How Does Water Quality Affect Your HVAC?

If there is an issue with your home’s water supply, you’d naturally expect it to affect the taste and quality of your drinking water. You may not realize that water quality can also impact certain household systems, equipment and appliances, like the plumbing, water heater and dishwasher.

Common Concerns With Household Water Quality

The most frequent cause of concern with the quality of a household water supply is hardness, or the amount of minerals it contains, specifically calcium and magnesium. Issues arise when water gets heated, as the heating process transforms these minerals into solid scale/sediment particles that can collect and wreak havoc on a home’s plumbing system and equipment/appliances.

Potential Effects of Water Quality Problems

Mineral scale and sediment that form due to hard water can affect the performance, reliability and longevity of key household systems and equipment, and this can impact your comfort, convenience and expenses in various ways:

Loss of energy efficiency.

Scale that accumulates in your water heater forms an insulating layer that affects its ability to heat water efficiently. This makes the equipment run for longer periods and more often to reach the unit’s thermostat setting, which translates into extra energy use and higher utility bills.

Repairs and replacements.

Over time, a build up of scale and sediment can clog your plumbing lines and damage your water heater or dishwasher. The results can range from more frequent breakdowns and repairs to the need for upgrading your home’s piping, or prematurely replacing costly equipment.

Maintenance needs.

If you suspect that you have a problem with hard water, your household systems and equipment may need regular maintenance to keep them working efficiently and reliably. A reputable HVAC and plumbing pro can advise you if there’s an issue with mineral scale and sediment build up, what steps are necessary to keep it under control or whether there are preventive measures that can be taken to minimize its formation and future problems.

If you’re concerned that water quality may be affecting the plumbing, equipment and appliances in your Orlando-area home, contact us at Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions for expert help.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).