Does San Diego Have Hard Water…And What Can I Do About It?
Just like many California cities, San Diego is known for its hard water, characterized by elevated levels of minerals such as calcium and magnesium. The city draws its water from various sources, including the Colorado River and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, which are renowned for their hard water composition.
The hardness of San Diego’s water can result in numerous challenges for residents. Mineral deposits on dishes and appliances, difficulty lathering soap and shampoo, and dry skin and hair are common issues. However, there are effective measures you can adopt to combat these problems, such as utilizing water softeners or installing filtration systems to remove these minerals. While hard water isn’t harmful to drink, it can adversely affect appliances and plumbing systems over time. Therefore, being aware of the hardness of your water and taking steps to mitigate its negative effects is essential.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, nearly 90 percent of American homes grapple with hard water, which contains an excessive amount of calcium and magnesium minerals. This can be harsh on appliances, pipes, and even your skin and hair.
How Hard is San Diego Water?
The hardness of water in San Diego can vary based on the specific area and water source. However, generally speaking, San Diego’s water quality is considered to be moderately hard to hard.
Water hardness is commonly measured in grains per gallon (gpg) or parts per million (ppm) of calcium carbonate. According to the City of San Diego, drinking water in San Diego averages about 16 grains per gallon (gr/gal) or 276 parts per million (ppm). The USGS classifies more than 180 ppm as “very hard.”
Challenges Posed by Hard Water in San Diego
Hard water poses significant challenges in San Diego, particularly concerning health effects. One notable issue is skin irritation and dryness. The minerals in hard water can strip natural oils from the skin, leaving it dry and itchy.
Additionally, hard water can make hair dry and brittle, contributing to breakage and split ends. It can also make lathering soap and shampoo more challenging, leading to bacterial buildup on the skin and scalp. This can trigger acne, dandruff, and other skin and scalp conditions. Moreover, hard water’s mineral deposits can accumulate in pipes and appliances, diminishing their effectiveness and lifespan. The cumulative health impacts of hard water in San Diego underscore the importance of taking preventive actions.
Taking Steps to Combat Hard Water Effects in San Diego
To mitigate the challenges of hard water, residents in San Diego can implement several proactive measures. Regular cleaning practices can help minimize dust and debris accumulation. Employing certified water softeners can effectively reduce the hardness of your water, resulting in softer skin and hair and saying goodbye to hard water stains.
By staying informed about the hardness of San Diego’s water and adopting preventive actions, residents can minimize the impact of hard water on their well-being. Schedule your free water test today!
Hard Water Protection
There are proactive steps you can take to stop hard water buildup from affecting your home or your family. This includes keeping your surfaces around water clean and dry, and using spray cleaner on shower doors and mirrors regularly.
Home remedies can help temporarily. Most solutions involve white vinegar, which is a general household cleaning solution:
Chrome Faucets | Wrap paper towels or rag soaked in vinegar around the faucet and let it sit for an hour. Rinse and wipe it dry. |
Shower Heads | Take off the shower head and soak it in white vinegar for 12 hours. Scrub with an old toothbrush, rinse and reinstall it. |
Shower Doors | Spray with white vinegar or white wine to remove lime scale and hard water stains. |
Dishwashers | Once a month, add a cup of white vinegar to your dishwasher and run it through a cycle. |
Washing Machines | Add a gallon of white vinegar to the empty washing machine and run through a cycle with hot water. |
Toilet Tanks | Add three cups of white vinegar to your toilet tank. |
Coffee Makers | Run a cycle unfiltered through the reservoir full of white vinegar to remove mineral deposits. Run two more full 12-cup brewing cycles with regular water. |
Sinks and Tubs | Spray the surface with lemon juice or vinegar, let sit for half hour. Wipe clean. |
How To Fix Hard Water Spots On Fixtures and Appliances
Fixtures are the hardest places to deal with hard water spots, because often you can’t see the heart of the problem.
An easy way to deal with this, however, is to remove the fixtures (if you can) and soak them in a solution of vinegar or lemon juice. Even if it’s only a few hours, soaking fixtures helps dissolve hard water build up throughout, and can access hard-to-reach places where buildup can be causing the most issues.
If you can’t remove the fixtures, try filling a water-tight plastic bag with your vinegar or lemon solution and tying it to the fixture (rubber bands can be a great way to get this to hold.) Leave it on as long as you can, and you should find your fixtures running clearer than before.
A water softener provides numerous benefits that pay for itself over time.
Shower Head Water Filters For Renters & Non-Homeowner Types
In addition to reducing chemical exposure when you shower, shower head filters can also improve your hair’s shine and feel, as well as support healthier, softer skin by minimizing contact with chemicals and toxins. If you choose a water filter that softens water as well, you’ll also notice that you need less soap, shampoo, and conditioner to get the job done as soft water helps less product lather up quickly — saving you money with every shower.
Shower head filters can be useful even — and especially — if you live in a dorm, rental home, or apartment, or somewhere that already features whole home water filtration. Not all water filters are created equal, so unless you’ve done the research to know exactly what kind of water filter your water is passing through, it may not make much difference when it comes to your general health, hair or skin care routine.
Softeners and filtration systems need to be serviced regularly to be effective, so if your landlord or property manager isn’t on top of the recommended maintenance, a shower head filter can be a great choice to ensure your shower is not only safe, but easier on your hair and skin. An extra bonus? Your shower will also be easier to clean, since shower head filters make it less likely water will leave unsightly or hard-to-remove hard water spots and residue on the shower and fixtures.
