay healthy, and the World Health Organization WHO states that drinking-water may be a contributor of calcium and magnesium in the diet and could be important for those who are marginal for calcium and magnesium intake. Hardness is caused by compounds of calcium and magnesium, and by a variety of other metals.

Water systems using groundwater as a source are concerned with water hardness, since as water moves through soil and rock it dissolves small amounts of naturally-occurring minerals and carries them into the groundwater supply. Water is a great solvent for calcium and magnesium, so if the minerals are present in the soil around a water-supply well, hard water may be delivered to homes.