Is Hard Water Bad For Your Boiler? Nine in 10 Plumbers Say Hard Water Is A Serious Issue For The Health Of Your Boiler

We’ve all had that dreaded moment on a weekday morning. You turn on the shower and you don’t have any hot water, or the pressure has dropped, and your boiler isn’t firing up. No hot water means a miserable, cold shower to start the day and – worst-case scenario – a call to the local plumber. 

So, somewhere between £100 to £500 later, your boiler should hopefully be back up and running. But how long will it be until it’s on the blink again? 

Harvey Water Softeners recently worked with the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE), to survey some of their plumbing and heating experts. We wanted to understand if hard water is bad for your boiler, and to hear from the experts on just how much hard water can impact the overall function of your boiler, and any other negative impacts it can have on your plumbing and heating system. 

What Do The Plumbing and Heating Experts Say?

The results showed that 90% of the professionals surveyed think the impact of hard water should be taken seriously as a threat to the overall health of your home. An expert panel of plumbers said that the most common impact they see during call outs is an appliance failure, which almost half (46%) of professionals said they see occurring the most.  

Currently, around 13 million households across the UK are impacted by hard water. This can cause a build-up of around 1.5mm of limescale within internal plumbing systems over the course of a year alone. This results in an increase to average fuel costs by up to 28%, and causes blockages in pipework and your boiler, costing you around £180 a year. 

Given that UK households spend on average £12.30 a week on fuel, this means that households in hard water areas could be losing a combined total of £2.3 billion a year. If you’re unsure about the water hardness in your area, you can use the Hard Water Index to check.  

What Do Plumbers Think About Water Softeners?

When asked what their views on water softeners were, almost all (94%) the plumbing and heating experts agreed that water softeners are an effective solution to remedy the issue of limescale build-up. This is because it is tackling the problem at its source. 

The water treatment experts also had some further advice. A huge 66% of them recommend having your boiler serviced annually. 

The Conclusion?

So, is hard water bad for your boiler, washing machine and dishwasher? The answer, in short, is yes. The limescale that builds up reduced efficiency and can mean costly repairs or replacements.

Hard water is a fact of life in large parts of the UK, but it doesn’t have to be a scourge in your home. Plumbers across the country have endorsed a simple solution such as a water softener to remove the risk of limescale breaking your boiler. This saves homeowners hundreds of pounds in the process, while also saving overall on day-to-day household bills. 

As we spend more time at home, and working on our own positive mental wellbeing, its crucial that we also recognise the overall wellbeing of our homes and the utilities that keep them running.  

Want to protect your home from hard water? Get in touch to speak to one of our water experts about booking a demonstration on the water in your home and how a Harvey water softener might help.

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