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About Soft Water
Q. What is hard water?
A. Hard water is the most common problem found in the average home. Hard
water is typically defined as water having more than 1 GPG (grains per gallon)
of dissolved minerals in it, generally consisting of calcium, magnesium
carbonate, and/or manganese. The amount of hardness in water is usually
measured in GPG (grains per gallon).
A couple of ways for you to find out how hard your water is, would be to have it
tested at a local water testing laboratory, or you can schedule an appointment
with us, and we can come out and perform an on-site analysis, normally at no
cost to you. We will test your sample for hardness, chlorine, and pH, etc..
Treated (or softened water) = 0
Slightly hard = 1-2 grains per gallon (total grains x 17.1 equals ppm)
Medium Hard = 3-7 grains per gallon (total grains x 17.1 equals ppm)
Hard = 7-10.5 grains per gallon (total grains x 17.1 equals ppm)
Extremely Hard Water = 10.5+ grains per gallon (total grains x 17.1 equals ppm)
Q. Why soften my water?
A. Soft water greatly reduces the scaling of pipes, faucets, and bath fixtures,
and reduces spotting of glasses, dishes and flatware. Soft water also helps
detergent clean your clothes better, while making your clothes last longer too!
You can reduce your laundry detergent, dishwashing soap, hand soap and
shampoo to half what you would normally use, not to mention soft water is much
more pleasant to wash with, leaving less soap scum on you, and your
tub/shower.
Q. Why should hard water concern me?
A. For many uses, it would not matter. For instance, to control or extinguish
fires, irrigation, or wash the mud off your driveway, water would have to be
pretty hard to cause problems. But for bathing, washing dishes and clothes,
shaving, washing your car and many other uses of water, hard water is not as
efficient or convenient as "soft water."
For instance, you typically use only half as much soap cleaning with soft water
because hard water and soap combine to form "soap scum" that can't be rinsed
off, forming a bathtub ring on all surfaces and dries leaving unsightly spots on
your dishes. When hard water is heated, the hardness minerals are re-
crystallized to form hardness scale. This scale can plug your pipes and water
heater, causing premature failure, necessitating costly replacement.
Soap scum remains on your skin even after rinsing, clogging the pores of your
skin and coating every hair on your body. This crud can serve as a home for
bacteria, causing diaper rash, minor skin irritation and skin that continually
itches. In some cases softened water has controlled the effects of eczema. For
many industrial uses, the hardness minerals interfere with the process, causing
an inferior product.
Q. Why do water softeners add salt to the water?
A. The softener operates using an "ion exchange" process. When hard water
contacts the cation resin beads, by passing through the softener mineral tank
which have soft sodium/potassium ions attached to them, an ion exchange
process takes place with the hard mineral ions, (normally calcium and/or
magnesium), and during this contact, simply trade places with the soft
sodium/potassium ions.
After a calculated period of use, the sodium ions are eventually depleted and
are replaced by calcium and magnesium ions.
At this point, the resin then needs to be regenerated with new sodium ions, so
the resin will again be able to exchange the hard for the soft. Salt, or sodium
chloride, rinses through the resin beads during the regeneration of the softener,
and washes the hard water ions off of the resin beads replacing them with new
sodium ions.
Q. How much sodium is added to the water by the softener?
A. That depends on the hardness of the water entering the softener. Below is a
simple chart which shows the additional amount of sodium you would consume
by drinking one quart (32oz) of softened water.
|
| Hardness in Grains per Gallon |
Sodium in Milligrams per Quart |
| 1.0 |
7.5 |
| 5.0 |
37.5 |
| 10.0 |
75 |
| 20.0 |
150 |
| 40.0 |
300 |
|
| To make a more normal comparison using everyday foods: |
| Item |
Sodium in Milligrams |
| One slice of regular white bread |
161 |
| 3/4 cup of canned baked beans |
1130 |
| 1 tablespoon of catsup |
204 |
| As you can see, for water 20 grains hard you only have 150 milligrams per quart
of water in sodium added which is less than one slice of regular white bread!
Q. Do I have to use salt in my softener?
A. No. Most stores that sell softener salt also sell a water softener salt
substitute called potassium chloride. The potassium chloride for softeners is
just as effective as regular softener salt but adds potassium instead of sodium.
The cost of potassium chloride is a little more than regular softener salt but well
worth the small increase if you have concerns about residual sodium in your
water. Call and check the availability of potassium chloride and the difference in
price, compared to softener salt, in your area.
Q. Is there any concern about corrosion from the salt in the water?
A. No
Q. What do you think about Magnetic Water Conditioners?
A. Magnetic water conditioning units have been available for several years and
are not a new product. We have researched these products and have yet to find
any non-biased, scientific proof that confirms this form of water treatment as
being effective.
Basically, the claim is that these units change the electric charge of the hard
water mineral molecules that are dissolved in the water. By supposedly changing
the electric charge of the molecules, this causes the hard water minerals not to
"stick" to whatever it comes in contact with, such as pipes, water heating
elements, bath fixtures and faucets.
As these units do not remove any minerals that cause hard water stains and
buildup, we do not endorse any brand of magnetic conditioner. In addition and
in our opinion, and based on years of independent research and articles
disavowing this type of "water treatment", we highly recommend that the wise
customer should beware of any company that markets these type of units.
Q. Will your water softener remove iron from my water?
A. Our softeners will remove certain types of iron from water. There are several
types of iron found in water. If it is a soluble iron, commonly known as ferrous
iron, and is not more than 0.3 ppm(Maximum Contaminate Level), then in most
cases it will remove it from your water.
Other forms of iron, such as ferric iron requires the installation of a separate
"iron filter" which looks very similar to a softener without the salt or brine tank.
These iron filters generally have a timer and valve unit that are pre-set to
backwash their special iron removing media as needed.
Q. I have a water softener and now my water feels slimy!
A. When the hardness minerals are removed, soap no longer forms a soap curd,
or "bathtub ring" on your skin, plugging your pores, clinging to every strand of
hair. You are now truly clean. That slick, slimy feeling you feel is your natural
body oils without the soap scum.
The old saying that you get "squeaky clean" is a myth. That feeling was caused
by the soap scum on your skin. By the way, that soap scum also provided an
excellent place for bacteria to hide and grow, causing numerous minor skin
ailments. This “slimy” feeling can be reduced by mixing back in a small amount
of “hard” water reducing the feeling that soft water typically gives. In most
cases, customers get used to “soft” water and generally prefer it.
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