Hard water is one of the common causes of breakdowns in other household appliances connected to the water supply. It leads to the formation of salts inside household equipment, which in turn cause damage to important parts of the unit.
Signs of hard water in the plumbing
Water hardness depends on the content of microelements in it:
- calcium;
- magnesium;
- iron and other chemical elements.
This water has a characteristic salty taste. Mineral salts dissolved in water with prolonged contact can render various materials unusable, forming:
- scale on the walls of dishes and household appliances;
- low pressure in the pipe;
- white spots on the dishes.
Water containing 10 to 50 parts per million of salts is considered soft. Water with a mineral content of 50 to 100 ppm is considered a little hard.
If the water contains between 100 and 200 ppm, it is considered hard. Water with a mineral content of 200 ppm or more will be very hard.
Dishwasher Exposure to Hard Water
Hard water leaves residue in the form of cloudy stains on dishes and household appliances, on which salt deposits will soon form. To combat such phenomena, special rinses should be used, which contain surfactants, which are used to reduce the surface tension of water.
When the surface tension of the water inside the dishwasher decreases, no droplets with dissolved salts adhere to the inner surface of the dishwasher. Water is distributed evenly inside and slides off any surface. This prevents mineral deposits from sticking to the dishes and allows them to dry faster.
You can use specialty detergents that also contain surfactants and water softening ingredients that help dry dishes faster and break down salts in water.
Deposits in the dishwasher
If there is hard water in the water supply system, deposits can quickly form on the dishes and inside the dishwasher. The latter can lead to damage to expensive household appliances when they accumulate on the internal surfaces of the unit.
You can use food grade vinegar to remove scale and deposits from inside the dishwasher.
To do this, pour vinegar into a glass or bowl and put it in the dishwasher, then turn on the unit for a short working cycle.
Vinegar contains an acid that breaks down the minerals in the water and helps the dishwasher wash them on its own.
The bite allows not only to remove scale from the inside of the dishwasher, but also well softens hard water entering the machine from the water supply.
Rust in the dishwasher
If rust stains appear inside the dishwasher, it can break. Hard water is corrosive to metal parts. This is because dissolved minerals in hard water act as an electrolyte. As a result, an electrochemical reaction is formed, which greatly accelerates the rate of rust formation.
If rust appears in the dishwasher, replace rusted parts immediately. Otherwise, you will need to buy a new dishwasher.
The appearance of rust in the dishwasher means that the water has a high hardness. To improve it, you should use a water softener. The water softener consists of a reservoir filled with resin beads containing negatively charged sodium ions.
Poorly washed dishes
Another problem that hard water causes. The machine does not wash dishes due to the weak pressure in the pipe, which is overgrown with mineral deposits. Large machine can be cleaned with vinegar sprayed inside the machine. Removing deposits is not the ultimate solution to hard water problems, but it will definitely extend the life of your dishwasher.