你刚搬到一个新地方，你发现有些事情不太对. 发生了一些事情，你暗自怀疑这可能与自来水有关.
Hard water problems can be a real hassle, 特别是对于那些可能不熟悉它所引起的问题的新房主. 解决这些问题可以极大地提高你家庭的生活质量，让一切恢复正常.
So What is 硬水?
365体育APP下载在学校里都学过水是H2O——两个氢原子和一个氧原子组成了一个水分子, right? What many of us don’t realize is that 额外的东西 can get into the water we drink. Some of it is perfectly safe to consume, 而其他水污染物可能会对你家人的健康产生负面影响. But tap water is certainly not 100% pure H20.
Hard water is basically water containing a high mineral count. 地下水经常通过石灰岩渗透，在石灰岩中吸收钙和镁的沉积物.
Drinking water can also contain trace minerals like iron, which gets picked up from the soil, lakes and rivers – even older, corroded plumbing. 在一些地区，硬水也可能含有锰或铝.
当然，像钙、镁和铁这样的东西不一定对你有害. In fact, they’re actually beneficial nutrients. 然而，硬水沉积物也可能携带潜在的有害细菌. A 2014年的研究 发现硬水结垢是居民饮用水中细菌生长的直接原因.
如果你的家从井里取水，你很可能喝的是硬水. But it’s not just a rural issue. 美国.S. Geological Survey says 85% of homes in the nation have hard water.
Here are eight potential problems hard water causes. Do any of them sound familiar?
1. Your 水 Tastes or Smells Funny
饮用水有奇怪的气味或味道通常是你有水调节问题的第一个线索之一. 这肯定是有硬水或某种细菌污染的迹象.
For instance, if your water has an unpleasant metallic taste. That’s probably too much iron.
If your water smells like rotten eggs, 这可能是自然产生的硫化氢气体或某些细菌与镁反应形成硫酸盐.
Some people say their water tastes like dirt.
That could be sediment (actual dirt), old pipes or algae. Algal blooms can also give tap water a moldy aftertaste.
No one likes to drink water with a funky smell or flavor. But that’s just the beginning of your problems.
2. You’re Getting Strange Stains
瓷器上丑陋的棕色或红色污渍是一大尴尬.
You can blame hard water for that too – specifically iron.
It’s no coincidence those stains look a lot like rust spots. The iron in your water could be coming from rusty pipes.
你得费很大劲才能去掉那些污渍.
Some people suggest using vinegar to help clean and remove them. 不幸的是，在你解决硬水问题之前，这些污渍会不断出现.
3. You’re Constantly Cleaning Up Soap Scum
另一个难看的问题是那些白色的硬水点的出现.
这就是水蒸发后留下的钙沉积物.
当你遇到硬水时，你会注意到讨厌的肥皂渣似乎到处都是. 这是因为肥皂和硬水中的矿物质不能很好地结合在一起.
如果你的盘子总是脏兮兮的，那可能不是洗碗机的问题，而是水的问题. 更糟糕的是，留在浴帘上的肥皂渣会导致微生物生物膜的形成，其中可能含有传播疾病的细菌.
用硬水, 你可能会发现自己更频繁地打扫浴室和厨房，使用更多的清洁产品来完成工作. Who wants to do that?
4. Your Showering Experience Suffers
淋浴是你逃离这个世界的十分钟时间，洗去污垢和烦恼. But when you have hard water, shower time can be ruined.
正如365体育APP下载所提到的，矿物质导致硬水与肥皂反应无效.
This makes it harder to get a good lather when you bathe. 这也使得洗掉你身上所有的肥皂变得更加困难, leaving a film of soapy residue on your skin.
Deposits from hard water can clog up your shower head too. That means weaker water pressure.
如果用硬水，你的头发可能不会那么干净，你可能会注意到你的头发很难打理. Yes, hard water could even be responsible for your bad hair days.
- Find out more about showering in hard water
5. Your Pipes Keep Getting Clogged
莲蓬头并不是唯一会被硬水堵塞的东西.
It can cause major plumbing issues as well.
Scale deposits build up inside your pipes, like plaque inside an artery, constricting the flow of water, 最终导致了备份，需要打电话给水管工寻求帮助.
If you have PVC or copper pipes, this probably is not an issue. It’s most-common with older, steel pipes.
6. Your Clothes Aren’t Getting Clean
Hard water can have a negative impact on laundry 再一次，这都是由于钙和镁等矿物质与肥皂和洗涤剂之间的不稳定关系.
Soap is used to wash away dirt and grime, but when soap doesn’t get rinsed off, it can actually increase soil build up on your clothes.
在硬水里洗的衣服通常看起来很脏，穿得更快. It can even make your towels scratchy and rough.
当你有硬水时，你可能需要购买清洁剂来软化你的水. 然而, 你可能要用更多的洗衣液(和更热的水)来洗干净衣服. It’s even advised that people with hard water use 四次 as much detergent.
另外，就像铁会弄脏你的浴室装置一样，它也会弄脏你的衣服. 牙齿过早变黄可能是由水中的铁含量引起的. 当与漂白剂结合时，铁会氧化，而氧化铁只是锈的另一个名称.
- Find out more about hard water and laundry
7. Your Family Has Skin Irritation Issues
Because washing in hard water will leave soap behind, it causes people’s skin to get dried out and itchy.
留在身体上的矿物质沉积物也会吸走皮肤上的水分.
湿疹的皮肤状况是相当普遍的，特别是在年幼的孩子.
There is research indicating that bathing in hard water could cause eczema symptoms 进一步恶化.
另一项研究得出结论，接触硬水会增加小学生患湿疹的风险.
8. Your Appliances Are Wearing Out Quickly
This might be the most expensive hard water problem of all. Those scale deposits can wreak havoc on many appliances in your home, from the dishwasher to the hot water heater.
在你的热水器里堆积的沉淀物会使它的效率大大降低. The same goes for other appliances. Poor efficiency means bigger utility bills.
当水垢沉积堵塞阀门时，冰箱里的制冰机可能会停止工作. 美国水务协会表示，硬水会使洗衣机的磨损速度比正常情况快30%.
从长远来看，不难看出硬水会让你付出多大的代价. In fact, it’s estimated hard water expenses could cost you $800或以上 每年.
How 水 Conditioning Could Help
There are different solutions to different problems, but there’s only one perfect answer to all your hard water issues. That would be installing a water softener in your home.
水 softeners remove things like calcium, magnesium and iron from your water as it comes in from the source. It’s an investment that could save you headaches as well as money.
There are also other types of water conditioning products, like a reverse osmosis system, which can help eliminate potentially harmful contaminants.
如果你已经准备好考虑在家里安装软水器的可能性, or if you simply have questions about the options available, 看看下面365体育APP下载所有的高质量产品线，找到您附近的水调理专家.
Find the right contractor for you.
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