24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE •
At Gem we aim to offer the highest quality service for your home or business.
Heating & Cooling
If you’re in need of a repair or system replacement, trust our licensed HVAC technicians.
Plumbing & Drains
Whether you need a system upgrade, installation, replacement or inspection, our plumbers are here to help.
Electrical
From replacing a light switch to designing a networking system, our electricians can handle it all.
Smart Home
Our smart home expertise ranges across all services, and we are here to guide you through navigating the latest smart technology.
Indoor Air Quality
We will keep your air quality above standard, to keep you healthy in your home.
Commercial Services in New England
Let us handle your service needs, so you can focus on running your business.
HomeX℠ Remote Assist
Get virtual support from experts
We offer a wide range of services for commercial and industrial applications.
Commercial Plumbing
Commercial Heating & Cooling
Commercial Electrical
Commercial Refrigeration
Commercial Drain Cleaning and Jetting in New England
Industries Served
We create & update facilities, for any industry, to make your business better.
We cover everything from large-scale industrial design to mechanical engineering.
Providence Marriott Downtown Renovation
Care New England Medical Facility Renovation
Lincoln, Rhode Island
Fall River, Massachusetts
Bellingham, MA
September 9, 2021 • In GEM Featured Blog Post, Plumbing • 2 Min Read
By GEM
Soap not lathering? Are you noticing mineral stains on your clothes or dishes? These are all signs telling you there’s hard water running through your home’s pipes –– an issue you won’t want to take with just a grain of salt. Fortunately, there’s a solution: water softeners.
GEM’s water quality services are here to soften the blow on your plumbing system when you’re dealing with hard water.
Over time, your home’s water collects minerals like calcium and magnesium. A high concentration of these minerals hardens your water and can harm your water fixtures or stain your clothes and dishes. If your shower head looks a little crusty, you may want to consider installing a water softener.
Water softeners are filtration devices that remove these minerals from your plumbing system. Once hard water flows through the water softener, the system filters it to release soft water through your taps.
There are two methods to handle your hard water: a saltwater solution and a saltless solution.
When selecting one of these solutions for softening your home’s water, it’s essential to know the difference between the two––especially since one of them is not a water softener at all.
Saltwater softeners exchange sodium ions with the mineral ions in your water to convert it from hard to soft. Once your system reaches filtration capacity, it flushes out the hard minerals through a process called regeneration.
Fun fact: salt-free water softeners are not softeners at all––they are considered water conditioners or descalers. Instead of removing the hard water minerals, saltless water conditioners crystallize the minerals to prevent them from binding to surfaces.
Now that you know the distinction between saltwater softeners and saltless water conditioners, which system is best for your home in New England?
If you’re looking to soften your water, go for a water softener. This system will leave your dishes and clothes stain-free, your soap bubbly, and prolong the lifespan of your water fixtures and appliances. However, saltwater softeners require an electrical connection to power the ionization process and regular maintenance like replacing the salt every six to eight weeks.
While a saltless water conditioner won’t technically soften your water, it can reduce scale buildup in your plumbing system and on your home’s surfaces. The perks of salt-free water conditioners include requiring little maintenance, preserving water, and not needing electricity to function.
Keep in mind that installing a water softener or conditioner can be expensive, so be sure to pick what’s best for your home.
More than 85% of homes in America have hard water. So if you’re having trouble handling your home’s hard water, count on GEM to help install a water softener into your plumbing system to prevent buildup, and more importantly, to keep your water safe for drinking and cleaning.
Call us today to learn more about water softeners and what our water quality services can do for your New England home!
Share This Article
Chat With Us
Book An Appointment
August 19, 2021 • 2 Min Read
Are you looking to lend your basement some more space? The water heater is a mysterious contraption to many homeowners....
August 19, 2021 • 4 Min Read
Not sure which way to heat your home’s water? The good news: you have plenty of options for water heaters...
August 11, 2021 • 1 Min Read
A healthy heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is crucial to keep you and your family from melting in...
July 26, 2021 • 5 Min Read
There’s nothing better than a warm shower after a long day, unless your water unexpectedly turns cold, leaving you to...