Hard Water Not Causing Buildup in Pipes

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Atomic1

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Hi there, I had two tests (one professional test and one home kit) of my well water show that it's 17.1 grains at a TDS of 320 mg/l. NO softener, and in doing plumbing work over the past few years, I've noticed absolutely no deposits within the copper pipes (the house is about 30 years old). We do get deposits in the sink and shower, but nothing obscene.

I always thought that such hard water causes buildups in the piping system to cause problems. Can anyone potentially explain?

FWIW, the test broke out all of the elements and it appears that the hardness is coming from Calcium and Magnesium. No iron.

I'm asking this as I'm weighing the pros and cons of a softener.
 

Mikey

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Biggest pro (imho) is washing things - dishes, cars, hair, body - is much easier and more satisfying. Once your wife washes her hair in soft water you'll never go back.
 

Atomic1

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Ha, funny you mention that, actually the wife complains that the softened water at the inlaws feels slimy when washing with soap their soap. Washing at our house is good.
 

ditttohead

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Its not slimy, its silky. :)

Hardness and scale can form under varying conditions. Slight variances in pH, LSI, CI etc all have an effect on scale. Every water supply is different. Wetted areas with a constant temperature tend to have minimal scale build up. Areas that allow the water to evaporate or where significant water temperature changes occur are far more likely to see scale issues. Consider an ice machine or a water heater, both of these items can have significant scale that needs to be controlled.
 
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