Lynwood Water Quality Data
- Water Hardness: 12.0 GPG (Grains per Gallon)
- Water Hardness: 205.2 PPM (Parts per Million)
- Water Source: Primarily treated local groundwater, supplemented with imported water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
Lynwood's water hardness is significantly higher than the U.S. average of approximately 5 GPG. To put 12 GPG into perspective, imagine 12 grains of dissolved rock mineral in every single gallon of water flowing into your home, day after day.
How Hard Water Damages Lynwood Appliances
The consistent flow of 12.0 GPG water results in approximately 2.8 lbs of calcium carbonate scale accumulating in your home's plumbing and appliances each year. This isn't a minor issue; it has direct financial consequences.
- Water Heater Strain: Scale forms a layer on your water heater's gas burner or electric element, acting like concrete insulation. This can force the unit to work 15-25% harder, wasting energy and increasing bills from the Los Angeles Dept of Water & Power.
- Shortened Lifespan: A typical water heater lasts 12-15 years. In Lynwood, the estimated lifespan is shortened to just 9.0 years due to relentless scale buildup, leading to an expensive, premature replacement.
- Daily Costs: You'll use 30-50% more laundry detergent and dish soap to get a proper clean. Your coffee maker will clog, and your faucets will develop a crusty white residue that's hard to remove.
Impact on Skin, Hair, and Comfort
While the mineral content in Lynwood's water is safe to drink, it creates frustrating issues for personal hygiene. The calcium and magnesium ions react with soap to form a residue, often called soap scum.
- Skin Irritation: This residue can leave your skin feeling dry, sticky, and itchy, and may aggravate conditions like eczema.
- Hair Problems: Hair washed in very hard water can feel dull, stiff, and brittle because the soap residue doesn't fully rinse out.
- Cleaning Challenges: That same soap scum creates a film on shower doors, tubs, and sinks, requiring more frequent and difficult cleaning.
Choosing the Right Water Filter for Lynwood
With a hardness level of 12.0 GPG, treating all the water entering your home is the most practical and cost-effective strategy. This protects your entire plumbing infrastructure.
- Recommended Solution: A whole-house, salt-based water softener is the most comprehensive choice. It actively removes the hardness minerals, preventing scale damage completely.
- Salt-Free Alternative: If you prefer to avoid salt, a salt-free water conditioner is a viable option. It alters the minerals to prevent them from sticking to surfaces but does not remove them. For drinking water, it's best to pair this with an under-sink Reverse Osmosis (RO) filter.
The investment in a whole-house system is financially sound. A softener, costing roughly $1,500 installed, will pay for itself in 11.9 years based on $126 per year in direct savings on energy and cleaning supplies. This calculation also protects you from the multi-thousand dollar cost of replacing a water heater years ahead of schedule.