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Water Hardness - Guernsey Water

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A number of household appliances require the input of water hardness in order for them to work to their full potential, this can be measured in a number of different units, a table of which can be found on the page below.</h2><p><span class="positionleft"><img src="./media/inline/1/q/IMG_20180501_100120864_-_Copy.jpg" alt="Water hardness " title="Water hardness" class="positionleft noborder" style="width: 1000px" /></span></p><h2><strong>What is the difference between hard and soft water?</strong></h2><p>Certain materials in water react with soap, causing a precipitation which appears as a 'scum' or 'curd' on the water surface. Until enough soap has been dissolved to react with all the materials, no lather can be formed. Water which behaves like this is said to be 'hard'.</p><p>When synthetic detergents are used instead of soap, the inconvenience of hard water is not so strongly felt, because the detergents do not cause a precipitation of the hardness compounds. Nevertheless there are still many objections to hard water, the principle one being that when water is heated in boilers and heating systems, the hardness compounds precipitate to form a hard compound on the surface of the boiler and the interior of the pipes. The portion of the hardness which is deposited when water is boiled is called 'temporary hardness'; the remainder is called 'permanent hardness', or more precisely, 'non-carbonate hardness'.</p><h2><strong>Water hardness table</strong></h2><table style="width: 100%"><tbody><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td><strong>Total Hardness (mg/L CA)</strong></td><td><strong>Calcium Carbonate (mg/L CaCO<sub>3</sub>)</strong></td><td><strong>Degrees Clarke (e, 掳e or 掳clark)</strong></td><td><strong>French Degrees (掳fH, 掳f or 掳HF)</strong></td><td><strong>German Degrees (掳dH)</strong></td><td><strong>Millimoles per litre (mmol/l Ca<sup>2+</sup> Mg<sup>2+</sup>)</strong></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Island Mean</strong></td><td>65.5</td><td>163.6</td><td>11.4</td><td>16.4</td><td>9.3</td><td>1.6</td></tr></tbody></table><p>&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> </section> <div class="shareBar"><div> <span class="social-share"><span class="icon-share"></span>Share this page</span> <div class="a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 a2a_default_style"> <a class="a2a_dd" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share"></a> <a class="a2a_button_twitter"></a> <a class="a2a_button_facebook"></a> </div> <script async src="https://static.addtoany.com/menu/page.js"></script> </div></div> <div id="responsibilityContainer"> <section id="responsibility"> <h2>Responsibility to our customers and the environment</h2> <a href="https://www.water.gg/article/158343/View-Our-7-Outcomes">View Our 7 Outcomes</a> </section></div> <section id="footerLinks"> <div> <ul id="actions"> <li> <a href="https://www.water.gg/article/160520/Feedback">Feedback</a> </li> <li id="number"> <span> 24 Hour Contact Number <span>01481 229500</span> </span> </li> <li id="social"> <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/GuernseyWater" class="icon-Twitter"></a> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/GuernseyWater/" class="icon-facetime"></a> </li> </ul> </div> </section> <footer> <img src="./guernseywater1/images/logo.png" id="footerLogo" alt="States of Guernsey" /> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.water.gg/fpn">Fair Processing Notice</a> </li> <li><a href="https://www.water.gg/article/158288/Accessibility">Accessibility</a> </li> <li><a href="https://www.water.gg/article/158289/Links">Links</a> </li> </ul> <p>Copyright &copy; <script type="text/javascript">document.write(new Date().getFullYear());</script> Guernsey Water. 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