Hard water effects over half of England and Wales according to one Government website and as we all know this can spell disaster for washing machines, dish washers and especially boilers. There are however a number of ways to combat the problem – some of them much more affordable than others – and if you make a start now you could save up to 20% on your energy bills in this year alone.

So what is hard water?
All water contains some degree of mineral salts including calcium and magnesium however hard water contains a much higher percentage than normal. When these salts become heated – as they do in central heating systems – they tend to form limescale and this solid can end up blocking pipe work and damaging boilers. Limescale can also increase your energy bills by around 20% in severe cases as you boiler efficiency becomes increasingly impaired.

How to reduce the effects of hard water
Unfortunately you can’t change the hardness of the water coming into your house and so the best way to combat the ensuing limescale is to treat the water while in the pipes. There are several ways to do this however three in particular are tried and tested and widely available on the market.

1. Mechanical water softeners – these units are permanently installed within your central heating system so that the majority of the water coming into the house gets treated. They work by replacing the calcium and magnesium salts with sodium salts so that limescale doesn’t have chance to form. Unfortunately they can be very expensive at around £600 and the drinking water may taste a little bit nasty because of the sodium but they do work and they will increase the efficiency of your heating system quite dramatically.

2. Magnetic water conditioners – again these units are a permanent addition to your plumbing system however they work by altering the molecular shape of the calcium ions rather than removing them altogether. With a new altered shape, the calcium ions can’t form limescale and they continue to stay in suspension within the water – which is an added bonus for your dietary needs. These units are much cheaper at around £100 and they only require about £5 of electricity to run them for the year. They also increase the efficiency of your central heating system by a noticeable amount.

3. Limescale eliminators – this method of limescale prevention is slightly different because it helps to get rid of existing limescale as well as preventing new stuff from forming. The kits include a transformer that is plugged into a normal plug socket and pre-coiled wires that you wrap around a section of you pipe work. When switched on, the transformer emits low frequency radio waves through the pipes which again alters the molecular structure of the mineral salts. This means that the salts stay in suspension and don’t settle as a limescale deposit. As an added bonus, any existing limescale is slowly removed from the heating system as well. These eliminators cost around £80 on some websites however the one you get will depend to some extent on the size of your house.

Obviously there are other systems available as well but these three types are the most recommended by plumbers and heating engineers to date.

Guest Article by Clare Lynock