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Hard water and the little problems it can cause

Reblogger
Real Estate Agent with HomeSmart Realty West CalBRE #01458572

As Andy mentions in his post, taking care of these little problems means that they won't show up in a home inspection report to be turned into big problems by Buyers.

I've also found that soaking hand sprayers, shower heads, etc., in a solution of CLR overnight works wonders for removing the hard water crud.

This is a reblog, and I always disable comments on reblogs so that you can click here to go directly to Andy's blog and comment there.

Original content by Andy Chaudoir

Hard Water and the Little Problems It Can Cause

As a home inspector in the Austin, Texas area I run across problems caused by hard water all the time.  Around here hard water is normally due to elevated levels of calcium in the water.  Since the Texas Hill Country is an area with heavy concentrations of limestone it is easy to understand why our water is so hard.  

Limestone is, after all, calcium carbonate or CaCO3.  All that calcium ends up in out water supply where it can wreak havoc on our plumbing pipes and our fixtures. 

The fixtures in the pictures below have heavy calcium deposits on them. 

Hard Water in TexasCalcium on Aerator

In severe cases the calcium can completely stop the flow of water.  Hopefully, before that happens the aerator screens on the faucets and the outlets on the other fixtures get a good cleaning.  Another annoying problem that occurs as a result of the calcium is erratic spray patterns.  In many cases more water ends up on you than in the sink and tub. 

Many people in the Austin area have water softeners installed.  These systems can be very effective in reducing the amount of calcium in your water.  But, it is always a good idea to have a professional install your system and verify that it is working properly.  I have seen many water softening systems that are improperly installed and maintained.

So, as a seller it is always a good idea to check each faucet and fixture before your home is inspected.  These little problems can be easily corrected and here's the bonus for you - Properly working faucets and plumbing fixtures won't end up on the buyer's inspection report! 

Thanks for checking in and have a great evening,

Andy Chaudoir - Professional Inspection Services

"Your Home Inspection Connection in Central Texas"

512-632-3232 - www.centexinspections.com

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