Do you know that water high in calcium and magnesium ions is referred to as “hard water?” In that case, you should be aware of this. In addition to being inappropriate for human eating, it also causes extensive damage to any plumbing or buildings it comes into contact with. Clogged pipes caused by an abundance of calcium and magnesium ions are notoriously difficult to clean with the usual methods.
Water softeners, which may be tailored to your specific needs, are something you should look into using if you’re having any of these problems. A water softening system can be installed on the main water line and is available for purchase.
The following is a discussion of the many kinds of water softeners and how they can be used to lessen the effects of hard water around the house, as well as the potential health problems associated with using hard water. If you want to read the previous entry about water softeners, click here.
The water-softening chemicals
To get the right amount of hardness, this process involves adding specific chemicals to the water.
Some examples of useful chemicals include washing soda and borax. These chemicals react with the calcium and magnesium in the water to form an insoluble precipitate. After that point, the mineral ions won’t impede the cleaning process, but the precipitate could make the water cloudy and cause buildup on surfaces. Precipitating water softeners have the ability to increase the alkalinity of the water, which can be damaging to the skin and other materials.
For the second type of water softener, non-precipitating water softeners, phosphates are employed to attract the calcium and magnesium ions. No precipitate is formed, and the alkalinity does not increase. Non-precipitating water softeners, when used in adequate quantities, can aid in the long-term breakdown of soap scum.
Mechanical systems for softening water
These devices can be installed in a plumbing system in a way that ensures they are always available to remove calcium and magnesium.
In order to carry out the ion exchange process, the water is transported over a media bed normally made up of resin beads that are supersaturated with sodium. Ion exchange occurs when hard water passes through a substance designed to soften it. The sodium on the resin beads is released into the water while the beads gather the minerals that make up the hardness of the water.
The beads will need to be replaced once their calcium and magnesium levels reach their maximum. To accomplish this, a salt solution is cycled through the beads. The flushing process removes calcium and magnesium from the water, therefore the sodium-containing salt solution serves as a replacement.
Importance of water softener
As was just mentioned, an ion exchange water softener will add salt to hard water in order to soften it. Approximately 8 milligrammes of salt per litre is added to the water during the ion exchange process for every grain of hardness that is removed from the water per litre. If the water’s hardness is 10 grains per gallon, for example, an ion exchange water softener should leave the water with about 80 milligrammes of sodium per litre. Even when the water has been totally softened, this remains the situation.
When sodium is added to water, it can exacerbate hypertension in people who already have the condition. Therefore, some doctors may advise their patients to avoid using water softeners that employ this technique. In this situation, you may want to consider merely softening the hot water, or you may be able to bypass the water softener altogether by attaching a pipe for cold water, which would give water that has not been softened and may be used for drinking and cooking.