Water Softeners are
used to treat hard water. They
work by replacing the calcium
and magnesium in the water with
sodium. They may also remove a
small amount of iron or
manganese, but for high levels,
it is not recommended.
Water Softeners do not always
require a professional
installation if you are
competent at DIY.
What is hard water?
Water described as "hard" is
high in dissolved minerals,
specifically calcium and
magnesium. Hard water is not a
health risk, but a nuisance
because of mineral build up on
fixtures and poor soap and/or
detergent performance.
Water is a good solvent and
picks up impurities easily. Pure
water -- tasteless, colourless,
and odourless -- is often called
the universal solvent. When
water is combined with carbon
dioxide to form very weak
carbonic acid, an even better
solvent results.
As water moves through soil and
rock, it dissolves very small
amounts of minerals and holds
them in solution. Calcium and
magnesium dissolved in water are
the two most common minerals
that make water "hard." The
degree of hardness becomes
greater as the calcium and
magnesium content increases.
Water softeners
Mechanical water softening
units can be permanently
installed into the plumbing
system to continuously remove
calcium and magnesium.
Water softeners operate on the
ion exchange process. In this
process, water passes through a
media bed, usually sulfonated
polystyrene beads. The beads are
supersaturated with sodium. The
ion exchange process takes place
as hard water passes through the
softening material. The hardness
minerals attach themselves to
the resin beads while sodium on
the resin beads is released
simultaneously into the water.
When the resin becomes saturated
with calcium and magnesium, it
must be recharged. The
recharging is done by passing a
salt (brine) solution through
the resin. The sodium replaces
the calcium and magnesium which
are discharged in the waste
water.
Hard water treated with an ion
exchange water softener has
sodium added. The ion exchange
softening process adds sodium at
the rate of about 8 mg/liter for
each grain of hardness removed
per gallon of water.
Should I use a water softener
?
This is a matter of personal
choice. A water softener will
improve the efficiency and
increase the life of appliances
using hot water such as
dishwashers and washing
machines. It will make lathering
easier and reduce scum marks on
sanitary ware. Some people with
skin conditions, such as eczema,
have fewer problems if they use
soft water for washing. But if
you do install a water softener
you should make sure that you
have a supply of unsoftened
water for drinking and cooking.
This is because:
there is evidence of less heart
disease in hard water areas than
in soft water areas, although
not all studies agree. If
something in hard water protects
against heart disease, water
softeners might remove this
protection along with the
hardness, many water softeners
work by replacing the hardness
with sodium. Too much sodium can
be a problem for premature
babies because their kidneys are
not good at filtering it out of
the blood, and for people who
are on a low sodium (low salt)
diet soft water may release lead
from any lead pipes downstream
from the water softener a
softener which has not been
properly looked after may
release germs into the water
We call water "hard" if it
contains a lot of calcium or
magnesium dissolved in it. Hard
water causes two problems:
It can cause "scale" to form on
the inside of pipes, water
heaters, tea kettles and so on.
The calcium and magnesium
precipitate out of the water and
stick to things. The scale
doesn't conduct heat well and it
also reduces the flow through
pipes. Eventually, pipes can
become completely clogged.
It reacts with soap to form a sticky scum, and also reduces the soap's ability to lather. Since most of us like to wash with soap, hard water makes a bath or shower less productive.
