Broken Water Pipe? Why Hard Water Might Be To Blame
If your home has a broken water pipe, you’re probably busy repairing the plumbing and preventing water damage. However, one of the most important tasks is still to come: Identifying what caused this problem in the first place.
Although not the most common culprit, hard water can be responsible for plumbing problems like burst pipes. The problem is that you can’t see, smell or taste water hardness when it’s coming out of the tap. Instead, you need to look for signs around your home — and you might not realize they’re all connected until the issue is already sizable.
Here’s everything you need to know about hard water to keep it from ruining your plumbing, from identification to treatment.
The Connection Between Hard Water and Pipe Problems
To prevent hard water damage, it’s important to understand how this problem impacts your home’s pipes. Here are just a few examples:
Burst Pipes
A lot of variables can lead to a busted water pipe. When hard water is to blame, the explanation is simple — but the outcome isn’t.
Hard water is caused by calcium and magnesium, two minerals that tend to “stick” to surfaces like bathroom fixtures. Over time, these minerals can create a thick buildup on pipe walls. If this buildup completely blocks the flow of water, you could end up with a water leak, a burst pipe or another type of plumbing emergency.
Reduced Water Pressure
A burst pipe is a serious issue, but the good news is that your plumbing system often gives you early signs of a potential problem — including reduced water pressure.
If you’re used to high water pressure, you’ll probably notice pretty quickly when that water flow starts to slow. This is one of the first indications of mineral buildup sticking to the pipe walls. Depending on where the issue is worst, you may feel reduced pressure at just one tap or throughout your entire home.
Impacted Appliance Efficiency and Lifespan
Hard minerals don’t just stick to the occasional underground pipe. Think about it: These minerals are in your water supply, so they go where your water goes. That means they can build up inside water-using appliances like dishwashers, washing machines and water heaters.
Over time, hard water can make these appliances less efficient and functional. It can even reduce their lifespan, leaving you with a big replacement bill much sooner than you’d anticipated. In fact, when soft water is used rather than hard water, the useful life of a washing machine increases by up to 50%, and for a water heater, lifespan can increase up to 33%.
Pipe Corrosion
Pipe corrosion is another common issue caused by mineral buildup. As the minerals stick to the inside of your pipes, they can begin to eat away at the material — especially because other corrosive substances can get stuck on the growing wall of scale. This causes two kinds of problems.
The first is related to your plumbing. A corroded pipe is a leaky pipe, which means you could be dealing with extensive water damage before you even realize there’s an issue.
The second type of problem is all about water quality. Depending on the plumbing material in and under your home, corrosion can allow metal and other substances to enter your water supply and potentially your drinking glass. Although city water is treated to address similar concerns, this contamination occurs long after water has left the treatment facility — which is why home filtration is often a top solution.*
Keep in mind that other water issues can also cause pipe corrosion. For example, water with a low pH is acidic, which means it can eat away at your pipes. High levels of total dissolved solids (TDS) can lead to similar issues — another reason home filtration is a smart choice.
Increased Plumbing System Stress
While not every home with hard water is guaranteed to experience water pipe bursts, the reality is that the plumbing is still likely working harder than it should. This kind of stress can wear out different parts of the system over time, leading to all kinds of bills and headaches.
Notice that every plumbing issue here has one big thing in common: They all get worse over time. That’s not just because hard water buildup continues to expand as more minerals pile on; it’s also because you use these pipes every day, increasing the strain and potential for a problem.
The sooner you address hard water, the less likely you are to end up with a plumbing emergency.
What To Do if Hard Water Caused a Burst Pipe
If you’re starting to realize your burst water pipe could be a side effect of hard water minerals, don’t worry — there are plenty of ways to address the immediate problem before ensuring it doesn’t happen again. Keep these considerations in mind:
Know the Signs
It’s not always easy to tell what’s going on with your plumbing, especially if the issue is in an underground pipe. That’s why it’s important to know the signs of a burst water pipe:
Water damage: Look for water stains throughout your home, especially on ceilings and walls.
