A water softener works by effectively reducing the calcium or magnesium ion concentration in hard water. These "hardness ions" causes different kinds of problems. Firstly, the calcium and magnesium ions react with soaps and some types of detergents, reducing their ability to lather properly and in the process forms an ugly precipitate - which is the familiar scum or "bathtub ring". The presence of "hardness ions" also inhibits the cleaning effect of laundry detergents which again can cause their effectiveness to be compromised.
However, there are also more serious consequences of hard water. These hardness compounds, in particular calcium and magnesium carbonate, tend to stick to the inside of pipes and heat exchanger surfaces. The result - a scale build-up that can restrict water flow in pipes. In boilers, the deposits act as thermal insulation that impedes the flow of heat into the water; this not only reduces heating efficiency, but allows the metal to overheat which, in a pressurized system, can lead to failure. The presence of ions in an electrolyte can also lead to galvanic corrosion, in which one metal will preferentially corrode when in contact with another type of metal. The use of water softeners can aggravate this and cause sacrificial anodes in hot water heaters to corrode more quickly.
A WATER SOFTENER
Conventional water-softening devices intended for household use depend on an ion-exchange resin in which "hardness" ions trade places with sodium ions that are electrostatically bound to the anionic functional groups of the polymeric resin. A class of minerals known as zeolites also exhibits ion-exchange properties; these minerals were widely used in earlier water softeners.
Water that is extracted from wells has a particular tendency to contain hardness materials, and often causes the common hard water stains and limescale scum that forms on glass, sinks, taps and even on cars all around the world. Therefore, a water softening device can be very useful to treat waters from these types of sources, especially since many people prefer the taste of soft water that does not contain these materials. Public water systems are also susceptible to hard water, although this is much less common. However, this really depends on the source of the raw water that is being treated as the journey the water takes has a big impact on its mineral content.
Although soft water is preferable in many cases for domestic and industry, very soft water can corrode the metal pipes in which it is carried. The result of this is that the water may contain elevated levels of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc. However, that is another story!
Soften Your Water - Improve the Quality by Installing a Water Softener and Make it Taste Better! A WATER SOFTENER
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