[paul.fr]

the water from my tap is "hard water", what does this mean? and in what way is it stronger or harder that "soft water".

also, i see on a comercial that my "washing machines lives longer with ******" some form of expensive tablet i put in every wash...every wash. where will it fit? i have the washing powder tablet, the conditioner and now some anti-hard water tablet!!!

calm down...calm down...what, if any thing does this tablet do and will it make my washing machine last longer?

[phys2104]

Hard water is basically water which has a lot of minerals dissolved in it as opposed to soft water which has very little.
One common mineral found in hard water is calcium carbonate. When hard water evaporates it leaves this in a solid form known as limescale. Limescale slowly builds up to a considerable amount and is common on the elements of kettles.
I would imagine this is true in dishwashers as well and that excessive build up of limescale could damage them in some way. The tablet must "soften" the water by removing some minerals (not sure off the top of my head how exactly) leaving less of a build up.
No idea how you'd put them in though. Domestic goddess I sure ain't but I'd imagine it would say on the packet.

Also I know which brand you're talking about, the annoying jingle is now stuck in my head. Grr.

[another_someone]

The only way that you can remove minerals from water is through precipitation, which is the one thing you don't want to do.  What you usually end up doing with hard water is adding things to the water to make the existing salts more soluble, thus making them less likely to precipitate out and clog up your machinery.

[phys2104]

Ahh, that makes a lot more sense!

[Karen W.]

I have had hard water my whole life. I actually prefer it in taste then soft water. Soft water feels so weird on the skin and to drink it is just very odd! It always makes my skin feel weird and slipery showereing in softwater. Around here it is hard water all the way. Somewhere I have a water report for my well! It is very good water indeed!LOL Full of all kinds of minerals.. I have never had a problem with a machine breaking down because of it and have never and will never use a tablet to change the water. I like my water it is good and drinkable right from the tap!!!

[Seany]

I have had hard water my whole life. I actually prefer it in taste then soft water. Soft water feels so weird on the skin and to drink it is just very odd! It always makes my skin feel weird and slipery showereing in softwater. Around here it is hard water all the way. Somewhere I have a water report for my well! It is very good water indeed!LOL Full of all kinds of minerals.. I have never had a problem with a machine breaking down because of it and have never and will never use a tablet to change the water. I like my water it is good and drinkable right from the tap!!!

I never drink tap water.. My parents always buy Volvic or some other water bottles.. We have like 50 bottles in our garage. =/ The taste of tapwater or hard water, tastes a bit of blood? I don't know, maybe its the reaction between oxygen and the metal pipes (maybe iron), which cause the weird taste. The metals in our blood is iron, which is reacted with oxygen to create the red colour. I was thinking the same with the tap water..

[paul.fr]

I never drink tap water.. My parents always buy Volvic or some other water bottles.. We have like 50 bottles in our garage. =/ The taste of tapwater or hard water, tastes a bit of blood? I don't know, maybe its the reaction between oxygen and the metal pipes (maybe iron), which cause the weird taste. The metals in our blood is iron, which is reacted with oxygen to create the red colour. I was thinking the same with the tap water..

did you know most bottled water sold inthe US is from municipal sources! municipal sources are...tap water, yes they pay $2 for bottled tap water.

[Seany]

I never drink tap water.. My parents always buy Volvic or some other water bottles.. We have like 50 bottles in our garage. =/ The taste of tapwater or hard water, tastes a bit of blood? I don't know, maybe its the reaction between oxygen and the metal pipes (maybe iron), which cause the weird taste. The metals in our blood is iron, which is reacted with oxygen to create the red colour. I was thinking the same with the tap water..

did you know most bottled water sold inthe US is from municipal sources! municipal sources are...tap water, yes they pay $2 for bottled tap water.

LOL! Why dont they just drink from tap water... Instead of buying them.. Aren't Europe bottles from like the French Alps and Volcanos?

