Water softening and water quality adjustment are two terms commonly used in the water treatment industry. However, many do not understand the difference between the two. Before installing the water softener and conditioner, it is very important to fully understand the difference. Without proper knowledge, you may be using a water treatment system that does not meet your home or business needs.
Water softeners
First, let's talk about how water softeners affect water!
-Removes calcium and magnesium (hardness particles) from water supply
-Reduces or eliminates scale deposits on devices and pipes
-Reduces soap and detergent consumption
-Dry skin after cleaning reduces
-Reduces the build-up of scale in a pipe at a specific time
-Removes excess chemicals such as chlorine from water more and less wasted water
Water softener does not
-Removes additional harmful chemicals such as chlorine, herbicides, pesticides
-Removes viruses and bacteria from water
-Makes tap water healthier
How does a water softener work?
-The water softener actually removes hardness particles (such as calcium and magnesium) from the water supply. This is done through a process called ion exchange. The soft water tank has a bed full of resin. The resin is a small plastic bead containing sodium ions. When hard water flows through the resin, the hard water particles adhere to the resin beads and replace them with sodium.
Sodium is a soft mineral that does not aggregate or calcify on pipes, appliances, tableware, or skin. There is a myth that soft water is unhealthy because it contains a lot of sodium. But in reality, the amount of sodium added is less than that of bread slices. As soon as the resin is filled with hard water particles, they need to be backwashed (or regenerated).
During the regeneration process, salt water is removed from the brine tank and flushed into the resin. This will wash away the hard water particles from the resin and replace them with sodium. Regeneration usually occurs every 210 days, depending on the size of the water softener.
-One other method of water softening is electrically induced precipitation. This method uses directcurrent to precipitate water hardness and other compounds. A precipitate of hardness forms on the electrodes and needs to be cleaned regularly. Some studies have shown that precipitation on surfaces such as heating elements forms soft sludge and can be easily removed by fast flowing water near the surface.
-Electrochemical water treatment system uses electricity to remove dissolved hardness minerals and other impurities. This technique has several names: continuous electrolytic deionization, capacitive deionization, or electrically regenerated ion exchange. When a negatively charged electrode or cathode is placed in water, positively charged cations move towards it.
-Template-assisted crystallization uses surface-treated resin beads to convert (do not remove) dissolved hardness ions into microscopic scale-tolerant crystals.
-Polymer beads are fluidized, emitting microscopic crystals and creating movements that allow the crystals to continue to form. When these crystals are formed and released from the beads, they are insoluble particles and do not form deposits on the surface.
-Magnetic water treatment, or the use of magnets and electromagnetic devices for water treatment, is controversial. The approach is to pass hard water through a magnetic field to form fine deposits that do not form lime-scale deposits on water heaters, pipes, and other pipes. There is no scientific consensus on the effectiveness of magnetic water treatment and its removal mechanism. Therefore, in contrast to the other techniques mentioned above, magnetic water treatment is considered a technique that has not been tried and tested.
How about a "salt-free" water softener?
One of the most intriguing technologies widely used on the Internet is the "unsalted water softener".
Actually, there is no such thing as a salt-free water softener. What they actually mistakenly mention is a water purifier. Water cannot be softened without sodium. It's a scientific fact. Therefore, salt-free water purifiers can change particles for a period of time, but the water is still hard.
