Curious to know what the water hardness is where you live? Our water hardness guide can tell you the different levels around the UK to help you decide if you need to use filters.
Your water hardness level can affect many different things, from the lifespan of your appliances to the health of your skin and hair.
This article will help you discover what level of water hardness is in your area and whether any issues you are dealing with are related to hard water.
Hard water contains a high level of minerals, which it collects as it passes through limestone and chalk. The main minerals it absorbs are calcium and magnesium. This can lead to several issues, such as a “chalky” taste, the buildup of limescale on appliances and drains, and poor lathering up of soap.
It’s not all bad news, though. Calcium and magnesium are two essential minerals for the body, and drinking hard water can contribute a small but useful amount to your daily intake of these minerals.
The measurement unit for water hardness is 1 mg/L = 1 ppm. This tells you how many milligrams of calcium and magnesium are in each litre of water.
Hardness ranges are:
0-100 mg/L for soft water
100-150 mg/L for slightly hard water
150-200 mg/L for moderately hard water
200-300 mg/L for hard water
300+ for mg/L for very hard water
The main difference between hard and soft water is their mineral content, specifically calcium and magnesium.
Hard water is characterised by:
Soft water is characterised by:
To find out if your water is hard or soft, you can check your water quality report from your water supplier.
You can also find postcode checkers on your water supplier's website that will tell you the water hardness level in your area and whether it is soft or hard.
If you don’t know who your water supplier is, find out here: ‘How do I find out who supplies my water?’.
There is a general trend of soft to moderately soft water in Scotland, Wales, the North West of England, and the South West of England. Then a general trend of hard water in the Yorkshire and Humber, East Midlands, London, South East, and Anglia Regions of England.
Hard water can significantly impact your household appliances over time. Limescale and mineral buildup can reduce efficiency, damage internal components, and even lead to blockages.
If you have a blockage, our article ‘How to unblock a sink by yourself’ is a great way to learn what you should and shouldn't use to unblock a drain.
If you live in a hard water area and want to increase the lifespan of your appliances, there are multiple ways to soften your water.
If you’re looking for a way to soften your water, here are the most common ways to soften your hard water.
Ion Exchange Water Softeners
This is the most common way to remove calcium and magnesium ions from your whole home's water supply. It works by removing calcium and magnesium ions and replacing them with sodium (salt) ions. When the system is installed at your home's main water supply, it can treat all the water in the house.
Salt-Free Water Softeners
Instead of removing hard minerals from the water, salt-free softeners change the minerals' molecular structure by conditioning them so that they don't stick to surfaces. They are a low-maintenance way of preventing limescale buildup and can be installed at the main water supply to treat the whole house or in certain areas, like near dishwashers or kitchen sinks.
Regular cleaning of drains and appliances can prevent blockages. Descaling solutions are a low-cost and easy-to-use way to prevent scale on appliances and faucets. A water filter and water softening system will help prevent minerals from building up in the first place.
A combination of regular cleaning and maintaining soft water should help prolong the lifespan of your appliances and prevent blockages from mineral buildup. Our article ‘How to maintain your drains’ explains how to maintain your drains.
At Lanes, we offer drain unblocking and drain cleaning services. Contact us today to find out how we can help to fix your blockages.