What is a smart water softener?
Water softening systems are the gold standard for dealing with hard water issues. Water softeners use an ion-exchange process, also known as reverse osmosis, to remove hard mineral ions and replace them with sodium ions. Water softening systems accomplish this by utilising a tank filled with charged resin beads. Sodium ions are attached to those beads. Hard water is piped into the tank, and dissolved mineral ions are attracted to the beads as it passes over them. The sodium ions that have been displaced take their place, allowing the water molecule to maintain a balanced charge.
Water softening systems are distinguished by the fact that they must be regenerated on a regular basis. This is accomplished by pumping a brine tank solution into the resin tank, which displaces the collected hard water minerals and replaces them with fresh sodium ions. The waste of this process is then flushed down a drain line, leaving you with absolutely soft water.
Some new softeners have enhanced capabilities that provide users with greater convenience, customization, and peace of mind—especially when manufacturers install sensors, software, and other technologies that allow the units to become "smart" and connect with other devices via the internet.
Homeowners can usually use a connected app to monitor and control these smart home appliances, which can then send alerts about their status or issues that need to be addressed.
BENEFITS OF SMART WATER SOFTENERS
1-MORE EFFICIENT:
Many Indian consumers recognise the importance of energy-saving appliances and light bulbs. 45 percent of those polled say they prefer those options. Smart softeners are also efficient.
These systems employ a sensor to automatically adjust to changes in the hardness level of your water and regenerate or flush the minerals left behind during the softening cycle only when necessary. They are not required to regenerate based on predefined parameters such as a specific water capacity or time interval.
This adjustability is especially useful if your municipal water system frequently switches between different water sources with varying degrees of hardness. The method optimises salt, water, and electricity consumption, lowering operating costs.
2-IMPROVE EFFICIENCY OF APPLIANCES:
In the meantime, smart softeners improve the efficiency of water-using appliances by reducing scale build-up. The Water Quality Association cites a study conducted by its research foundation that discovered that using softened water allowed water heaters to retain their original factory efficiency rating for up to 15 years. Running hard water through the units, on the other hand, reduced efficiency by up to 48%.
The researchers also discovered that while softened water showerheads performed well, hard water showerheads lost 75 percent of their flow rate in less than 18 months.
3-CONTROL THE SYSTEM THROUGH PHONE:
If you're away from home, or even if you're at home but not near your softener, you can use an app to see the real-time status of your system, including how many days you have until you run out of salt. You can even bypass the water softener remotely for applications that do not require soft water, such as watering your lawn or washing your car. It's even simple to set a timer to cancel the bypass mode so you don't have to remember to reconnect your system.
4-ALERTS WILL BE THERE IN CASE OF NEED:
Checking the app isn't the only way to keep up with a smart softener. You can also configure notifications to notify you of service needs, such as when salt supplies are low, or system issues.
5-TRACK WATER USAGE:
Smart softeners can help you achieve this eco-friendly goal by not only helping you understand your water usage patterns, but also by allowing you to set water conservation goals and track your progress using a water tracker app.
6-FLEXIBLE PROGRAMMING:
The best smart appliances provide additional value. For smart softeners, this includes the ability to fine-tune the softness level of the water so that it perfectly suits you. Your system may even allow you to specify when it should regenerate, such as in the middle of the night when no one in your home is using water.
