Without Hard
Water Softeners – Top Tips to Eliminate Hard Water From Your Home in Minutes
Following on from the previous article on water softeners, below is a explanation on the types of water softeners that can be used to minimize the effects of hard water around the home…including the pros and cons of each and the potential health issues that arise.
Chemical Water Softeners
This is when specific chemicals are added to the water to control water hardness.
The types of chemical that can be used include washing soda and borax. These chemicals form an insoluble precipitate with calcium and magnesium minerals in the water. The mineral ions then cannot interfere with cleaning efficiency, but the precipitate makes the water cloudy and can build up on surfaces. The disadvantage of precipitating water softeners is that they can increase the alkalinity of the water and this may damage skin and other materials being cleaned.
The second type is non-precipitating water softeners use phosphates to collect calcium and magnesium ions. There is no precipitate that is formed and alkalinity is not increased. If used in enough quantity, non-precipitating water softeners will help dissolve soap scum for a period of time.
Mechanical Water Softeners
These are devices that can be permanently installed into the plumbing system to continuously remove calcium and magnesium.
They operate on the ion exchange process in which water passes through a media bed, usually with resin beads that are supersaturated with sodium. The ion exchange process takes place as hard water passes through the softening material. The hardness minerals are collected by the beads while at the same time the sodium on the resin beads is released into the water.
When the beads become saturated with calcium and magnesium, they must be re-newed. The recharging is done by passing a salt solution through the beads. The salt solution which contains sodium replaces the calcium and magnesium minerals in the water which are flushed away.
As explained above, hard water treated with an ion exchange water softener has sodium added. The ion exchange softening process adds sodium at the rate of about 8 mg/liter for each grain of hardness removed per gallon of water. For example, if the water has a hardness of 10 grains per gallon, it will contain about 80 mg/liter of sodium after being softened in an ion exchange water softener if all hardness minerals are removed.
The addition of sodium to the water in these cases is potentially an issue to people with raised blood pressure and some individuals may be advised by their doctor not to install water softeners which use this method. In this case it may be advisable to soften just the hot water, or maybe to bypass the water softener with a cold water pipe to provide unsoftened water that can be used for drinking and cooking.
Next in this series of articles we will discuss the pros and cons of water filters and then magnetic water conditioners with regard to controlling hard water and limescale in our homes. Finally, I will layout a complete overview of water treatment methods discussed so far and explain the approximate cost of each method from installation to electricity running costs.
Warm Regards,
Patrick Henry
HardWaterStainsTips
Visit our popular website at http://www.hardwaterstainstips.com
Email us with any questions or queries at support@hardwaterstainstips.com
About the Author
Patrick Henry BEng (Hons), is a recognised industry expert in removing hard water stains. With an honours degree in Chemical Engineering, he teaches people how to remove stubborn hard water stains and limescale using a step by step guide. He is author of the ebook “Hard Water Stain Removal Secrets Revealed”. Complete information on his popular ebook is available from his web site. And while your there, don’t forget to subscribe to his FREE report.
Hard Gay & the Ramen Shop (minus boring intro)
|
|
Microplane 40020 Classic Zester/Grater $8.99 Microplane 40020 Zester/Grater, Black Handle For Grating/Zesting of Chocolate, Hard Cheese, Citrus Zest, Coconut, Ginger and Garlic Blade made of surgical grade stainless steel. Plastic handle. Dishwasher safe Cover included Made in USA… |
|
|
Nordic Ware 64802 Microwave Egg Cooker $5.99 NordicWare’s handy Microware TM series for the microwave gives home chefs the tools they need for clean, lean, and fast cooking. This unique egg boiler safely prepares up to four hard- or soft-boiled eggs within its own white, oval shell. To use, simply place whole eggs into the little grooves of the interior perforated shelf (piercing not required), then screw on the top and cook. No more hot wat… |
|
|
Nordic Ware 65004 11-Inch Microwave Plate Cover $9.93 Concentrate heat around microwaved food and keep it moist with this transparent, high-domed plastic cover. Because it protects against splattering, it’s a useful accessory for Nordic Ware’s two-sided round microwave bacon/meat grill. The cover fits dinner plates up to 11 inches in diameter. It also enables two plates of food to be cooked or warmed in a microwave at once: cover one and stack the se… |
|
|
Van Halen: Live without a Net $10.82 Filmed at the New Haven Coliseum during the sold-out 5150 concert tour, this DVD is the first full-length concert performance to be released on home video by Van Halen. Features the hits “Why Can’t This Be Love,” “Love Walks In,” “Best of Both Worlds,” “There’s Only One Way to Rock,” “Summer Nights, ” “Panama,” “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love,” and others plus the always anticipated guitar, bass, and dr… |
|
|
Secrets $5.50 Tracks: Come on over Here / You’re Makin’ Me High / There’s No Me Without You / Un-Break My Heart / Talking in His Sleep / How Could an Angel Break My Heart / Find Me a Man / Let It Flow / Why Should I Care / I Don’t Want To / I Love Me Some Him / In the Late of Night / Toni’s Secrets… |
|
|
Annie (Original 1982 Motion Picture Soundtrack) $7.99 ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK COMPACT DISC…. |
|
|
Buster Keaton – A Hard Act to Follow: Star Without a Studio [VHS] $19.98 … |
|
|
Culligan WSH-C125 Wall-Mount 10,000 Gallon Capacity Filtered Showerhead, Chrome Finish $26.93 Reduce Chlorine and sulphur Odor / 5 Spray Settings / Filter Life – 10,000 Gallons or 6 Months / 2.5 Gallon per Minute Flow / Chrome 10,000 gallon/ 6 month filter capacity (maximum flow rate of 2.5 gpm as required by ASME standards) Easy to install- no tools required Filter change reminder sticker included 5-year limited warranty Replacement Filter is CUL WHR140… |
|
|
Air-O-Swiss AOS Demineralization Cartridge- 7531 $14.62 Replacement De-Mineralization Cartridge, For Air-O-Swiss Ultrasonics Humidifiers, Easy To Replace, Prevents Development Of White Dust,… |
|
|
InSinkErator CRD-00 Power Cord Kit $3.75 IN-SINK-ERATOR POWER CORD *Fits most garbage disposers *Original in-sink-aerator replacement part *16 gauge wire *1- Romex connector, 1- 3′ wire grounded plug and cord, 2- wire nuts… |
ADSENSE CODE #1