Reasons for using water softeners and two important solutions
Water is made up of several minerals that are very healthy and necessary for our overall well-being. In this case, this article is about when water contains too much calcium and magnesium. Dissolved minerals accumulate in pipes and other water-carrying devices due to their high mineral content.
This leads to clogged pipes and makes it difficult for soaps and detergents to dissolve in the water. Water softener removes the ions that make water hard and reduces the amount of calcium and magnesium in the water, so your home’s plumbing system works better!
Water that contains a certain amount of calcium and magnesium is called hard water, and this property of water is called water hardness.
Conventional water softeners versus salt-free water softeners
Conventional softeners require two separate tanks: a resin tank and a brine tank, where calcium and magnesium ions are removed by ion exchange. The water passes through a layer of resin ‘beads’ containing sodium ions, while calcium and magnesium ions are attracted and bond to the sodium ions.
When there is no more room for additional calcium and magnesium ions, the plant is temporarily switched off and salt water is released from the brine tank to rinse the resin tank. In theory, the water produced by conventional softeners is free of calcium and magnesium, but contains additional sodium.
Salt-free water softeners are softeners that do not use salt (sodium) to remove calcium and magnesium from the water. The most effective and popular salt-free water softener is the so-called potassium chloride water softener, i.e. instead of salt (sodium), potassium is usually added to the water to soften it, which has been shown to have a number of health benefits, even in large quantities.
The following is a US government scale that defines hardness in measurable terms:
- Soft material contains 0-60 mg/l calcium carbonate
- Moderate – 61-120 mg/l calcium carbonate
- Hard contains 121-180 mg/l calcium carbonate
- Very hard – 181 mg/l or more of calcium carbonate.
Advantages of using salt-free versions
Water with a higher than normal salt content can have a negative impact on people with health problems such as hypertension who need to control their salt intake. People with these conditions should look for other sources of drinking water or other ways of sweetening the water without adding salt. Reviews of salt-free water softeners state that their maintenance costs are higher than those of conventional water softeners, and some reviews point out that the cost of potassium pellets is double that of salt pellets.
