Water Quality Impact

Your home's water quality can have a significant impact on your water heater. Understanding your home's water quality is the first step in determining the best water treatment and heating solution for your home.

Researching the water within your state, area code, and neighborhood using online government resources is the first step in determining your water quality. Each water supplier releases an annual Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) with details about their water quality. These can be found through the EPA or directly from your water supplier. After you have checked your region's water quality or if you use water from a well, you can conduct a test of your home's water quality (pH levels, lead, bacteria, etc.) or have your local plumbing contractor do it for you.

What is water hardness?

Hard water is measured by the amount of dissolved minerals within a water supply, usually dissolved calcium and magnesium. The more minerals present in the water, the harder it is and harder water leads to increased scale buildup. If you have very hard water, water softening systems can be used to prevent scale buildup.

How does this impact me?

Hard water is in more than 85% of American homes, and hard water scale is a leading cause of failure for tankless water heaters. The harder the water the more likely your faucets, water heaters, and other water delivery products will produce scale buildup. Scale buildup may reduce the efficiency of your water heater, which impacts its performance and costs, and may cause overheating and damage to the point where the water heater could begin to leak water.

How can I help protect against scale buildup?

For tankless water heaters, the Product Preservers® Anti-Scale Filter System is a great option for mitigating the impact of scale buildup. It promotes formation of inactive scale crystals, which flow through the water heater without sticking to the heat exchanger. You'll only have to change the filter every two years.

For tank water heaters, sacrificial anodes in the water heater can create an aluminum hydroxide gel that decreases the efficiency of the heater in geographical areas with high water hardness. With the Product Preservers™ Powered Anode System, you can extend the life of your water heater. The system quickly adjusts to your water type to deliver better protection for years to come.

Depending on the location of your home and the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) rating of your water, water treatment may range from a luxury to a necessity. Water filtering and softening can assist in providing clean water throughout your home and result in healthier living. Contact your local plumbing contractor to determine whether or not you need water treatment within your home. If you decide to move forward with installing a water filter, the next step is to determine whether you should purchase a whole home filter or a drinking water filter. Whole home filters are designed to filter all of the water used in your home, while drinking water filters are meant to be installed at a specific faucet and only filter the water there.