[paul.fr]

I never drink tap water.. My parents always buy Volvic or some other water bottles.. We have like 50 bottles in our garage. =/ The taste of tapwater or hard water, tastes a bit of blood? I don't know, maybe its the reaction between oxygen and the metal pipes (maybe iron), which cause the weird taste. The metals in our blood is iron, which is reacted with oxygen to create the red colour. I was thinking the same with the tap water..

did you know most bottled water sold inthe US is from municipal sources! municipal sources are...tap water, yes they pay $2 for bottled tap water.

LOL! Why dont they just drink from tap water... Instead of buying them.. Aren't Europe bottles from like the French Alps and Volcanos?

not always, coke and pepsi make bottles water that too is tap water...or was any way. with all bottled water you need to check the fine print. a heck of a lot is just plain old tap water.

oh but bottled water is much cleaner and germ free - well, no it's not. (assuming its not tap water) it still contains bugs and possibly more that tap water, safety guidelines are slacker with bottled water than tap.

just use tap water, its safer, cheaper and you dont fill landfills with plastic bottles.

[Seany]

just use tap water, its safer, cheaper and you dont fill landfills with plastic bottles.

But they taste funny. []

[paul.fr]

just use tap water, its safer, cheaper and you dont fill landfills with plastic bottles.

But they taste funny. []

do a double blind test, and see.

you get one friend to fill 2 glasses, one with tap water the other with bottled water. only he/she knows which is which.
to avoide any subtle body language or prompte, he/she gives them to a second person who has no idea which is which then you drink and decide what tastes best.

you will need to have, say 3 people test both glasses to get more than your opinion.

go on give it a try.


edit: you could use your results in your science class at school. better that fetching teacher an apple

[Seany]

just use tap water, its safer, cheaper and you dont fill landfills with plastic bottles.

But they taste funny. []

do a double blind test, and see.

you get one friend to fill 2 glasses, one with tap water the other with bottled water. only he/she knows which is which.
to avoide any subtle body language or prompte, he/she gives them to a second person who has no idea which is which then you drink and decide what tastes best.

you will need to have, say 3 people test both glasses to get more than your opinion.

go on give it a try.


edit: you could use your results in your science class at school. better that fetching teacher an apple

Meh, I can't be bothered. But, I'll have a go later, when I can be bothered. []

[Karen W.]

I have had hard water my whole life. I actually prefer it in taste then soft water. Soft water feels so weird on the skin and to drink it is just very odd! It always makes my skin feel weird and slipery showereing in softwater. Around here it is hard water all the way. Somewhere I have a water report for my well! It is very good water indeed!LOL Full of all kinds of minerals.. I have never had a problem with a machine breaking down because of it and have never and will never use a tablet to change the water. I like my water it is good and drinkable right from the tap!!!

I never drink tap water.. My parents always buy Volvic or some other water bottles.. We have like 50 bottles in our garage. =/ The taste of tapwater or hard water, tastes a bit of blood? I don't know, maybe its the reaction between oxygen and the metal pipes (maybe iron), which cause the weird taste. The metals in our blood is iron, which is reacted with oxygen to create the red colour. I was thinking the same with the tap water..

I have had water in different places that were like that way high amonunts of iron, which do give that taste of blood in your mouth.. weird huh!

We have always had well water which is excellent in flavor no irony taste at all. Most modern plumbing has plastic piping these days and helps iliminate that other flavor. We have always had great well water.. so our tap water is great it comes straight out of a underground spring that runs through my property!

[paul.fr]

can't be botherd! who said the youth of today were lazy internet and computer game addicts

[Seany]

I have had hard water my whole life. I actually prefer it in taste then soft water. Soft water feels so weird on the skin and to drink it is just very odd! It always makes my skin feel weird and slipery showereing in softwater. Around here it is hard water all the way. Somewhere I have a water report for my well! It is very good water indeed!LOL Full of all kinds of minerals.. I have never had a problem with a machine breaking down because of it and have never and will never use a tablet to change the water. I like my water it is good and drinkable right from the tap!!!

