Did you know that more than 85 percent of households in the United States have hard water resulting in sediment, scale and corrosion build-up that can cause significant damage to appliances, such as hot water heaters, as well as result in frequent maintenance repairs and raised energy costs?

In fact, late in 2016, many major manufacturers of both tank-type and tankless water heaters updated their warranties to require a scale inhibition treatment in hard water areas or noted that the warranty might be voided.

Scale can be a challenge as water hardness varies by region and even by municipality, because the percentage of compounds such as calcium and magnesium in the water differ nationwide. For example, many Western states have far higher water hardness percentages than Northeastern states according to water hardness maps developed by the U.S. Geological Service.

Most of the plumbing contractors know the hardness of the local water and understand that the harder the water, the quicker those mineral deposits will build up in a water heater regardless of tank-type or tankless. Furthermore, with tankless, if there is build-up, the burner will have to work at a higher temperature to properly heat the water, which can eventually cause a service issue with the water heater.

In Dallas, Frymire Home Services, which has been in the plumbing and HVAC business since 1950, is all too familiar with the issues hard water can create for a homeowner.

“The water in the Dallas Metroplex area is not only hard but also has contaminants in the water that the treatment plant combats by adding chlorine and ammonia to the water,” said Ken Elowe partner at Frymire Home Services. “Consequently, this treatment increases the corrosiveness of the water, and coupled with the scale/calcification already present in most homes, is a recipe for disaster in the homes pipes, fixtures, appliances and water heaters.”

With nearly 70 years in business in the Dallas Metroplex area, Frymire Home Services has built its family business based on a strong reputation for customer service and reliability among their customers. The company specializes in preventive maintenance and prides itself on identifying possible water treatment and plumbing problems through annual check-ups, known as club memberships, for their customers to help ensure that their homes don’t have late night disasters or after-hour emergencies.

Another way they create customer trust is by protecting major water appliances, such as water heaters. On every tankless water heater Frymire installs, they attach a unit to prevent scale build-up, such as Enviro’s Water Heater Shield which will extend the life of the unit and ensure it runs efficiently.

Enviro’s Water Heater Shield provides 5 gpm, 10 gpm, and 20 gpm units to protect any size water heater from sediment, scale and corrosion by filtering and pre-treating the water prior to it entering the unit.  Equipped with: a five-micron high-efficiency, high-performing filter that removes dirt, rust, silt and sediment particles down to 1/20th the size of a human hair; and the Heater Shield’s Siliphos media within the filter chamber prevents scale and stops corrosion by forming a thin protective layer on the element, lining and other surfaces within the water heater.

Compatible with both tank-type and tankless water heaters, the unit is easily installed inside or outside of the home on the feed water line prior to the water heater. A high-quality pressure gauge is included to monitor pressure loss, which can indicate the need for a filter change. Also, a pressure relief button on the side of the cap is included to make filter changes quick and easy. Also, the Water Heater Shield filter housing is tested and certified by NSF International to NSF/ANSI Standard 42 and 58 for material and structural integrity requirements and the product is FDA approved.

“We have installed countless Enviro Water Heater Shield units and will continue to do so, because they are a reliable solution and ensure our reputation remains positive among our customers,” notes Elowe says. “With Enviro products, we always feel comfortable we’ve added the extra piece of our service to WOW our customers.”

With the change in water heater warranties and contractors, such as the Frymire team, whose success is built on providing reliable service and maintenance, ensuring every water heater install will be protected is the right thing to do for the customer today and for your business’ bottom line tomorrow.