Softener Damages Water Heater?

[Gary Slusser]

Reply and ask them for an actual number for the highest hardness in their entire system with the type of measurement they are using: ppm, mg/l or gpg.

Most water companies and their association, the AWWA (American Water Works Association), usually say that water is not hard until it contains 150 mg/l or more of hardness. Next to no one else agrees with that and especially their customers that use the water in manufacturing processes. Homeowners that know soft water from hard simply accept it ruining their water heaters, appliances, clothes, fixtures etc..

[Resist]

My city emailed me again, and said there was an error in the report indicating we don't have hard water. But according to the water plant manager he said the pH of the treated water typically ranges from 7.3 to 7.6 but can vary due to our 3 water sources. He also said in the 27 years he has lived here he has not had a water heater last less than 12 years, and this is without using a water softener.

They use ppm and the majority of the analyses are performed by an independent, contracted laboratory and reported directly to the regulatory oversight agencies.

[Gary Slusser]

Then have a hardness test done or buy a test kit at most any hardware store or take a sample over to Sears and see how hard the water is.

[Resist]

Here are the numbers from the Annual Report:


Aluminum (ppm) - 0.188
Barium (ppm) - 0.091
Chlorine (ppm)- 0.80
Chromium (ppb)- 7.5
Control of DBP precursors [TOC] (% removal) - 24%
Flouride (ppm) - 0.82
Gross Alpha Particle Activity (pCi/L) - 0.58
Haloacetic Acids (ppb) - 16.4
Nickel (ppb) - 2
Nitrate [as nitrate] (ppm) - 3.5
TTHMs [Total Trihalomethanes] (ppb)- 46.0
Turbidity (NTU)- 0.27


The water plant manager from my city said they could come to my house and check the water. I may have them do this. He is also willing to give us a tour of the plant, which I am really interested in doing.

[Gary Slusser]

Do you see anything about hardness in that report, I don't. So IF you want to know the hardness in your water you need to get a hardness water test kit or take a sample somewhere to have the test done.

[Resist]

There is nothing that specifically says "hardness" in the report. From what I understand about hardness in water it is read as parts per million or weight/volume (mg/L) of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the water.

[Gary Slusser]

On city water quality reports it can be stated as hardness, total hardness, CACO3, calcium and magnesium in either ppm or mg/l or gpg. If it's not on the report, and you want to know if the water is hard, you need a hardness test.

[Resist]

Nothing mentioned on the Annual Report about, hardness, total hardness, CACO3, calcium or magnesium. I will email the water manager again and find out.

[Gary Slusser]

OK, but if it were me, I'd get a hardness test kit and do it myself or take a sample to Sears or a local water treatment dealer or a lab. Especially when they don't seem to want to tell you how hard their water is.

[Resist]

abcd819,

Go away spammer!

[Andy CWS]

I have reported to both forum leaders, but nothing has happened, yet. I suppose they will investigate soon.

Andy

[Resist]

The City got back to me again, here are the numbers:

total hardness = 230 mg/L as CaCO3
total alkalinity = 180 mg/L as CACO3
calcium = 35 mg/L
magnesium = 35 mg/L



So how bad is it?

[Gary Slusser]

That's 13.45 gpg of hardness, that's very hard water.

[Resist]

And how did you calculate 13.45 gpg? What is the hardness scale?

[Andy CWS]

Divide ppm by 17.1 to get grains per gallon.

Hardness scale by the Water Quality Association, accepted by water professionals, is less than one grain is soft, 3 - 7 is hard and over 10.5 is extremely hard.

Andy Christensen, CWS-II