Softeners
When to Get a Softener
The water issues which suggest the need for a softener:
- Hard water
- Scaling around tiles and fixtures
- Excessive use of soap - it takes a lot of soap to get any suds.
- Frequent replacement of hot water heater or dishwasher
- Difficulty getting hair clean and sometimes skin rashes can be caused by hard water
- Laundry gets grey and discolored over time.
A softener is a tried and true, relatively inexpensive, and efficient method for removing hardness which causes scaling of calcium and magnesium. This scale appears as white or off-white deposits which are difficult to remove. The scaling is found on bathtubs, shower stalls, sinks, faucets, dishes and dishwashers. Accumulation of scale will decrease the lifetime and reduce the efficiency of hot water heaters. More soap is needed when water is hard, and it is more difficult to rinse the soap out. The result: hair feels not clean and laundry doesn't get as white.
Iron and manganese can be removed by certain types of softeners, only when levels are below a certain threshold. Always consult a water treatment professional when dealing with these factors.
How Softeners Work
Softeners function by passing water through very small resin beads that are capable of retaining Calcium, Magnesium and some other hardness ions from the raw water; in exchange for which the resins give up sodium ions. This process can continue for as long as the resins still have the ability to exchange sodium ions.
At some point, the resins have given up all their sodium. This requires a regeneration step in which a strong salt solution (brine) is passed through the resin bed. After the brine and solution of newly released hardness ions have been rinsed out to the drain, the resin bed is again capable of exchanging sodium ions for calcium, etc.
Types of Softeners
Timer Clock: The simplest and least expensive softener is automatic and regenerates according to a timer. Regardless of how much water has been used, the softener will go through a cycle every set number of days.
Metered: A Demand Initiated Regeneration-type has a meter that measures the actual water used and calculates when the softener actually needs to regenerate. Times when no water is used, such as a vacation, as well as times when more than the usual amounts are used, such as when you have guests, are all taken into consideration automatically by a good softener control. This type is consequently more efficient than the timer-type softener both in water used and salt consumption.
Twin-tank softeners are often used when water hardness is extremely high. These systems measure the water used and when one tank is depleted, the system switches to the other tank while the first one goes through a regeneration. These systems are typically very salt and water conserving.
Other Types of Softeners There are many different brands of softeners to choose from. Some are well-manufactured and will last for decades with minimal service - others like most sold in the big box stores will likely not last very long - we end up replacing them often. Beware of "electronic" softeners or magnetic softeners. On a rare occasion, they seem to work to reduce scaling but again most of the time, we are asked to replace them with a real softener.
Common Objections to Softeners
- "It feels like the soap doesn't rinse off my skin in the shower." This is a common complaint but in actual fact, soft water rinses soap off better than hard water. Hard water leaves soap residues on the skin which end up making you feel that the soap is rinsed off whereas in fact it isn't. If you smell your skin you will notice the scent of the soap is still on your skin. The way we understand it and explain it to our wary customers is that the "soapy" or "slippery" feel is simply the natural feel of your skin.
- "I've heard that softeners will destroy my septic system." This is a fairly common misperception and often adhered to by a variety of sources including septic tank installers and a number of plumbers. In fact, according to several studies, the softener discharge was actually seen to benefit the system by improving the percolation of the leach field. Further studies are ongoing and being carried out by several different groups including the WQA.
- "Softeners are bad for the environment". There is some truth to this; however, the addition of a little extra sodium and chloride to the wastewater has a minimal impact. There is more environmental impact, in our opinion, from the use of many more times as much soap and from landfilling scaled up dishwashers and hot water heaters in hard water situations.
- "I've heard that softened water is corrosive and will ruin my pipes." Again, numerous studies have shown and proven that this is not true. It is other parameters in the water that lead to pipe corrosion.
In Conclusion - About Softeners
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