Water Hardness and Carpet CleaningThe term “hardness” comes from the days of using soap – if the water was hard, it was hard to get the clothes clean! According to the U.S. Geological Survey, 85% of the water in the United States contains hardness minerals. Soft water gives better cleaning results in less time at lower cost. Water hardness is the concentration of calcium carbonate in water, usually measured in ppm or grains per gallon. Calcium carbonate is the primary mineral in hard water. 0 - 75 ppm (0-4 grains) is considered soft. 75 - 150 ppm (4-9 grains) is moderately hard. 150 – 300 ppm (9-18 grains) is hard. 300 ppm (18 grains) and up is very hard. It takes 17.1 ppm calcium carbonate to equal 1 grain of hardness. As an example, Indianapolis water is 340 ppm or 19.9 grains of hardness – now that’s hard! "Hard" water is not as efficient in cleaning as "soft water." While Booster™ definitely helps soften water, we ALWAYS suggest the use of a water softener if your water is above 5 grains hardness. When hard water is heated in your solution tank, the hardness minerals are re-crystallized to form hardness scale. This scale can plug spray tips, form an insulating film over your stainless steel heating coils, coat your immersion heater, and even cause premature failure, necessitating costly replacement. Who will test your water for hardness? If you are connected to a municipal supply, call the water superintendent, or city hall. They can either provide the answer, or direct you to the proper individual. If you are on a private water supply such as a well, you could contact your county extension agent or collect a sample in an approved container and send to the city or state health department for testing or call a water conditioning company. NOTE: Magnetic devices will reduce scaling but will not improve cleaning nor prevent a residue in the carpet. Related Products:
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