Residential Water Softening Systems
Water is considered “hard water” when it contains a relatively high amount of calcium and magnesium. While there are plenty of nutritional benefits associated with maintaining a proper daily intake of calcium and magnesium, having these minerals over abundantly present in your home’s water system can become a bit of a problem.
You can definitely taste and feel the difference between hard and softened water, especially in beverages such as coffee or tea and in foods such as spaghetti or homemade soups. Hard water feels slippery to the touch and causes build up and damage in home plumbing systems. Hard water also results in buildup in various home appliances such as water heaters, kitchen appliances, and water-based cooling systems. Hard water also makes it harder to wash your laundry since the minerals present in hard water counteract soap’s ability to dissolve in water. For all of these reasons many people find it very beneficial to add a residential water softening system to their home’s plumbing.
The main ingredient in standard water softening systems is sodium. Hard water with its high calcium and magnesium is passed through a tank containing the sodium. Positively charged ions associated with the sodium attract the magnesium and calcium ions, outputting softened water for all your household needs. Salt is added periodically as it is expended. The basic for formula for determining if you may need a water softener is if your water is greater than 5 grains (324 mg) of calcium and magnesium per gallon. Your local city or county government should have the numbers to let you know the “hardness” of your local fresh water supply.
If you are considering adding a residential water softening system in your home, you will have to deal with a certain level of maintenance. Most water softening devices use salt to separate the excessive minerals from the water, and adding salt on a scheduled basis is something you will have to do with these devices. Resin based cleaners available on the market that are great for removing sediment and build-up from your water softening system. Other residential water softening devices come equipped with self-renewing resin beds that perform the work of cleaning automatically. Either method will add years to the life of your water softener.
There are alternatives that use magnets or other electronic means to soften hard water, but if you are considering one of these devices be sure to check Consumer Reports and other research sources. Some electronic softeners work very well, but others have been shown to have no affect on the level of minerals present in treated water.
The alternative to using a residential water softening system is to simply live with the level of hard water in your home. If you are tired of dealing with hard water and all the hassles that come with it, don’t hesitate to get yourself a good water softening system.
Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it,