'Best investment!' Hard water remedy that 'eliminates' limescale - and saves energy

Heating isn't just for keeping your house warm, in fact between 10-20 percent of a typical household's energy bill is generated from heating water. While limiting your usage is one way to reduce the cost, an expert has shared how filtering hard water can help billpayers to save money.

By Phoebe Cornish, Lifestyle Reporter

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Keeping radiators clean is essential to improve efficiency, and the same goes for your hot water system. But while deposits are often seen as a cleaning dilemma rather than a serious plumbing problem, an expert at KindWater has shared how leaving the minerals to build up can impact your costs. Speaking exclusively to , they explained the benefits of investing in water softeners.

Hard water is formed when it percolates through deposits of limestone and chalk, leaving the liquid full of dissolved minerals.

When the calcium and magnesium-rich water is flushed through taps and showerheads, it reacts with soaps and other substances to form limescale deposits.

Not only are these unpleasant stains unsightly, but also incredibly damaging to the function of household plumbing.

Jake Michael at KindWater said: "Limescale, which builds up very quickly in homes that use hard water in their main water system, covers taps and shower heads, and can even block and damage pipes, which leads to restricted water flow."

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Water softening salt pellets/ limescale on taps

'Best investment!' Hard water remedy that 'eliminates' limescale - and saves energy (Image: GETTY)

Dirty calcified shower mixer tap, faucet with limescale on it, close up

Limescale is problematic for both the function of plumbing and heating costs (Image: Getty)

When it comes to heating up hard water, it can be costly as well as damaging to your heating system.

Jake explained: "This restricted water flow can severely impact the efficiency of water heaters, and the transfer of heat into water, meaning home appliances will have to work harder for longer to provide hot water.

"Hard water has more difficulty dissolving chemicals when combined with soap, taking longer to completely lather the body, so you are more likely to waste hot water trying to have an effective clean, driving up energy bills even further."

To counteract this and save households money, a water softener can eliminate the minerals that form limescale - like magnesium and calcium - enabling the heat exchanger to work "as efficiently as possible" in providing hot water.

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According to Jake, the effects of softening hard water go beyond minimising limescale deposits.

He noted that soft water is "much quicker" at dissolving chemicals in body soaps and shampoos, allowing households to reduce the amount of hot water used while showering.

The KindWater team estimated savings of £250-£750 per year after installing a water softening system, and it's not just energy bills that will be reduced.

Jake said: "By installing a water softener, your appliances will be protected from hard water, which can greatly damage plumbing (e.g, washers with seal joints can become calcified which causes leaks) saving you from paying for repairs, or buying completely new objects."

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limescale and deposits on the heating element of a washing machine

Limescale deposits can cause irreversible damage to appliances (Image: Getty)

How much do water softeners cost?

According to Checkatrade, more than 13 million households are affected by hard water across the UK.

East Anglia has the hardest water in the country, with a staggering 15-25kg of chalk in each person's water supply.

While it comes with an upfront cost, Jake noted that overall, a water softener is "one of the best investments" you can make to guarantee long-term savings.

Checkatrade noted that a new softener costs around £500 for a budget, single cylinder, though premium twin styles are much more expensive - at around £1,600.

The trade-checking platform said: "Alternatively, you could consider renting a water softener, which would cost around £30 per month with an installation cost of £350.

"This cost can often be wrapped up in the monthly rental to help spread the cost."

On average, the running costs of a water softener total around £1.25 - £2.50 per person, per month for salt.

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