Hard Water in Phoenix: What It Does to Your House and What Helps

How hard, and why

Water hardness is measured in milligrams per liter or grains per gallon. The U.S. Geological Survey calls anything over 180 milligrams per liter "very hard." Phoenix tap water is usually above that line, and it varies by neighborhood and season depending on how much of it came from the Salt and Verde rivers, the Colorado River through the canal, or wells. The city publishes the numbers every year in its water quality report.

What scale does

As water dries or heats, the minerals in it are left behind as a white, chalky crust. That's scale, and it builds up everywhere water goes:

• Faucets get stiff handles and start to drip as scale wears the cartridge. The aerator at the tip clogs and the flow drops.
• Toilets run because scale keeps the flapper from sealing and clogs the fill valve. The rim holes clog and the flush gets weak.
• Shower valves seize, and showerheads spray sideways from half-blocked holes.
• Shutoff valves under sinks and behind toilets lock up, so they don't turn when you finally need them.
• Water heaters collect scale on the bottom of the tank, which makes them rumble, work harder, and fail early. Flushing the tank once a year helps, and we can help with replacement too.
• Dishwashers and washers get scale on heating elements and spray arms.
• Glass and tile get the spots and film that won't scrub off.
• Hose bibs and outdoor fixtures scale up fastest because they dry out between uses.

What helps

Clean what you can reach. Aerators, showerheads and the chrome on faucets clean up with white vinegar, soaked overnight. That's free and worth doing twice a year.

Fix early. A stiff handle is the stage before a drip. A dripping faucet is the stage before a worn-out one. Catching it at the stiff stage is a cartridge. Catching it later is a faucet.

Filter the drinking water. An under-sink filter or reverse osmosis system fixes the taste at one tap. It does nothing for the rest of the house.

Soften the whole house. A water softener swaps the calcium and magnesium for sodium or potassium before the water reaches your fixtures. It's the only thing that stops scale everywhere at once. Softened water also feels slippery in the shower and uses less soap. The trade-offs are the salt you buy, the water the softener uses to regenerate, and the extra sodium in the water, which is why many people pair a softener with an RO tap for drinking.

We can help with softener installation too. It ties into the main water line, it needs a drain and power, and in Phoenix it needs a permit. The city's homeowner permit guide lists water softeners as permit work. Chandler doesn't require one to replace a softener like for like. The permit gets pulled where one is needed. If you want a softener, tell us.

Salt-free conditioners. These don't remove minerals. They change how the minerals behave so they're less likely to stick. Some people are happy with them, and they skip the salt and the regeneration water. They're not a softener, and the scale on the shower door doesn't go away. We'd call them a step down from a softener, not a substitute.

Buying a house in Phoenix

If you're buying, look at the faucets and the water heater. A house that's been on hard water for 15 years without a softener has fixtures near the end of their life, and that's a fair thing to price in, or to put on the repair list after the inspection.

What this page covers

• Toilet fill valve clogged with scale
• Shutoff valves seized from scale
• Water heater full of sediment
• Want a water softener
• Tankless water heater scaling up

How it starts

If your fixtures are showing scale, send us photos and we'll tell you what's a quick clean, what's a repair, and what's a replacement. Quotes are free. If you're thinking about a softener, say so. Levi is on site.