How to Address Hard Water Problems
Does your water display the telltale indications of hard water? If you have excessive spotting on your glasses, clothes that gray and fray prematurely, soap scum buildup, scale accumulation on the water heater, pipes, and water-using appliances, then you have hard water.
Hard water is safe for human consumption, but it can wreak havoc on your plumbing system, your washing machine, hot water tank and more. Water with a high hardness level will wear out appliances sooner than soft water. It can leave yellow stains on your fixtures, sinks and toilets from the mineral deposits.
Hard water is primarily a combination of calcium and magnesium measuring 3.five grains per gallon (gpg). It may also contain sulfur, iron, lead and limestone.
Dealing with hard water will not only extend the life of appliances, but also save on soap and detergent expenses, since a smaller amount is required to achieve the same effect in contrast to hard water. Your wardrobe will last longer and be whiter, brighter and cleaner.
There are several ways to deal with hard water problems. The first and most typical method is to install an ion-exchange water softener. It is necessary to add salt on a frequent basis. In a nutshell, water softening is a very clear-cut process. The softener unit consists of a tank – which will vary in size according to water usage, size of home, and water usage – that has resin (small sand-like beads) in it and a head on the tank to control the regeneration cycles.The valves can be timed or metered units. Metered will run after a certain amount of water has passed through the system.Timer units will regenerate based on a certain period of time. Metered units are usually more favorable as they waste less water. There’s also another larger tank that keeps the salt for the regeneration cycles.
A water softener will deal with all of your hard water issues and a little bit of iron and manganese, however it will not address high levels of iron or manganese. And a water softener will not address sulfur issues or filtered water. It will give you water that feels slippery – some people love that, and some hate it. So knowing whether you are a love-it or hate-it kind of person will really help to know whether you should go the traditional water softener route or try a different system. Of late, some states and municipalities have forbidden softeners, so be sure to check to ensure you can install a softener in your town.
The next technology now available to treat hard water scale issues is a no-salt conditioner. This is not a salt-based softener, it is a descalant to appreciably decrease scale and other hard water issues. There is no salt required and little to no maintenance. There is a special kind of media that is used in the system, sold under the brand name FilterSorb or other private label names. It does not require regeneration, which wastes water, like a traditional softener, so it is more environmentally friendly. These systems usually come with a sediment pre-filter before the main tank. The media will need to be changed every 5 years or so.
The lates technology to treat hard water is a magnet conditioning system. These are very easy to install, require absolutely no maintenance, and work for most light to moderate hard water issues. If you have more than 25 grains per gallon of hardness (there are simple tests available which can test your hardness level), or excessive limescale, a magnet conditioner will not work well. The magnets will provide similar results to the no-salt conditioner in that they decrease scale issues, but will not provide that slippery feel of soft water. Again, you’ll either love that or hate that feel, so know your preference up front before you buy any type of system. Incidentally, large versions of the magnets are often used in large commercial settings and provide great results at a very low cost.
Educating yourself on the different types of systems available to treat your issues will help you determine which is right for you. You should also decide up front whether you like the feel of soft water and are prepared to add 40 pound bags of salt on a regular basis. If not, then look into other methods for hard water conditioning.You’ll be happy you took the time to do it.
Joy Parker makes water filter and softener recommendations to homeowners in the U.S. Visit www.PuriTeam.com for more information.
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