Water softeners

Hard water is a general term for water that has absorbed large amounts of minerals from the earth, mainly calcium and magnesium. Water is called "soft" when these minerals are not present in large quantities. Water can be naturally soft (water from lakes and streams is often naturally soft). Or it can be made soft by a water softener.

HOW CALCIUM GETS IN THE WATER?

Underground water supplies become hard because of the nature of the rock through which rainwater seeps as it filters down from the surface. Regions with lots of limestone, chalk and gypsum tend to have hard water in their groundwater reservoirs, while regions where the predominant rock is granite or another low-calcareous rock naturally have soft water. Water can also become hard in regions where certain agricultural supplements such as lime are used in large quantities.

SULPHUR CONTENT

Sulphur content is another problem that can also be treated. The obvious signs of too much sulphur in the water are a bad smell and water that has a brownish or reddish colour. This too can lead to corrosion or bacteria in your drinking water.

WHAT IS A WATER SOFTENER?

A water softener is a device that removes calcium and magnesium from water. Hard water contains high levels of calcium and magnesium ions, which can cause scale build-up and have a detrimental effect on your home's internal heating and plumbing systems, as well as limiting the effectiveness of soaps and detergents. Soft water does not contain these elements, allowing households with water softeners to save a significant amount of money (well over ±€2,000 a year) all year round for various reasons. As mentioned, hard water can cause blockages in your plumbing due to lime deposits. In comparison, soft water can provide a long-term solution to this type of deposits. If a water softener is added to a home afterwards, the softer water will gradually dissolve limescale deposits and solve the problem completely.

WHEN DO I NEED A WATER SOFTENER?

The decision to use a water softener is a personal choice that ultimately depends on the hardness level of your water. If the water is moderately to very hard (61 - >180 mg/L), you may need a water softener to remove the minerals from the hard water. On the other hand, if the water is soft (0 - 60 mg/L), you may not need a water softener. Soft water is safe to use.

IMPORTANT BENEFIT: PRESERVATION OF ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES

Hard water can wreak havoc on all kinds of water-based appliances such as: washing machine, dishwasher, coffee machine, kettle, shower head, taps, as well as your boiler or heating system, among others. This is caused by deposits of foam and limescale that can lead to blockages and damage. Deposits essentially act as an extra layer of insulation that prevents heat transfer to the water. This scale is known to drastically reduce the efficiency of your boiler - sometimes up to 50 per cent. Even a small deposit can be enough to cause a loss of heat efficiency of up to 12%. If you run soft water through your system, the scale deposits gradually dissolve and the problem is solved completely.

OTHER BENEFITS WATER DESCALER:

•  cleaner laundry, softer clothes, less wear and tear
• less use of detergents and cleaning agents
• improvement of hair & skin (conditions including eczema)
• better showering and bathing experience
• longer life of electrical appliances (washing machine, dishwasher, boiler, coffee machine, etc.)
• streak-free car washing

HOW DOES A WATER SOFTENER WORK?

There are many water softeners on the market, but almost all of them rely on the same principle - ion exchange, a chemical process that replaces sodium (sometimes potassium) with the minerals that make water hard. In a conventional system, water passes through a tank with a bed of sodium-saturated resin beads, exchanging calcium and magnesium ions in the water with sodium ions. When the minerals adhere to the beads, the sodium that was on the beads enters the water volume. By the time the domestic water leaves the system, it is no longer hard.

Over time, the resin bed becomes saturated with the minerals extracted from the hard water. At that point, the water softener has to go through a "regeneration cycle", in which sodium-rich water restores the resin beads to their original sodium-saturated state. At the end of the cycle, the softener operates normally again and the water flowing through the softener is softened.

MAGNETIC-BASED WATER SOFTENERS

Magnetic systems are often called "water softeners", but the correct term is "water conditioners" because they do not actually soften water. The only real method of softening water is ion exchange, which removes calcium and magnesium minerals, changing the properties of the water and turning it from hard to soft. When magnetic water softeners were first made, there was not much evidence to support manufacturers' claims that these systems really work.

Now more research has been done and we have more scientific evidence, which gives more insight into the effectiveness of magnetic water treatment devices. The research showed that magnetic water treatment could reduce limescale by an average of 34%. That's pretty low percentage.

SALT-BASED WATER SOFTENERS

Salt-based water softeners are the most widely used and effective types of softeners. Most water softeners are salt-based, so there is a wide range of salt-based options available. They come in different sizes and are suitable for almost any home. A salt-based water softener usually works by sucking heavy minerals in the water, such as calcium and magnesium, into a resin in the softener and exchanging them for sodium (salt). By removing the heavy minerals, the water returns to a healthy neutral state.

Although salt-based water softeners add salt to the water, these are only small amounts that are rarely noticed. This sodium level is safely within the recommended range for healthy people, but people with a low-sodium diet are better off choosing a salt-free water softener that uses potassium instead of sodium.

WATER SOFTENER IN COMBINATION WITH WATER FILTER SYSTEM

A water filter system cannot remove calcium from water, so you need a water softener for this. However; after 'softening' your tap water still consists of ± 72% pollution, which a descaler cannot filter. After descaling, it is recommended to have the water filtered through a water filtration system. This way, you combine the benefits of both systems and have a water quality you won't find anywhere else.