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Home / All water-using appliances

Some of my household appliances stop working long before they should. Others seem to do a poor job. I have been told the water the appliances use may damage them. What can be done about this continual problem?

By Jane Paige

All water-using appliances are impacted by the water quality, says Eugene Smelik, vice president of Advanced Water Systems of Southeast North Carolina, Inc.

In the Triangle, the municipal-supplied water is extremely hard, resulting in calcium deposits that can lead to shorter life spans for many household appliances. "These deposits also impact how well an appliance cleans," says Smelik. "For example, hard water in dishwashers can leave water spots or etching on glasses. This can be extremely frustrating and annoying."

For homeowners who are tired of buying new appliances frequently or using inefficient ones, he suggests testing the home's water to learn more about its composition. Some water actually will destroy the appliances over the long haul or at least damage their working capabilities. If the homeowner wants to eliminate the water problems, Smelik suggests considering a wide variety of water treatment systems.

Advanced Water Systems sells products by Kinetico, a company that manufactures non-electric, fully automatic water treatment systems.

For residential use, Kinetico makes drinking water filters that use carbon filtration to enhance the quality of the water used for drinking and preparing foods. Water softeners and whole house water systems also are available. Whole house automatic filters provide clean water by removing elements like iron and chlorine, or suspended solids that can make water appear dirty or cloudy, says Smelik.

"If you don't improve the quality of your water, you are fighting a losing battle with your household appliances," he says. "If you improve the water, you will get the maximum life out of your appliances."