Hard water signs show up where you might not expect: dry skin, dull hair, mineral build up on faucets and dishes, and more frequent plumbing and appliance issues.
While these symptoms can point to a hardness problem, the best way to identify and measure water hardness is to have a professional water test. You’ll learn your water’s hardness level, discover how it affects you and your home, and get personalized recommendations for the best water softening solutions.
Let’s take a closer look at what hard water is and all the ways you can tell if you have it.
What Is Hard Water?
Water hardness is defined as water with a high concentration of calcium and magnesium. Sometimes called “hardness minerals” or “hard water minerals,” calcium and magnesium are found naturally in both nature and the human body. They aren’t typically harmful to your health, but they can cause other problems for you and your home.
As water travels to your tap, it may encounter different rocks and soil depending on its course. The water picks up minerals as it moves through various landscapes, which is how hard water can get into your water supply and why water sources have varying hardness levels.
How Is Water Hardness Measured?
Hardness levels, or the amount of calcium and magnesium in your water, may be measured in parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per liter (mg/L). However, the most common measurement is in “grains per gallon,” which represents the total hardness level present in a given amount of water.
Common Signs of Hard Water
While a professional test is the best and easiest way to get water hardness information, there are plenty of signs to look out for in the meantime. Some examples include:
Problems You Feel
Although hard water generally isn’t a health concern, it can have some significant impacts on the way your hair, skin and nails look and feel. That’s because you wash and bathe with hard water every day, which can lead to different kinds of issues:
- Hair: Frizziness, dryness, fading color
- Skin: Dryness, redness, irritation
- Nails: Brittleness, dryness
This is because when hard water combines with soaps and shampoos, it creates a buildup that can block pores. This buildup also creates a film on your skin barrier that prevents products from penetrating the skin and working properly.
Hard water residue also can remain on hair follicles, making hair stiff, dry or dull, and cause haircare products to work less effectively
Problems You See
You may not be able to see the hardness in your water supply, but you can certainly see its impact on your home. This problem has plenty of visible effects that are easy to recognize once you realize they’re related to hard water.
For example, you’ve likely noticed hard water stains like chalky, white buildup around your faucets and other water-using fixtures. This can be difficult to scrub away and generally comes right back — and it won’t go away until you have a softening solution.
Other issues may include:
- White spots on dishes
- Soap scum on shower doors and glass
- Faded, dull and stiff laundry
Problems You Don’t See
Hard water problems can also be less obvious, especially when they build up over time. The most important example is mineral buildup inside your plumbing. This can wear the pipes down over time and reduce the water flow throughout your home.
However, it’s not just your plumbing system that suffers. Water hardness also leads to reduced efficiency and lifetime of your water-using appliances, including the washing machine, dishwasher and water heater. In fact, with soft versus hard water, you could see a 50% increase in the useful life of your dishwasher and washing machine, and a 33% increase for your water heater.
Problems You Hear About
One thing to keep in mind about hard water is that its severity can be higher in some geographical areas than in others. That’s because hardness is impacted by the paths your water travels; when it moves through certain types of rock, it can dissolve and pick up the minerals responsible for hardness. This means it’s helpful to pay attention to water quality discussions in your area. Remember, even next-door neighbors can have different water problems and experiences — but if there’s a common theme, it may be worth checking into or asking about during your water test.
Water Testing: The Best Way To Identify Water Hardness
Whether you’ve noticed signs of water hardness or you just have concerns, professional water testing is the best first step for almost any kind of water problem. Just schedule a time, and your local water expert will come to your home and test your tap water for free — with results in about 30 minutes.
Here are just a few reasons why a professional water test is best to evaluate your water hardness:
Expertise
The most important part of a professional water test is the expert behind the answers. This individual knows how to read test results and interpret them in ways that make sense, especially when it comes to hardness levels. They also have plenty of experience working quickly and effectively to get the answers you need.
Flexibility
A water test works for both city and well water. While hardness can occur in both cases, it tends to be especially common in the latter (though city water is often hard as well).
You can also have these tests performed whenever you like — for example, if you suspect you have a growing hard water issue or if you just moved to a new house — and you can even compare results before and after a water treatment solution. This kind of flexibility means that these tests can provide quick answers to address concerns or questions.
