ALL ABOUT WATER SOFTENERS AND WAHT THEY DO

Have you heard the terms "hard water" and"soft water"? What does the two kinds of water mean and does the water hardness have any influence on our daily life? Hard water refers to the water rich in minerals, mainly calcium and magnesium while soft water is the water with low concentration of minerals. For drinking water, of course, we prefer the hard water which can supplement various beneficial trace elements. But for washing purpose, it is not a good choice, which can cause the scale build up in the appliances and fixtures. If you want to protect your home appliances, then you may consider to use some water softeners. Detail information can be seen below:

All About Water Softeners and What They Do

Before going into water softeners, let's start by taking a look at what makes water 'hard'. Essentially, water is regarded as hard if it contains lots of magnesium, calcium or a range of other minerals.These minerals are dissolved into ground water as it travels through the different layers of soil and rock. 

Problems Caused by Hard Water

The dissolved magnesium and calcium precipitate(solidify) out of the hard water in the form of scale, which accumulates in pipes, kettles, water heaters, coffee makers and other appliances. Scale can seriously reduce the flow of water and is also a poor heat conductor.

In addition, scale reduces the ability of soap to lather, whether this is in the sink, the shower or in the washing machine, and reacts with the soap, forming a sticky, unsightly scum.

Combating Hard Water

There are several ways of combating hard water,including chemicals, filtration systems or descalers. These methods (chemical sand descalers) do, however, often render the water undrinkable or are ultimately quite expensive (filtration systems on taps, fridge dispensers). In addition,chemicals and descalers can often harm the environment.

Water softeners, on the other hand, will get rid of these troublesome minerals in a cost-effective, efficient and environmentally friendly way. 

How Water Softeners Turn Hard Water soft

The principle on which water softeners work is quite simple: the magnesium and calcium ions within the water are exchanged for more desirable ions, such as sodium, for instance. This exchange within water softeners eliminates all the problems caused by hard water, because the sodium will not clog pipes or react with soap to form scum or affect lathering.

The amount of sodium added to water by a water softener is minimal, typically being below 12.5 mg per 8 oz., or 237 ml, glass of water. This is well below the standard for 'very low sodium' set by the FDA.Individuals with health concerns should discuss this matter with their physician and/or consider using a different type of water softener.Alternatively, they may choose to only use water softeners for washing and not drinking or cooking.

The ion replacement in a water softener takes place in the water softener's tank, which is filled with small polystyrene beads. These are also referred to as zeolite or resin. The beads in water softeners carry a negative charge and are bonded with positively charged ions of sodium. As the water makes its way through the tanks of water softeners, the sodium ions exchange places with magnesium and calcium ions, which have as lightly stronger positive charge.

So why do water softeners have to be loaded with sodium (salt)? 

As the water softener goes through several cycles, the sodium in the beads is depleted. Water softeners thus lose the ability to soften water after a few cycles. To cure this problem, water softeners enter a regeneration cycle, during which the beads in the unit are soaked in a strong salt, or sodium chloride, and water solution.

The high amount of sodium in the solution used by water softeners during regeneration forces the magnesium and calcium ions attached to the beads to give way and the beads are subsequently recharged with the sodium. The brine, including the minerals, is then flushed through a drain pipe by the water softener. Regeneration cycles of water softeners create around 25 gallons, or 95 liters, of salty water.

The majority of water softeners use this salt and plastic bead approach. Water softeners mainly vary in the way the regeneration process is activated. Some water softeners use electric timers, which will regenerate and flush water softeners at pre-scheduled intervals. Others use computers to judge the depletion of beads in accordance with the amount of water used.

Another variety uses mechanical meters to measure the use of water and activatere generation only when it is required by sodium depletion.
Each one of these water softeners has its advantages and disadvantages. Systems with electric timers will usually not dispense water while in the regeneration cycle. Water softeners using computers may provide a little water during this cycle as a result of having a small resin reserve.

Softening systems using the mechanical system usually have two tanks, making them the most flexible of the water softener savailable at present. Water softeners can cost between $400 and as much as$2,700, depending on type and make. As a rule, they are fairly easy to install,as well as remove. Plumbers will install water softeners for between $100 and$600, but some stores selling water softeners offer free installation.