Water softeners reduce the hardness of water by interacting with the water you drink. This process is called water softening. There are two main ways to do this:
Use a concentrated liquid applied to the skin or utensil when washing the dishes, or Use a dissolved material such as calcium carbonate in your drinking water.
Neither of these methods requires you to change your drinking habits, as both sources are available everywhere. Both are also cost effective alternatives to expensive bottled waters!
The only difference is which one you choose and how often you need it. Most people recommend using it as needed but not needed frequently as it can save money in the long run to purchase it.
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They also remove many contaminants
Water softeners aren’t a new concept, and have been around for many years. What makes water softeners nowadays is the introduction of an ice machine.
The ice machine adds more work for the technician as it needs to create more space in which to place the water softener so it can process the water. It also costs more due to the larger filter size.
But overall, this additional cost is worth it! Water softeners reduce corrosion in water, reducing potential threats such as bacteria and viruses that could potentially enter your home.
They also remove many contaminants such as chemical compounds and nuclear waste. This can save you money in future months because you did not have to purchase replacement supplies.
Salt water softeners use cation exchange resin
Cation exchange resins are similar to gel-like materials that trapped and charged small ions in place. When this happens, the resin became more porous and effective as a softener.
When these cation exchange resins are placed in a plumbing fixture, such as a toilet tank, they created those charged ions in place. This helped them to soften water as it was entering the system.
Because these resin systems were expensive, some plumbing fixtures were designed with less of it. Other ways of enhancing the softening of water included adding salt or additives such as baking soda, which are used as antacids.
This attracts the hard ions and deposits them into the resin cube
When the water goes into the softener, it is softened and filtered. The water goes through a process called ion exchange, where it passes through several minerals to be softened and filtered.
Ion exchange processes can work well with municipal water, as it requires local access to supplies. Unfortunately, there are some hard cations in municipal water that cannot be entirely removed via ion exchange.
Some of these cations include magnesium, calcium, and fluorine. Once they are in the softener, they cannot be removed except by introducing a new source of water or replacing the old one with a new one. This process takes time!
During this time period, the softener must maintain constant contact with the incoming water to keep its content constant.
The water then passes through an electric charge
The process of water passing through a charge is called ionisation. This happens as the water passes through the softener, where it becomes more charged or rendered more sensitive to changes in pH and dissolved substances.
This process creates a protective layer over your drinking water, making it less likely to contain harmful bacteria and viruses. The charged water also helps reduce odors in your water, because fewer things are needed to consume the scent.
How does a softener work? Well, that depends on what type you have. If you have a replaceable cartridge softener, you just add the necessary amount of softened water and your softened water will be added to your supply.
If you have an installed softwater system, then you first need to find an alternative source for the softened water. This may mean contacting your municipality or company responsible for plumbing repairs.
This strips the hard ions from their mineral and deposits it into the tank
When your tap water contains sodium, it is converted into fresh water by the power of ice and water. This process is called cold water treatment.
Sodium in the tap means that your shower or bathtub has a higher concentration of calcium and magnesium. These substances help maintain strength in your hardiest areas such as your bones, joints, and internal organs.
When you wash your face, you also remove some of this calcium and magnesium. This is important because some buildings use it to strengthen the exterior of buildings instead of using chemically-derived calcium carbonate.
By adding something that contains sodium but does not require electricity, more people choose to use a water softener.
The water is now much softer and safer for your skin
When you shower, your shower head breaks down soap and shampoo leaving you with a soft, smooth skin. This process happens because of a water softening system.
Your shower head has a series of holes built into it to allow water to flow through it. These holes are called jets. The way these jets work is they break down the soap and shampoo leaving you with a much softer, smoother skin.
The same thing happens when you bath. You have the bathtub or showers that have bigger sized holes in them than the shower heads, but they still have the same effect of breaking down soap and shampoo leaving you with a much softer, smoother skin.
These systems work by using barrels of water to soften the water coming out of your taps and faucets.
Water softeners can improve many household tasks
Recent advances in water softeners include machines that monitor your water intake and provide instant relief from hot or cold water thirst. This is possible because of the newfangled term, smartwater.
What is smartwater? According to the Society of American Water Processors, smartwater is “a term used to describe a process that monitors the amount of water you are drinking and provides additional water based on your intake.”
You can think of smartwater as a thirst management system that provides cold or watered-down water when you need it. It does this by monitoring your skin temperature and adding more liquid if you are feeling thirsty.
The good news is that many people enjoysmartwater and find it helpful.
They reduce soap scum and limescale buildup
When water is hard, it can be difficult to know how well you are enjoying the water you’re using. You may find that your homes, showers, and pools are burdened with excess water and that is becoming a cause of headache and discomfort.
That’s not a good thing! Water hardness can be evaluated via measuring the tap water scale. This scale indicates the degree of softness or hardness in the water. Lightly colored waters tend to be softer than darker ones which are more hardened.
The reason for this is that lighter colored waters absorb more light which can contribute to overheating of equipment when it is used. When this occurs, the softened water has to be re- cooled before it can return to its normal state.
Harder waters require more frequent cooling and vice-versa. This can lead to wasted money and/or unnecessary stress on individuals using the system.