Soft Water - A Blessing for Household Appliances?

It is almost impossible to determine the hardness of water with the naked eye. It is usually impossible to tell at first glance whether water is hard or soft, although very hard water often becomes slightly cloudy when boiled. If you are unsure whether your water supply is hard or soft, it is best to call your local water utility company to obtain the information you need. You can also determine the water hardness using commercially available test strips. The following values are guidelines for the degree of hardness:

• Soft water (up to 1.3 mmol/l or 7.3 °dH)
• Medium-hard water (1.3 to 2.5 mmol/l or 7.3 °dH to 14 °dH)
• Hard water (2.5 to 3.8 mmol/l or 14°dH to 21.3 °dH)
• Very hard water (over 3.8 mmol/l or over 21.3 °dH)

One might almost think that the softer the water, the better it is for household appliances that use water. This idea is quite obvious, because the alkaline earth salts contained in hard water are partly responsible for the formation of limescale deposits. Sooner or later, these lead to wear and tear on sensitive machine parts. However, soft water can also cause damage – interestingly, precisely because it lacks the appropriate water hardness. Metal parts and glass that come into contact with soft water are more susceptible to pitting and corrosion. Copper pipes in particular suffer from soft water, as the low pH value dissolves the copper oxide from the surface. This attacks the protective layer of the pipes.

• It is not advisable to harden soft water, for example by adding appropriate minerals. Although this prevents glass corrosion and pitting, it promotes the formation of limescale deposits.
• Instead, use high-quality dishwashing detergents—for example, Somat All in 1 Extra for encrusted dirt. For soft water, pre-measured tabs and caps are the right choice. Their balanced formula effectively compensates for the hardness of the water.
• You can drink soft water without hesitation. Although the salt content of hard water usually has a positive effect on taste, taste is a matter of personal preference. Tea and coffee lovers in particular appreciate water with a low degree of hardness, as it allows the delicate flavors to develop much better.
• Want to filter hard water? Use appropriate jug, ion, or carbon water filters to enjoy the benefits of soft water.
• In most cases, soft water is better for your dishwasher than hard water. However, if you follow a few tips, you can also use hard water for machine washing without any concerns. To be on the safe side, you should prevent limescale build-up in your dishwasher by using Somat special salt, for example. This is not only good for the environment, but also for your wallet.

Soft water has more advantages than disadvantages. Although copper pipes can suffer from the lack of alkali salts, the wear-prone components of your dishwasher are better protected against possible damage from limescale deposits. In addition, with soft water, you can usually do without the use of special salts. The practical Somat Gold multifunction tabs, for example, contain all the active ingredients your dishwasher needs in addition to soft water.