What is water softening?
•
Water softening is the removal of calcium and a few other
minerals that can cause our working water to damage
household property. When it deposits as scale, calcium
carbonate (limestone) is an abrasive rock like mineral.
If you have soft water we recommend that you use
soft water soaps to save money and stop wasteful
additives from going down the drain. Be Green.
Learn More.....
Why soften your water?
Calcium that is dissolved in water forms deposits that:
• Wear and fray the threads in clothing
• Stick to clothing and other household products and appliances (You can
feel the difference between towels that are new and those that have been
repeatedly laundered in hard water. Those laundered in hard water ones are
rough, the result of rock encrustations embedded in the fibers.)
• Spot dishes, faucets, sinks, toilets, cars, in fact all surfaces, with a
microscopic film of limestone.
• Deposits buildup inside water pipes, heaters, and bathroom and kitchen
fixtures.
• Gas water heaters used 29% less energy to heat water and electric water
heaters used 21% less energy when operated on softened water according to a
study done by
New Mexico State University.
How can water be softened?
• Presently there is only one practical way for homeowners to soften their
water and that is through an ion exchange water softener. Briefly here is
how it works.
• Ion exchange water softeners are filled with millions of tiny resin beads
that attract and hold on to calcium. As the water passes through this resin
"bed" the calcium is removed so it cannot harm your household goods.
• What happens when the resin beads are full of calcium?
• The resin bed is rinsed with dissolved salt, usually table salt. The
dissolved salt scours the calcium from the beads which prepares them to
remove more calcium. This rinsing process takes place every few days,
usually at night.
Are there other alternatives that remove calcium from the water?
• Not according to the
WQA
(Water Quality Association). Some other technologies can remove calcium
but at a very high cost in energy or wasted water. Ion exchange water
softening is the most cost efficient method to remove calcium.