Convenience
A free water test is quick and easy in more ways than one. For example, there’s no need to research, purchase and figure out how to use DIY hard water test kits — which may not be as comprehensive. All you have to do is be ready to learn about your water and let your water expert handle the heavy lifting.
Context
Another benefit of having a professional water test is that your local expert can contextualize the results. That means they’ll make connections between home and water problems, helping you understand how each issue could be related or even compounding. That way, you’ll know exactly what to expect when your hard water problem is solved.
Recommendations
Once you receive your test results, you and your water expert will be well-equipped to decide the personalized water softening solution that is right for you.
When it comes to water softeners, one size doesn’t fit all. Your water’s hardness is one factor that will help determine which solution is the right fit for you. Other considerations may include additional water issues you may have, like chlorine or iron, how much water your home uses, and what other features you may be looking for, such as smart capabilities. If you rely on guesswork, you could end up choosing one that can’t keep up with your needs — but if you use the information and recommendations from a professional water test, you’ll know exactly which system is the best fit.
Your water’s hardness is one factor that determines which solution is the right fit for you — along with other considerations such as other water issues you may have, like chlorine or iron, how much water your home uses, and what other features you may be looking for, like smart capabilities.
Additional Information
A professional water test doesn’t just tell you about hardness levels. It can also provide important insights about your drinking water quality, including potential contaminants.* Besides hard water, Culligan’s free in-home water test typically includes chlorine, TDS (total dissolved solids), iron, pH and more. If needed, you can also have a separate laboratory test, which can identify additional issues including PFAS, lead, bacteria and more.
Hard Water Solutions
Once you understand how hard water works, where to look for signs and how to measure and test its levels, there’s one more step: solutions. These can generally be broken down into two categories:
1. Long-Term Solutions
The most reliable long-term solution for high hardness levels is a water softener. The water softening process works by attracting, trapping and removing the mineral content that causes so many problems, from dry skin to limescale.
Other systems, such as salt-free conditioners, may only treat the mineral ions, essentially making them less sticky and easier to break up with cleaning supplies — but real soft water can only come from a system that flushes out calcium and magnesium. That’s why systems you may see billed as “salt-free water softeners” are really not softeners but water conditioners.
Browse our water softener systems.
While there are DIY solutions available, water softener selection and installation are best left to the professionals. However, you have plenty of options for short-term solutions until you’ve chosen the right softener for your home.
2. Short-Term Solutions
When it comes to hard water, most “fixes” out there are actually focused on addressing symptoms, not the underlying cause. However, that can be a good thing in the short term — especially if you’re trying to prevent hard water damage while you decide on a softening solution.
To get started, decide which hard water symptoms are causing the most trouble. For many people, cleaning issues are a big concern — which is why there are lots of DIY solutions for scrubbing away hard water stains. Vinegar, baking soda and hydrogen peroxide are often top choices, especially because you can combine them in different ways depending on what area you’re targeting. Just keep in mind that cleaning hard water stains with more hard water won’t create perfect results because the minerals just keep building up.
Next, you’ll likely want to look for DIY solutions that address your hair, skin and nails. The focus here is generally on moisturizing — which means you might choose special shampoos and lotions designed to help lock in natural moisture while preventing mineral buildup. Remember that hardness can reduce the effectiveness of these products, so set your expectations accordingly.
However, there’s one ongoing problem with these solutions, and that’s price. The longer you put up with hard water, the more you’ll end up spending on DIY cleaning products and new routines for your hair and skin. That’s not to mention the extra effort that comes with these temporary fixes. For these reasons and more, it’s smart to prioritize getting a water softener to address these issues once and for all.
What Doesn’t Work
Unlike some other water problems, hard water can’t be boiled away. You also can’t treat it by letting it sit or adding disinfectants.
Filtration also does not tackle hard water. That’s because filtration and softening are two different water treatment processes — so, while they complement each other, they don’t fill the same need. (This is why you’ll still notice hardness symptoms even with a comprehensive filtration system.)
Identify and Treat Water Hardness in Your Home
Ultimately, DIY solutions and short-term fixes only get you so far. To properly identify and treat water hardness, the best approach is to start with a professional water test — and everything else will fall into place from there. Your local water expert will help you interpret your results, choose the right softening solution and know exactly what to expect. They can even recommend additional treatment options for drinking water quality problems like contaminants.
Ready to take the first step? Schedule your free, in-home water test and consultation today.
*Contaminants may not be present in your water.
