Now what are you going to do to protect the appearance and life of those products against soap scum, hard water spots, lime curd and other aesthetically unappealing and potentially damaging residues of hard water?

The Hard Facts on Hard Water
Results from a U.S. Geological Survey indicate that 85 percent of American homes are supplied with hard water, which is defined as water that contains significant levels of dissolved calcium and magnesium. Since hard water can originate from a well or municipal water utility, no one is guaranteed immunity from it.

Hard water buildup can take its toll on everything from glassware to sinks and faucets to major water-using appliances, possibly decreasing their life, or at the very least, detracting from their appearance. And while it's frustrating to deal with hard water spots on silverware, glasses and even automobiles, it could prove more difficult for your pocket book to tolerate the higher utility and repair bills that result from lime curd and related hard water buildup inside water-using appliances.

Without exception, all appliances that use or process water work less efficiently with hard water and will probably have a shorter life. According to a study commissioned by the Water Quality Research Council and conducted at New Mexico State University, water heaters, as an example, work 22-30 percent less efficiently with hard water, driving up utility bills unnecessarily. Maytag and other leading appliance manufacturers even note in their sales literature the problems that can occur when their products operate with hard water.

But it's not just your fixtures or appliances that are under attack. The plumbing that's inside your home supplying all of your water also works less efficiently when subjected to scale buildup, iron buildup or acid water corrosion — all of which are caused by problem water in the home.

Why Waste Your Time Cleaning Needlessly?
Above and beyond the costly repair bills and shortened life of your appliances, also consider the extra time and effort it takes you to scrub away soap scum and hard water spots in order to keep faucets and sinks looking new and shiny. A study conducted by The Ohio State University showed that the average person cleaning the home spends more than six hours a month cleaning up tap water spots, streaks and scum alone.

And then there are those ugly orange rust stains which are nearly impossible to scrub away from the inside of your toilet tank, bathtub and sink that result from too much iron in the water. The same iron often stains clothing, as well, showing up as orange spots and streaks on your favorite fabrics.

To avoid this hassle — and the added expense — and to protect their appliances and ensure a cleaner looking bathroom, kitchen and even laundry room, many homeowners choose to remove troublesome hardness minerals from their water by investing in a home water conditioner.

A Softer Approach to Keeping Up Appearances
Most home water conditioners soften water through the use of an ion exchange process, which replaces calcium and magnesium ions with sodium or potassium ions. As hard water flows into a system, hardness minerals attach themselves to a bed of resin beads and dislodge sodium or potassium ions into the water. The amount added is generally considered insignificant. After the bed has been used to capacity, a solution is introduced to the system to wash away the calcium and magnesium from the resin bed and replace them with sodium or potassium (a process known as regeneration).

Although all conditioners operate on this same basic principle, there are many options on the market today, including everything from manually operated units to fully automatic systems. Topping the popularity list because of their ease of use and high efficiency are demand-initiated regeneration (DIR) systems, which actually meter water usage to initiate regeneration only when needed. Studies show that DIRs can be twice as efficient as alternative time-metered systems.

Twin-resin-tank DIR units are also available from leading water treatment equipment manufacturers like Kinetico Incorporated. Because these systems automatically switch from tank to tank as they exhaust, they are able to provide softened water 24 hours a day — something that single-tank systems can't claim. Kinetico's twin-tank DIR units offer the additional advantage of using soft water when regenerating, which provides better overall cleaning of the unit and extends its service life.

Another option to consider is whether to purchase an electric or non-electric system. A recent report by Consumers Digest pointed out that the damp and often salty environment that surrounds most water conditioners is hard on electronic circuitry. It further pointed to the downside of electric timers which are susceptible to power outages. It was Kinetico that pioneered the concept of using a non-electric, twin tank DIR design for water conditioners.

Its products, instead, are powered by the energy of moving water. So, there are no buttons to push, timers to set and reset or adjustments to make — even if there's a power outage or your water usage drastically changes.

Still another consideration is the way that the system regenerates. Countercurrent regeneration reduces the amount of water used, as the well as the quantity of regeneration agents. This process, which is recommended by most resin manufacturers, regenerates the resin beads more efficiently by reversing the water flow through the system during the cleaning process.

Some water conditioners have even been designed to help with other problems, too, including reduction of excessive iron and the orange rust stains that accompany it. Depending on the severity of the problem, however, you may need a separate system designed specifically for iron removal.

Making the Right Choice
A final consideration and one of the most important is whether or not the system is third-party certified. NSF International, an independent testing organization, is internationally recognized for its experience in testing and certifying products to ensure they perform as claimed. The Water Quality Association, the trade association of the water quality industry, also validates products.

But just because a manufacturer displays the WQA logo, signifying that the company is a member of the Water Quality Association, doesn't mean its products are validated. And just because a component of a system is NSF certified, doesn't mean the entire system and its performance are guaranteed. It's important to read all certification material carefully, just as it's important to review and compare warranty information to know exactly what the manufacturer is guaranteeing.

The benefits of the right water conditioner can be seen — and felt — throughout the entire house. Hard water spots and soap scum are practically eliminated to make cleanups a breeze. Appliances and plumbing last longer and work better. And your entire kitchen and bath will remain looking new.

You've already made a sizable investment in your home. You can protect that investment by introducing softer water into your life. For more information on the benefits of soft water or to order the free brochure Consumer's Guide to Better Water, call Kinetico today at 1-800-944-WATER.

Kinetico Incorporated, headquartered in Newbury, Ohio, is a leading manufacturer of water treatment systems. An extensive network of Kinetico dealers serving residential and light commercial customers has helped over a million people in North America and more than 50 countries experience the benefits of conditioned water and premium drinking water. Industrial customers utilize Kinetico's unique technology for water recycling, hazardous waste minimization, metals recovery and high purity water production. Kinetico also applies unique filtration technology to small municipal water treatment systems. Since 1970, Kinetico has prided itself on creating unique water systems that serve customers in an expanding variety of residential, commercial, industrial and municipal applications.

For more information about the water you drink, call Kinetico at 1-800-944-WATER (9283) and request the FREE Consumers’s Guide to Protecting the Water Your Family Drinks. Or visit Kinetico's Web site at www.kinetico.com for more information about water.