Can Soft Water Cause Hair Loss?
The short answer is no. Many people may notice a change in their hair if they move from a location with hard water to a location with soft water, however this change is generally unrelated to the amount of hair you have (or whether it’s falling out)— rather it has to do with the quality of your hair. In general, other changes in your environment may cause hair loss. If you’re not eating a healthy diet, or recently experienced a stressful event like moving homes or starting a new job, the hair loss culprit is more likely that than your water quality.
How Does Hard Water Affect My Skin?
Soap scum isn’t just for your bathroom tiles – it can build up on your skin, too. The minerals in hard water leave a film around your epidermis that clogs your pores, trapping the natural oils and forming blemishes.
The natural oils in your skin work hard to lubricate and provide moisture. The film left around your skin clogs your pores, leaving your skin to feel dry and itchy.
Hard water may cause your skin to age faster. Dermatologist Dr. Dennis Gross says many of the impurities in hard water can form free radicals that damage healthy skin cells. This can lead to fine lines and wrinkles. This can also lead to a breakdown of collagen, a structural protein that helps your skin look and feel healthy.
Why Culligan?
The School of Sustainable Engineering at Arizona State University has found that the hard water scaling normally found in the pipes of homes is an active environment for harmful bacteria growth.
How Does Hard Water Cause Bacterial Growth?
The piping used in home plumbing, whether copper or PVC, does not allow the bacteria to settle and grow. But over time, scaling from the hard water provides a surface for bacteria to grow on, increasing the risk of pathogenic bacteria such as Legionella, which can cause Legionnaire’s Disease.
Lime scale will reduce the flow of water in your plumbing system by clogging pipes. This is particularly a big issue for older homes with steel pipes. Your water pressure can lower over time, possibly requiring a full pipe replacement.
Can Hard Water Contribute To Skin Problems and Eczema?
The chronic, itchy skin rash that affects 20 percent of babies and young children is painful for your child, and a pain for you to deal with. Furthermore, while eczema conditions are known to improve with age, there is no true cure, and its regression is unpredictable in nature.
There are many preventative measures that people practice to mitigate the effects of eczema, or the chances of your child contracting it. Most are related to clothing, detergents, bathing, topical creams, certain diets, and prescription medicine.
But what about the effects of hard water on your baby’s skin? From the bathtub to the laundry, the water used during these essential life events can have an adverse effect on your child.
High levels of hard water may be associated with atopic dermatitis (eczema).
Lead author of the study Carsten Flohr, Ph.D. of the Institute of Dermatology at King’s College London, noted the purpose was not to study the causes and effects of eczema, but rather an association of homes that have hard water and the prevalence of eczema within those homes.
“We are about to launch a feasibility trial to assess whether installing a water softener in homes of high-risk children around the time of birth may reduce the risk of eczema, and whether reducing chlorine levels brings any additional benefits.”
How Does Hard Water Affect Clothing?
Calcium and magnesium can do a number on your laundry. The fabrics can stiffen, and the color may dull if the dissolved minerals are not suspended in water when it is drained.
Many of your laundry detergent molecules are not being used properly, as they bind up the calcium and magnesium. This leaves less of these molecules available to trap dirt and grime.
How Does Hard Water Cause Soap Scum and Spots
Soap scum is the white film that comes from the addition to the fatty contents of soap to the mineral-rich ions of hard water. These are technically called “lime soaps.”
This type of soap is ineffective in washing dishes, clothes or hair. Because of this, more soap is required to form a lather, and more can stick to your hair and skin. Synthetic detergents are less likely to make this reaction.
What Types Of Water Softeners Are Available — And Which Would Be Best For Me?
Culligan offers a range of water softeners to meet different needs and preferences. It’s recommended to consult with a Culligan San Diego representative or a water treatment professional for a personalized recommendation.
That being said, here are some common types of Culligan water softeners:
- Culligan High-Efficiency (HE) Water Softeners: These systems are designed to provide efficient water softening with minimal salt and water usage. They utilize smart technology to optimize regeneration cycles based on your water consumption patterns.
- Culligan Medallist Series Water Softeners: This series offers reliable and durable water softeners with efficient performance. They are designed for homes with moderate to high water hardness levels.
- Culligan Gold Series Water Softeners: These softeners feature advanced technology for efficient water softening and offer customization options to suit your specific needs. They are known for their reliability and durability.
- Culligan Total Home Water Softeners: These systems provide comprehensive water treatment solutions by combining water softening with other features such as whole-house filtration or drinking water systems, addressing multiple water concerns in one unit.
- Culligan High-Efficiency Twin or Duplex Water Softeners: These systems consist of two tanks, allowing continuous soft water supply even during the regeneration process. They are suitable for homes with high water usage or when uninterrupted soft water is essential.
When selecting a Culligan water softener for your San Diego home, it’s crucial to consider factors like your water hardness level, water usage patterns, space availability for installation, and any specific concerns you have (such as water efficiency or additional water treatment needs).
Solutions
Suggested Products
Aquasential™ Smart High Efficiency Water Softener
- Smart brine tank auto-monitors salt levels
- Convenient auto-bypass valve
- Reliable non-corrosive valve
- Worry-free maintenance
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