If you live in Paramount, you already know the signs. You scrub the white crust off your showerhead, your drinking glasses dry with cloudy spots, and your skin feels dry and itchy right after a shower.
Southern California is notorious for having some of the hardest water in the country. While hard water isn’t dangerous to drink, it is slowly wreaking havoc on your home’s plumbing system and expensive appliances.
At Plumber 007, we see the expensive damage hard water causes in Paramount homes every single day. Here is a look at what is happening inside your walls and how to stop it.
What Exactly IS Hard Water?
Water is considered “hard” when it contains high levels of dissolved minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium. As groundwater flows through the limestone bedrock typical of Southern California, it picks up these minerals along the way.
The problem isn’t the water itself; it’s what the water leaves behind when it dries or is heated: Limescale.
The Damage Done: Scale Buildup in Pipes
That white, chalky residue you see on your faucets is just the tip of the iceberg. Imagine that same buildup occurring inside your water pipes over 10 or 20 years.
This scale buildup, much like plaque in arteries, gradually narrows the diameter of your pipes. This leads to two major problems:
- Reduced Water Pressure: Your shower turns into a trickle.
- Increased Strain on Joints: As water fights to squeeze through narrower openings, pressure builds up behind the clog, increasing the risk of leaks at pipe connections.
In older Paramount homes with galvanized steel pipes, hard water accelerates corrosion, leading to rusty water and eventual pipe failure.
The Appliance Graveyard
Your appliances hate hard water even more than your pipes do. Any appliance that heats water will suffer from accelerated mineral buildup.
- Water Heaters (The #1 Victim): Heat causes minerals to precipitate out of the water faster. This forms a thick layer of rock-like sediment at the bottom of your tank. Your heater has to burn way more energy to heat water through that layer of rock, driving up utility bills and causing the tank to overheat and fail prematurely.
- Dishwashers & Washing Machines: Scale coats heating elements and pumps, leading to early burnouts. It also prevents soap from lathering properly, meaning your clothes feel stiff and your dishes don’t get clean.
The Solution: How Plumber 007 Fights Hard Water
You don’t have to accept frequent appliance replacements and crusty faucets as a way of life in Paramount. We offer two primary lines of defense:
1. The Long-Term Fix: Whole-Home Water Softeners
This is the only way to truly eliminate the problem. A water softener is installed at your home’s main water entry point. It uses an ion-exchange process to physically remove the calcium and magnesium before it enters your pipes. The result? Better showers, cleaner dishes, and plumbing that lasts decades longer.
2. The Maintenance Solution: Descaling Services
If you aren’t ready for a softener, regular maintenance is vital. This is especially true for tankless water heaters, which must be flushed with a descaling solution annually to prevent immediate failure. Plumber 007 provides professional flushing services to keep your units running efficiently.
Protect Your Paramount Home
Hard water is a slow-motion plumbing disaster. Don’t wait until your water heater bursts to address the minerals in your water.
Contact Plumber 007 today at +1 562-242-2124. We can test your water hardness and recommend the right softening or maintenance solution for your home and budget.