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How Hard Water Is Damaging Your Appliances

Every month, you receive a bill from the water company for your water usage. But did you realize that the true cost of your water could be much, much greater?

In fact, depending on your water quality,the water running through your home could be costing you a fortune.

We’re referring to water that contains a high amount of mineral sediment, also known as “hard water.” Few people realize it, but hard water can be so EXPENSIVE.

So if you have hard water, here are 3 ways that it’s costing you money: 

What our clients say

There’s a reason Culligan of Charlotte is the best water treatment company in Charlotte Area with over 278 4.8-Stars Google Reviews.

It’s May 13th 2025 and Jack Terell with Culligan out of Charlotte N.C. Has came by to service our water Softener and Filter System ! Jack is a Good Guy,Knows his job well and Doesn’t waste any time getting it done ! It’s Always good to chat with Jack while he is changing filters and adding salt and checking out our system! If you need a Water Softener System talk to Culligan and have Jack to put you one in ! We have had ours for 4 years and I wouldn’t go without it ! Thanks Culligan and Jack Terell , Greg Propst
I recently had a whole home water filtration and softening system installed by Alex from Culligan of Charlotte, and I couldn’t be more impressed with the experience. From start to finish, Alex was incredibly professional, knowledgeable, and efficient. The installation was clean, well-planned, and executed with great attention to detail. It’s clear that Alex has a strong understanding of both the Culligan systems and plumbing in general. He took the time to explain everything thoroughly and made sure everything was working perfectly before wrapping up. I highly recommend Alex and Culligan of Charlotte for anyone looking to improve their home’s water quality!
Jack Terell is a great tech the best i have experienced with this location yet. Very personable and very knowledgeable
Wes was extremely professional and quickly addressed our issue. He clearly explained the pricing for both the services and equipment he recommended for our home. Highly satisfied—10/10!
Great service - we are so thankful they picked up the ball that Greensboro dropped. We love Culligan products and love their genuine commitment to their customers. Thank you Culligan of Charlotte!
Just had our system installed and the customer service was excellent. Chris Reynolds walked us through everything and was super detailed about our options and helped us make the best decision for our needs.Alex Sistare is the one who installed the system and he was very knowledgeable and made installed everything very quickly.I would highly recommend both of them to anyone!
Wesley (Wes) Reynolds, the rep who came over, was super knowledgable and very helpful going above and beyond to help us understand all of the options. He was the perfect blend of information and assurance that allowed us to make a great decision for a whole home filtration system + an extra RO system for drinking water.
Arden arrived on time and explained the system that fits my needs. No pressure and very informative. Thanks!
Culligan always does a great job on our home filtration system. Rob was very prompt and everything was done in a timely manner. Thanks for the great service.
My technician Marcus, was punctual, very thorough, courteous and professional. Thank You so much for the excellent service. A+
Jack is the best bar none
Very friendly and knowledgeable. Our second system. Moving to a new house and taking culligan with us. Thanks. Jack Terrell came out and changed our sediment filter. Great job and very personable.
Wes was AMAZING!! He is a great representative of this company. His enthusiastic approach made an awesome impression. Thanks Wes
Rob was excellent, friendly, and knowledgeable. Rob even cleaned up afterward! Rob was able to answer all of my questions. I definitely appreciated the text that provided a tracking link so that I would be ready for him. Yes. I would recommend Culligan, they may not be the most inexpensive, but they know their "stuff"!
Jack Terell performed the annual maintenance on our system today. Jack was extremely professional, knowledgeable, thorough, and courteous. He completed the job efficiently, but took the time to answer questions and was helpful in reestablishing the Culligan App's connection to our Wi-Fi. Could not have been more pleased with the level of customer service that Jack provided.
Culligan kept me very well informed about the technician’s progress in his travels to get to me. The technician, Logan, was prompt, efficient, and very easy to work with. His manner was absolutely thoroughly professional, yet friendly. He did a great job, and kept me apprised of the situation throughout.
Rob Woodlief is professional and courteous. He took time to explain the service and how the system works. He demonstrates his breadth of expertise and desire to provide the best possible customer service.He was detailed in informing us of the benefits of the filtration system.
Mr. Terrell was very knowledgeable, efficient, quite capable and exceptionally good at his job. He answered all of our questions understandably and provided good advice. I can’t imagine anyone giving him a lower rating than 5 stars.
Done on time and done when they said they would! Installer was very nice and took the time to explain everything you need to know and what you need to check if somrthing goes wrong. Great guy i recond him a lot.
Chris was very efficient and explained all of our options and pricing. Very nice and helpful.
Rob performed all testing and explained in detail. He told me when regeneration would occur. He estimated my cost before services were completed. I felt like I was getting an honest service call. He of course was timely, friendly and courteous. Culligan was responsive to my requests.
Jack Terell was on time and help replaced the filter .Thanks a lot Jack and culligan!
Chris Reynolds easily walked me through the whole process and details. Excellent explanation!
We are very happy with our system and our technician, Marcus, was amazing! He was super efficient, professional and did a great job with installation. 10/10!!
Culligan of Charlotte makes you feel like family. April the manager is a pleasure to deal with & Jack the technician is very friendly informative & thorough.
From start to finish 5 star service. Both the salesman and the service technician were very knowledgeable and absolutely the nicest people. Matt and Mr. Taylor were a pleasure to work with.Thank you!
Taft was professional and on time. We are very happy with the installation.
From the sales rep Chris to the master plumber Taft- our experience was a 11/10.Super friendly team that took the time to educate me on our new water filtration systems.
Alex serviced our softener after the power outages of hurricane Helene. He adjusted the settings for perfect soft water. Alex provided great customer service!
Polite, efficient and reliable ~ we've done business with Culligan since 1990; they're THE BEST
Great service as always by Marcus!
Smart, efficient, helpful.
Call the Culligan tech! I had a complicated water problem: a water leak in the basement where the utilities for the house were, low water pressure (we have a well and an irrigation system), water treatment equipment, a neutralizer from another vendor. In other words many potential points of failure. I had a plumber come and he found a drain pipe that had a sleeve that came apart. Fixed that. No joy. Had Culligan come out and check their equipment and service it. They found nothing, but couldn't check the neutralizer tank for leaks because it wasn't theirs. Many potential problems. So I called Culligan, and explained my dilemma. I needed a plumber, someone that knew their equipment. They had a plumber, Taft, and sent him out. He found a leak in my bladder tank. I ordered a larger 15 gallon tank and Taft installed it. Water pressure dropped. He installed a new pressure switch on the tank. Still had low pressure. He named a couple of other possibilities which I checked out, and told me the pump was continuously running. I called Carolina Well. After trouble shooting the well components , narrowed it down to the pump. Well company installed new pump. Fixed the pressure problem. Then called Ric Exotic landscape. They found 3 leaks in the irrigation system and repaired them. Then I called JGL Repair and then found the condensation drain from the central a/c unit was completely clogged and not draining into the sump pump at all. He repaired it and fixed another source of water draining onto the basement dirt floor. Then I recalled my last two electric bills were noticeably higher by about 1,000 kWH per month, maybe from the pump running 24X7? We'll see if it goes down this coming month. What a conundrum. Taft from Culligan as well as the management were very competent and patient. They helped me navigate my way to the needed solutions despite the fact that ultimately none of the problems were their problem. Thank you Culligan!
Wes came out for the free water test and was extremely helpful! He was not only friendly and knowledgeable, but he also went over and above to address our concerns. Thanks Wes!
I had a fantastic experience with this team! Arden G., our representative, was punctual, professional, and took the time to thoroughly explain everything to me and my family. Arden was all about educating us and helping us find the right solutions for our needs without any pressure.Logan T. and Alex S., the technicians, were also great. They arrived on time, were extremely professional, and maintained a pleasant attitude throughout. Despite the stormy weather, they completed the installation quickly and efficiently, without compromising on quality. Everything looks amazing and works flawlessly. We're extremely happy with the service and would highly recommend them to anyone!
I had a great experience with the culligan technician Rob Woodlief!Very customer oriented & solved the problem immediately!!Nice job Rob !!
We have a lot of well water issues. Wes was able to get us a solution within our budget. Install will be within a couple days! Highly recommend!
Logan arrived early, very professional and courtesy. Job done quickly and looks great!
Thank you Culligan at Charlotte excellent customer service and thank you again for helping me since the Culligan at Greensboro closed without notice they came and help me and the technician Jack Terell was professional and help me with the problem of my filter.Very appreciated!
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#1 Hard Water Makes Your Appliances Less Efficient

