Many people are familiar with the effects that hard water has on water heaters, but another water-using appliance that’s less talked about when it comes to hard water problems is your dishwasher. Today we’re going to talk about why your dishwasher is affected by hard water and how installing a water softener can improve your dishwasher’s efficiency and performance!
Why is your dishwasher affected by hard water?
Hard water can negatively affect nearly anything that it comes into contact with. So when you think about the amount of water that fills your dishwasher every time that it runs, it’s easy to understand how it can also be susceptible to problems. Hard water can affect not only the dishwasher itself, but also the dishes that it washes.
How can a water softener improve your dishwasher’s performance?
- Detergent will lather better. Hard water does not lather well with soaps and detergents, which can make your dishwasher less effective. Installing a water softener will allow you to get the full potential out of your dishwasher detergents and make your dishes come out cleaner.
- Dishes will come out clearer. Along with coming out cleaner, your dishes will also come out clearer when you install a water softener. That’s because dishes (especially glassware) that are washed in hard water often come out looking extremely cloudy and spotty.
- Dishwasher will run more efficiently. Calcium and magnesium minerals in hard water will build up on your dishwasher’s heating elements over time. This makes it more difficult for your dishwasher to heat water, which will increase the unit’s energy consumption. Installing a water softener will keep your dishwasher running efficiently and your energy bills low.
- Limescale will be eliminated. One of the biggest tell-tale signs that your home has hard water is when limescale builds up on the bottom of your dishwasher. Not only is limescale unattractive, but it can also damage your dishwasher’s various components. A water softener will eliminate limescale in your dishwasher and elsewhere around your home.
- Dishwasher will last longer. All of the benefits we described above have a great cumulative effect on your dishwasher: they allow it to last longer! By avoiding problems and allowing your dishwasher to run more efficiently, installing a water softener will allow your dishwasher to perform great for many years to come.
If you have any questions about how a water softener can improve the performance of your dishwasher, or if you’d like a water treatment system serviced or installed in your home, contact North Carolina Water Consultants. We’re you’re North and South Carolina water treatment company, servicing towns like Oakboro, Charlotte and Davidson, NC.