I never drink tap water.. My parents always buy Volvic or some other water bottles.. We have like 50 bottles in our garage. =/ The taste of tapwater or hard water, tastes a bit of blood? I don't know, maybe its the reaction between oxygen and the metal pipes (maybe iron), which cause the weird taste. The metals in our blood is iron, which is reacted with oxygen to create the red colour. I was thinking the same with the tap water..

I have had water in different places that were like that way high amonunts of iron, which do give that taste of blood in your mouth.. weird huh!

We have always had well water which is excellent in flavor no irony taste at all. Most modern plumbing has plastic piping these days and helps iliminate that other flavor. We have always had great well water.. so our tap water is great it comes straight out of a underground spring that runs through my property!

Yes, I heard somewhere that in the UK, 5 billion litres of water leak through the water pipes underground. I think it was that, but it costs way too much to fix the problem

[Seany]

can't be botherd! who said the youth of today were lazy internet and computer game addicts

Heh, my bad. []

[Karen W.]

I have had hard water my whole life. I actually prefer it in taste then soft water. Soft water feels so weird on the skin and to drink it is just very odd! It always makes my skin feel weird and slipery showereing in softwater. Around here it is hard water all the way. Somewhere I have a water report for my well! It is very good water indeed!LOL Full of all kinds of minerals.. I have never had a problem with a machine breaking down because of it and have never and will never use a tablet to change the water. I like my water it is good and drinkable right from the tap!!!

I never drink tap water.. My parents always buy Volvic or some other water bottles.. We have like 50 bottles in our garage. =/ The taste of tapwater or hard water, tastes a bit of blood? I don't know, maybe its the reaction between oxygen and the metal pipes (maybe iron), which cause the weird taste. The metals in our blood is iron, which is reacted with oxygen to create the red colour. I was thinking the same with the tap water..

I have had water in different places that were like that way high amonunts of iron, which do give that taste of blood in your mouth.. weird huh!

We have always had well water which is excellent in flavor no irony taste at all. Most modern plumbing has plastic piping these days and helps iliminate that other flavor. We have always had great well water.. so our tap water is great it comes straight out of a underground spring that runs through my property!

Yes, I heard somewhere that in the UK, 5 billion litres of water leak through the water pipes underground. I think it was that, but it costs way too much to fix the problem

[Seany]

Ermm Karen. Where's your comment on that? You've just got bunches of quotes on there.. []

[Carolyn]

I never drink tap water.. My parents always buy Volvic or some other water bottles.. We have like 50 bottles in our garage. =/ The taste of tapwater or hard water, tastes a bit of blood? I don't know, maybe its the reaction between oxygen and the metal pipes (maybe iron), which cause the weird taste. The metals in our blood is iron, which is reacted with oxygen to create the red colour. I was thinking the same with the tap water..

did you know most bottled water sold inthe US is from municipal sources! municipal sources are...tap water, yes they pay $2 for bottled tap water.

Paul, you've shattered my illusion that I was drinking better water!  Not really, but bottled water really is better than mine.  My water is crap, lots of iron & sulphur.  The fine print on my bottle says:  "purified by reverse osmosis or distillation and enhanced with a balance of minerals for taste."

Our family goes through about a case per day (24 16oz bottles).  I have NEVER paid $2.00 per bottle.  My actual cost is around .20 a bottle, for a grand total of about $4.80 a day.  I do feel guilty about all the plastic bottles. 

[paul.fr]

My water is crap, lots of iron & sulphur.  The fine print on my bottle says:  "purified by reverse osmosis or distillation and enhanced with a balance of minerals for taste."

well i would say that it is municipal water that has been "cleaned", minerals for taste! do you know the name of the company that produces the water? and the name of the water? spring fresh ar whatever.

you could just buy yourself a filter, you know......oh my i sound like your dad, i must be getting old.

Our family goes through about a case per day (24 16oz bottles).......  I do feel guilty about all the plastic bottles. 

24 bottles a day! 8,760 bottles a year. i hope you recycle them, my girl...........sorry dad mode off.