Did you know that hard water is hard on your appliances?

It’s true.

Hard water can reduce the efficiency of your appliances by up to 48%, according to a study by the Water Quality Association (WQA). And that decrease in efficiency can lead to a 29% increase in your energy bills–costing you $1,500 or more over a 10-year period.

(And that’s just for your water heater. The same efficiency loss would affect your dishwasher and your washing machine.)

shower-head
appliances

#2 Hard Water Forces You To Waste More Soap & Detergent

When you have hard water, you have to use more soap, detergent, and other cleaning products. Over time, this can become a significant expense.

Think about how much money you spend on dishwashing detergent, laundry detergent, bath & kitchen soap, lotions, and other household cleaners. Probably several hundred dollars a year, depending on the size of your family…and if you have hard water.

(That cost could be reduced by 75% or more with soft water.)

#3 Hard Water Reduces the Lifespan of Your Appliances

Hard water also causes a buildup of scale that can shorten the lifespan of your appliances by 30-50%!

In another WQA study, the heating elements inside water heaters using hard water failed after just 19 months. The water heaters using non-hard water lasted much longer—up to 15 years.

saving-money
Appliance Type
Lifespan with Soft Water
Lifespan with Hard Water
Dishwasher
10
10
Washing machine
11
7.7
Faucets
9
5.4
Toilets
6.5
2
Electric water heater
13
6.5
Gas water heater
11
5.5

How Can You Tell if You Have Hard Water?

If you suspect you have hard water, here are some of the telltale signs to watch out for:
  • Mineral buildup in sinks, bathtumbs, and on your water fixtures
  • Spots on your dishes, glasses, and silverware that don’t come out in the dishwasher
  • Water heaters that fail sooner than they should
  • Soap scum in your bathtub or on your shower curtain/shower door
  • Faded clothing (especially clothes that used to be vibrant & colorful)
  • Dry, itchy skin and limp-looking hair
Or you can always contact Culligan to schedule a free water test. One of our technicians will come to your house and test your water for hardness and other contaminants.