Congratulations on your new home. Among the long list of things to figure out as a new homeowner, water quality is one that often gets overlooked -- but it should not. The water in your South Florida home affects your health, your appliances, your plumbing, and your monthly bills.
Here is everything you need to know, broken down simply.
South Florida sits on top of a limestone aquifer that produces extremely hard water. Whether you are on city water or well water, your home almost certainly has some combination of these issues:
This does not mean your water is dangerous. It means it is not optimal, and left untreated, it will quietly damage your home over time.
Hard water is the biggest issue for South Florida homeowners. Here is what it costs you:
Mineral deposits build up inside pipes, gradually restricting water flow. A new home may have clean pipes today, but without a softener, scale starts accumulating immediately.
Scale insulates the heating element, forcing it to work harder. Studies show hard water reduces water heater efficiency by up to 48% and can cut its lifespan in half.
Dishwashers, washing machines, and ice makers all suffer. Hard water leaves spots on dishes, makes laundry stiff and faded, and produces cloudy ice.
That crusty white buildup on faucets and showerheads? That is limescale from hard water. It is cosmetically annoying and damages finishes over time.
Hard water makes it difficult for soap to lather and leaves a film on your skin and hair. Many people notice drier skin and duller hair in hard water areas.
For most South Florida homes, the ideal setup has three components:
This is the most important piece. A softener removes calcium and magnesium before water reaches any fixture or appliance in your home. It protects your plumbing, extends appliance life, and makes a noticeable difference in how your water feels.
A carbon filter removes chlorine, chloramine, and organic chemicals. This improves the taste and smell of water at every tap and protects the softener resin from chlorine damage.
An RO system at the kitchen sink provides the purest drinking and cooking water. It removes up to 99% of dissolved contaminants that the other systems do not address.
Your home inspection likely did not test water quality in any meaningful way. Inspectors check that water flows and drains work, but they do not test for hardness, contaminants, or chemical levels.
If you are buying a home with an existing water treatment system, have it inspected separately. Check:
The best time to install a water treatment system is right after you move in, before hard water starts damaging your new home. Every day without a softener means more scale building up in your pipes, water heater, and appliances.
Many new homeowners roll the cost into their home improvement budget or use financing to spread the expense over monthly payments.
Here is what to budget for a typical South Florida home:
These costs pay for themselves through longer appliance life, lower energy bills, and eliminating bottled water purchases.
The damage hard water causes is cumulative and often invisible until it is too late. A water heater that fails years early or pipes that need replacing are far more expensive than prevention.
We offer a completely free, no-pressure in-home water test. In 30 minutes, you will know exactly what is in your water and get a personalized recommendation for your new home.
Schedule your free water test -- it is the smartest move a new South Florida homeowner can make.
Schedule a free water test and get personalized recommendations for your home.
Continue learning about water quality and treatment
Understand the key differences between well water and city water, the unique challenges each presents, and the best filtration solutions for South Florida homes.
A deep dive into the contaminants commonly found in South Florida tap water and why legal limits may not mean your water is safe.
A step-by-step guide to selecting the best water filtration system based on your water quality, household size, budget, and specific concerns.
