The Impact on Skin, Hair, and Daily Comfort
While safe to drink, very hard water can make daily routines frustrating. The minerals prevent soap from creating a proper lather, instead forming a sticky residue known as soap scum.
- Chronic Dryness: This film can lead to dry, itchy skin and dull, lifeless hair, as natural oils are stripped away and pores get clogged.
- Residue on Dishes: Even after running the dishwasher, you'll notice spots and a cloudy film on glasses and silverware.
- Cleaning Difficulties: Soap scum leaves tough-to-clean stains on shower doors, faucets, and sinks.
Choosing the Right Water System for Northwood
Given the extreme hardness level of 20.7 GPG, a robust, whole-house solution is the only practical choice.
- Best Solution: A whole-house, ion-exchange (salt-based) water softener is necessary. This system removes the hardness minerals before they enter your home. A typical installation costs around $1,500 and, with an estimated annual savings of $221, achieves full payback in about 6.8 years.
- For Drinking Water: Complement your softener with an under-sink reverse osmosis (RO) filter. This will provide purified drinking water, saving the typical family $600-$900 per year on bottled water.
- Solutions to Avoid: Faucet-mount, pitcher, or salt-free systems are not powerful enough to handle this level of water hardness and will not protect your plumbing and appliances.