A water softener is a home appliance or a water softening device that is designed to utilize the ion exchange process for the removal of hard minerals from running water at homes. Common hard minerals are calcium and magnesium, which are easily absorbed by soil.
There are disadvantages that occur when hard water is directly used.
– It causes scale buildup and residue in plumbing fixtures and water appliances.
– Soaps and detergent don’t lather accordingly.
– White residue due to dish washing liquid are seen on dry dishes.
– It leaves hair dry and clothes looking dull and worn-out.
Most of the water softeners comprise two tanks: a water tank and a brine tank. One of the tanks is filled with resin beads that are incorporated with electrical charges opposite the charges of calcium and magnesium. As a result, when the water flows into the tank, the process of ion exchange takes place, swapping the hard minerals with soft minerals, either sodium or potassium chloride. These minerals are added to the water softening system regularly for regeneration.
How a Water Softener Works
Hard water, when used regularly, can cause certain negative side effects such as having dry skin and hair, and rough clothes.
As a consumer, there are important details that must be consider to purchase the most suitable water softener system based on personal specification. Firstly, you need a unit that is able to suffice soft water for the entire family. Inquire for a powerful unit, but take into account, its overall cost and maintenance issue.
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Secondly, find a unit that can easily fit into your household, if you prefer one that does not take too much space in your home. Or you can accommodate the unit’s size given that your house has spacious area.
If you are convinced with purchasing a water softening system, you probably may wonder what hard water actually is. When underground water passes through soil and sediments, it carries along hard minerals such as magnesium. calcium, and other metals.
These hard minerals in your water can contribute to the following adverse side effects:
1. Dissolved magnesium and calcium can lead to scale buildup in the plumbing fixtures, causing erosion and clogged pipes.
2. When doing laundry, the hard minerals leave your fabric rough, dingy, and looking worn-out.
A water softener works by destroying dissolved hard minerals in the hard water, and are usually measured by its capacity to remove grains. Most water softeners requires the usage of sodium for their process, but some are engineered to work with alternatives such as potassium chloride, or with no sodium at all.
Who Needs a Water Softener ?
When you want to consider purchasing a water softening unit, you need to know first if the water in your vicinity is hard or otherwise. Below are the information on how to test and how to determine if the water is hard.
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After careful investigation of having hard water at home, you have to consider owning a water softener in order to provide healthy, clean and soft water to everyone in your household. Furthermore, when testing your water, you must determine its water hardness level so that you know what water softener is the most suitable for your requirement.
As mentioned earlier, hard water causes not only inconveniences, but also degrading health, hair and skin to anyone in the household. It also affects the lifespan of your home appliances and pipes. If you already discover that you have hard water at home, decide on the quality water softener, as it may actually benefit your health and your savings in the future.
What is Hard Water and What Causes It?
Hard water is simply water that contains high level of dissolved calcium and magnesium minerals. In addition, it is a common issue that affects more than 85% of households in the country.
The hardness of the water can be calculated in two measurements: parts per million (PPM) and grains per gallon of water (GPG). In the US, most households have hard water level between 3.5 and 10.5 GPG. You may not probably notice any adverse effects of the hard water with level below 3.5 GPG.
What causes hard water? The rainwater is naturally soft, but when it falls onto the ground and gets sipped or makes it way through until it reaches the underground home waterways, the water picks up minerals like lime, chalk, calcium and magnesium from rocks, soil and underground sand.
Some people prefer drinking hard water because it contains the essential minerals, which are thought to have health benefits and good flavor. Soft water, on the other hand, has a salty taste, and is not suitable for drinking. But why the need to soften the water, then?
The difference resides when doing household chores like cleaning the shower filters and appliances, and doing laundry. Spots and residues are formed appearing very troublesome to clean in appliances, faucets, bathtubs, dishes and dishwashers.
The clothes are left looking worn-out and dingy; detergents and soaps are not lathering well with hard water, here the Water Softner help in maintain the cloth and utensil in good and non worn out condition