When it comes to plumbing services, it’s safe to say there are a number of different things you could discuss! You have emergency services, which are extremely important since you never know when a (possibly serious) plumbing issue may arise. You have repair services, which occasionally can be time-sensitive, but nonetheless are important in getting your plumbing system back up and running. Another category to add to the list would be installation services. Whether that be in regards to a faucet, water heater, toilet or anything else, you may opt for a new installation out of necessity (if the existing one breaks down) or to add a modern touch to the space. All in all, it’s no surprise as to why we say the day in the life of a plumber can look a little bit different each day!
Are you visiting our plumbing blog for the first time? If so, welcome to Stine-Nichols Plumbing. We are a residential, commercial and new construction plumbing company based out of North Kansas City, MO. Since there are more than a few items that make up your plumbing system, our blog is designed to serve as a resource covering several of these various plumbing pieces. In this week’s blog post, we’ll be taking a deeper look at water softeners and discussing why they continue to be quite popular amongst homeowners.
Do you live in or near the Kansas City area and are interested in receiving a free estimate for a water softener installation? Don’t hesitate to click the link HERE or give us a call at (816) 348-3481 and we would be happy to help!
Tired of Hard Water?
The most obvious reason why someone may opt to have a water softener installed is simply because they’re tired of dealing with some of the adverse effects associated with hard water. And considering Kansas City is known to have hard water, it’s also no surprise why water softener installations tend to be a popular service for our KC plumbers! So…with that all being said, the most important thing to take into account is what downsides of hard water result in homeowners deciding to invest in having a water softener installed?
Dry Skin/Hair – One of the most notable negatives people think of when discussing hard water is the dryness that it brings to your skin/hair. Not to mention, if you have color-treated hair, you may start to notice it fading quicker than expected too.
Laundry & Dishes – Another aspect of your day-to-day life where you may notice hard water playing a role is with the laundry and dishes. Your clothes will start to fade or become discolored as they’re washed more times. As for the dishes, you may notice a cloudiness look on them that takes some work to eliminate. In the end, the common factor throughout is going to be needing more soap or detergent to get the job done!
Impact on Water Heaters – Being a plumbing company, we’re definitely going to take into consideration how hard water impacts various aspects of your plumbing system. If you’ve checked out some of our previous blog posts, chances are you’ve seen “hard water” mentioned on a few occasions. Knowing that hard water contains a higher than normal amount of minerals, it’s not hard to see how this could lead to some potential issues. For one, let’s consider your water heater. We often mention the importance of flushing your water heater once a year as an important maintenance task. Well…the reason why this is so critical is because of the mineral build-up that can occur at the bottom of your tank. This makes your water heater work harder and as such, the increased wear and tear can result in your water heater breaking down quicker than expected.
Impact on Faucets and Showerheads – With water heaters serving an extremely important role on a daily basis and with it being a more expensive component, we wanted to mention it first. However, the impact of hard water on your plumbing system extends much farther than that. To start off this next point, I’m going to ask you a quick question: How often do you clean your faucets and showerheads or when was the last time you did so? If it’s been awhile, there are two topics of discussion I wanted to present here. First and foremost, in terms of physical appearance, the build-up/scale left behind by hard water isn’t the most pleasant to look at. No matter if it’s in the bathroom or kitchen, I’m going to guess you would like to avoid that! Secondly, from a functional standpoint, these deposits can cause trouble when they start restricting water flow, which may lead you to believe that something is wrong with that particular fixture or the water pressure in general (when in reality, it just needs to be cleaned).
Deciding on a Water Softener System for Your Home
An important part of any plumbing-related purchase is going to revolve around the type/brand of product that you buy. This is true for faucets, water heaters, garbage disposals and yes, water softeners too. One of the major decisions that you’ll need to make is choosing between a salt-based water softener system and a non-salt one. While both operate with the intention of eliminating the negative effects of hard water, there are some differences worth considering. Aside from that decision, here are a couple of other qualities that many homeowners monitor when considering which system is right for them:
Sizing – No different than with selecting a water heater capable of working with the square footage of your home and number of occupants, you’re going to need a water softener that can handle your home’s water usage as well. It doesn’t matter if you’re doing your own research on potential systems or reaching out to local plumbing contractors to help with the installation process, you’ll definitely want to be confident that it’s the correct size!
Maintenance – In addition to picking the right size, we often stress the importance of understanding the maintenance requirements. After all, if you’re going to invest in having a new water softener installed, you’re going to want a solid return on that money spent, right? Keep in mind that this decision also relates back to a previous point mentioned above in regards to choosing between salt-based and non-salt-based units. With salt-based systems, you’re going to want to remember that you’ll need to fill the unit with salt periodically. Not a huge task, but something worth mentioning! Furthermore, if you’re contemplating purchasing a non-salt based one, make sure to inquire about the maintenance requirements there too! The non-salt based system that has become quite popular amongst our customers is NuvoH2O. Their citrus-based systems have proven to be both effective and require very little maintenance from the homeowner! Let us know if you’re interested in learning more about the various systems we’ve previously installed.
Water Softener Installation in Kansas City
With proven and reliable water softener systems available, there are ways for homeowners to avoid some of the downsides that accompany hard water. Here are Stine-Nichols Plumbing, our team has experience installing both salt-based and citrus-based softener systems. As evidenced throughout this blog post, there are a number of reasons as to why someone may decide to invest in a water softener system. While you can still drink and wash with hard water, there’s no denying that there are some downsides to it (many of which can be alleviated by way of a professional water softener system).
If you’re interested in learning more about the systems we recommend and would like to receive an estimate for having one installed, feel free to reach out!