You’ve probably heard the term “hard water” before. This may sound a bit frightening in regard to your water quality, but it’s really not so bad for you. Hard water means that the water supply has an excess of calcium and magnesium, and for most people, this is perfectly safe to ingest. While it’s safe for people, however, we cannot say the same for your plumbing.
Scaling—the deposits that get left behind from hard water—can affect your water heater worse than any other part of your plumbing. While you can clean scale out of a faucet with a wrench and some vinegar, it’s not so easy when it comes to your water heater.