New sounds: You may notice hissing or whistling noises — but pay attention to water sounds like flowing or dripping, too.
Reduced water pressure: If your water flow decreases over time, you might have mineral buildup in the pipes; if it drops all at once, you may have a burst pipe.
Stay Prepared
Once you’ve determined that you have a burst or damaged pipe, it’s time to take some quick steps to prevent further problems and prepare for fixes. Here’s what to do:
- Turn off your water line. Your main water supply valve may be outside, in the basement, near the water heater or elsewhere on your property. Turning it off helps stop extensive water damage and potentially dangerous situations.
- Check for electricity. If you can safely turn off the electricity to the affected area, do that next. If not, focus on keeping everyone away.
Remove items. If it’s safe to enter the area, quickly remove valuables and other items susceptible to water damage. - Call a plumbing service. Don’t try to tackle a temporary pipe repair; instead, call the experts. Many plumbers offer emergency support and services.
- Document for insurance. Take photos and videos of the damage so you can report it to your insurance provider. If you rent, keep those records as proof of what happened to protect you from additional fees later.
- Begin cleanup and drying efforts. You can use buckets, towels and fans to start cleaning the affected area.
Understand Potential Costs
Here are a few costs to expect when handling broken water pipes:
- Pipe material
- Plumbing service labor
- Water damage restoration
- Insurance deductibles
Simply put, broken water pipes caused by mineral buildup can be expensive, time-consuming and stressful. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution to prevent this issue in the future: water softening.
How Water Softening Prevents Pipe Damage
Water softening is one of the easiest, most effective ways to protect your plumbing system. Why? Simple: Softeners work constantly to flush hardness minerals out of your water supply, helping protect your home’s pipes from potentially disastrous buildup — all with little maintenance and effort on your part.
Better yet, this same process also benefits your personal health and home, helping address top hard water symptoms. These include:
- Dry, irritated skin
- Frizzy, damaged hair
- Brittle, discolored nails
- Smelly, stiff, fading laundry
- Reduced soap lather
- Increased cost and effort for household cleaning
- Soap spots and scum on dishes and bathroom glass
- Mineral buildup on faucets, showerheads and other fixtures
It all begins with a professional water test. This is an important first step because you may be able to identify hard water by spotting its symptoms, but it’s difficult to know what the exact hardness levels are. Those levels impact the type of solution you’ll need — and fortunately, a water test can tell you exactly what you need to know.
On top of that, your local water expert can recommend the best size and type of water softener to address the unique needs in your home. If you rely on guesswork, you might end up with a system that can’t handle the level of hardness in your water supply — but expert advice helps you find the softener that will deliver the best results. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about optional smart features like Wi-Fi connectivity, which allows you to get low salt alerts, track your water usage habits, set goals, manage softening, keep track of maintenance needs and more right from your smartphone.
Once your system is installed, it will begin the softening process. This involves trapping and flushing out calcium and magnesium with tiny resin beads. When those beads are “full,” the softener uses another process called regeneration to clean them using a saltwater solution. Generally speaking, the most significant maintenance you’ll need to worry about is keeping your water softener salt tank full — your system does the rest.
Explore water softener options.
What About Water Filtration?
Keep in mind that softening and filtration are separate water treatment processes. However, they can both help protect your plumbing from different causes of corrosion and other damage. For example, filtration can address TDS, which will keep this contaminant from corroding pipes and water-using appliances, contributing to scale buildup and even deteriorating your laundry.
Of course, filtration isn’t just for your plumbing system. It’s also a great choice for your home’s water quality overall. You can address substances that may represent health concerns (like PFAS) or impact your water’s taste, odor and color (like iron, sulfur and chlorine). It all depends on what’s in your water supply — and a professional test can help you find out.
Better Water for Better Plumbing
If you want to protect your plumbing from buildup and damage, you need to remove the hard water minerals responsible. Fortunately, softening is an easy way to protect pipes, water-using appliances and even your hair, skin and nails. It also complements filtration solutions for a comprehensive water treatment plan.
Want to find out what’s right for your home? Schedule your free, in-home water test and consultation to get started.
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