Water Heaters vs Hard Water
Often people ask why they have to replace their water heaters as often as every few years. In most cases this is due to hard water, water which has high amounts of calcium and magnesium dissolved into it.
The dissolved minerals come out of suspension and builds up on the sides and at the bottom of the water heater tank causing it to operate less efficiently, use more gas or electricity, and reducing the number of gallons of hot water they system can produce. Also as the sediments build up on the bottom they cause the stainless steel tank to overheat, causing it to corrode until it rusts out and leaks.
In a recent study performed by the Battelle Institute they found that in as few as 15 months the efficiency of a tankless water heater can be reduce by 6% simply by running it in hard water as opposed to soft water. With a tankless water heater they have no place for the mineral to settle therefore it’s common for people to notice the screens on faucets will plug up with the oxidized calcium and magnesium requiring frequent cleaning.
A properly functioning water softener removes the hard minerals from water therefore they don’t build up in the water heaters allowing them to heat the water more efficiently, requiring less energy, and the last much longer. It is not uncommon for soft water to double the life of a water heater.
