HARD WATER EFFECTS

Millions of people opt for a water softener because it not only eliminates headaches around the house, but it also saves money by prolonging the life of your water-using appliances.

The worst and costliest problem with calcium carbonate is how it accumulates over time and causes clogs, corrosion and shorter appliance life. The more of it there is in the water, the worse the deposits will be and the faster they build up. Envision the water lines of your water-using appliance as small arteries in which the calcium carbonate, magnesium, iron or other hardness accumulates and eventually impedes or blocks the water from passing.

One example would be the washer-line hose that inside becomes laden with calcium carbonate precipitate deposits and takes longer to fill or some part that becomes encrusted and stops working altogether. Water hardness and its resulting build-up will not benefit any utility or surface in your home. Using a water softener will generally double the life expectancy of your hot-water-using appliances.

WATER SOFTENER

A water softener essentially treats the water and removes the hardness and minerals through an ion exchange process and typically the addition of some form of sodium or potassium. The softener normally has a mineral tank that contains resin beads and a brine tank that contains the salt, which may be together in one unit or in two separate tanks. You choose whether to soften all the water or just the hot supply.

What things to consider when Buying a Water Softener?

The resin beads create the ionic process that removes hard particles of calcium and lime scale. Water comes into the tank of the softener and flows to and over the beads, with an appropriate amount of contact with them to remove the unwanted elements and soften the water.

BUYING TIPS

· Besides water type and flow rate to determine water-softener needs, a local professional is always a huge help since they know what models and brands demonstrate good success in a specific region. 

· Water softeners come in an array of sizes, types, capacities, colours and brands, and the most popular type is the salt-based, whole-house, ion/cation exchange unit. Some softeners are specialized to focus on certain issues, while others may be standard and generalized. 

· The quantity of salt used depends on a few factors, but it’s mainly the capacity of the softener and how many resin beads there are to be treated, as well as how often it regenerates. For example, the softener might have 3/4, 1 or 1.5 feet of resin beads and then need corresponding amounts of salt for regeneration, typically six to 12 pounds per cycle for the average residential system.

· Many people mistakenly call or think of this option as “softening” the water when a conditioner does not actually soften but does remove damaging calcium carbonate from the water via various means and without salt. Conditioning may be a good option for folks on a zero-potassium diet or who want to avoid using water for the regeneration process.