Hard Water Hub
How hard your water is, what it does, and what actually fixes it.
What is hard water?
Hard water explained without the marketing: what causes it, how it is measured, what it actually does to your home, and whether it is bad for you.
Hard Water HubWater softener or scale inhibitor?
The two products solve different problems and cost an order of magnitude apart. Here is how to tell which one your household actually needs.
Hard Water HubHow to test water hardness at home
Three ways to find out how hard your water is, from free to accurate, and why your water company's figure may not match your tap.
Hard Water HubIs hard water bad for your boiler?
What limescale actually does inside a boiler, why manufacturers make scale protection a warranty condition, and what to fit.
Hard Water HubHow to choose a water softener
Sizing, metered versus timed, block versus granular salt, and the installation details that separate a good job from a cheap one.
Hardness by water company
Every UK supplier, ranked hardest first. Click through for what it means where you live.
Hard water by area
In the queue
- UK hard water map: which areas have hard water?
- Limescale prevention: what works and what does not
- Salt vs salt-free water softeners: the honest comparison
- Does hard water affect your skin?
- Does hard water affect your hair?
- Water hardness test kits explained
- Protecting your boiler from limescale
- Kettle limescale: what actually works
- Best products for very hard water areas