Gord’s Appliance Speaks on Calgary Hard Water & Dishwashers
Most of us in the Calgary area are familiar with hard water and its effects on large and small household appliances, skin, plumbing, etc. There are a couple of variables affecting the hardness of Calgary water that you may not be aware. The water source for north Calgary is the Bow River which has lower levels of hardness than south Calgary which gets its water from the Elbow River. Water hardness is also a seasonal phenomenon, with higher levels of hardness occurring in the winter and lower levels in the summer.
Water hardness affects the amount of build up in your dishwasher, which will in turn influence your machine’s effectiveness. When mineral deposits build up in your dishwasher, its cleaning capacity is diminished and trapped particles of food can cause an unpleasant odour. Because of changes in the amount of phosphates available in dish-washing detergent, soaps are less effective at reducing the amount of minerals that are deposited in your dishwasher. However, there are a variety of products on the market that will rid your dishwasher of these build ups enabling it to work more efficiently and helping to leave it smelling fresh and clean. One of the best products is called Affresh. Safe for septic tanks and for North American and European dishwasher models, Affresh is available in appliance parts stores.
The recommendation is to use two Affresh cleaning tablets in your dishwasher once a month, or as needed. Simply place one tablet in the main detergent tray and a second tablet in the bottom of the dishwasher and run your machine on its most robust cycle. Be sure that all dish-ware and cutlery has been removed. It’s an easy way to keep your dishwasher functioning at its best.
Gord Haines is a journeyman appliance technician with over 25 years of experience.
Contact Gord’s Appliance for repair and servicing of all your residential appliances.