Water Softening, Water Softners, Hard Water

The term “Hard Water” is often used today. But what does it actually mean?
The water where there is a lot of calcium or magnesium is called “hard”. Ions of magnesium and calcium have a positive charge. This prevents positively charged ions of other minerals from dissolving in hard water. These mineral ions under the action of heat, chemical agents can reduce effectiveness of laundry, harden the process of dish washing and bathing.

Hard water prevents soap from dissolving in pipes. Lime scale starts depositing in pipes, and hot boilers and tanks begin to work less effectively. And you need to pay for heating much more than when the water is soft.

Hardness of water is measured in milligrams of hardness per liter of water (mg/L). We can speak about hardness when ions are combined with sulfated, chloride and carbonate. To make the measurement easier the concentration is usually expressed in the equivalent concentration of calcium carbonate. In soft water there’s 0-17,1 mg/L. If these figures rise the water becomes hard (slightly hard water has 17,1 – 60 mg/L, moderately hard water has 60 – 120 mg/L, hard water has 120 – 180 mg/L). And when the concentration of harmful chemicals exceeds 180 the water is called extremely hard.

To escape the negative effect of hard water softeners are used. These are specific devices that help to separate positively charged ions of calcium and magnesium. Water softeners used at home can be of 3 types – manual, semiautomatic and automatic.

To choose a water softener suitable for you we strongly recommend to follow some essential advice:
Try to find out some information about the water purification technology that the softener is based on. Some technologies may be not effective or our-of-date. It’s preferable to use proven technology.
Make deals with supplier you trust. Choose a respectable brand that can be relied on.
Take care that the device is working before paying for it. Check it or ask for guarantees.
Ask the dealer to show you a certificate given by a testing organization Be aware that the price of the unit may not include the price for installation.
Check the quality of water before using a new unit and after installation of the device. That will show how effective the new unit is and whether it’s worth using.
Examine the water problems beforehand so that you can know for sure what type of softener you need to buy. Some dealers may try to sell you the most expensive device “for all types of hard water”. But you may simply not need it! Perhaps your problems can be solved with the help of a cheap softener. So do not overbuy!

Using hard water may cost you hundreds of dollars per year. Reduced efficiency in cleaning, dish washing, laundering, heating makes you spend additional money. All these problems can be solved very easily. And the right and simple solution to it is to buy a water softener.

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