Hard water is one of those things that a lot of residents and business owners deal with, even without realizing. The problem is, it slowly degrades the efficiency of a plumbing system until one day limescale buildup either leads to a clog or pipe leaks. This is a bad enough problem in a home, can you imagine it in your business?
There are a couple of things you can and should do to make sure your business or commercial space is properly protected from hard water, even if you aren’t sure you have it. Keep reading to learn more about this common plumbing problem!
Getting Your Water Tested
With everything else you deal with as a business owner or property management, getting your water tested probably seems like an unnecessary task. But it could do your bottom line a world of good!
Hard water is defined as water with a high level of minerals in it—namely magnesium, calcium, and in some cases even iron. These minerals are harmless to ingest, so if you’re in food services that is not a concern.
But, hard water wreaks havoc on plumbing systems over time.
Water percolates through certain types of rock before being collected and distributed. If you own a business or a commercial space in a geographic area with these rocks, you’re more susceptible to this issue. If you’re unsure or if you know you are in one of these areas, it’s a good idea to get your water professionally tested to get a clear picture of whether or not you need to take further steps.
Installing a Water Softener
Why should you try to counteract hard water in your business? The magnesium, calcium, and iron buildup may not pose a health risk, but long term exposure to hard water will create mineral deposits—the limescale we mentioned above—which will build up within the pipes.
Limescale restricts the flow of water through the plumbing system, and eventually hardens and builds up if not properly removed. The best thing you can do to protect your business or commercial property from this problem is have a water softener professionally installed.
Water softeners are designed to protect your property from limescale by removing magnesium and calcium from the water before it even enters your commercial plumbing system. Of course, this does not protect your main water line, which in many cases is covered by your city… however it’s a good idea to have a plumbing inspection done at least once a year to ensure your main water line is in good shape!
If you haven’t had your commercial plumbing inspected in a while or if you’re wondering what kind of shape your pipes are in, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team. We’re happy to advise you on the best things you can do for your commercial plumbing, to save time and headaches! Schedule an appointment with us.
For professional services on your commercial plumbing in St. Louis, MO, contact Performance Plumbing today.