Water Softener Reviews - How to Identify the Best Water Softening System Vendors

Water softening is a necessary evil. If the water quality is not great in your area and the water has a high degree of metals and minerals then it is extremely wise to be rather safe than sorry and install a good-quality water softening system. Hard water is hazardous for health. A water softening system is the only practical way by which you would be able to transform the water from hard to soft in sufficient quantities and quickly enough for daily use.

Yet, water softeners are expensive - they cost you a few hundred dollars and the better ones can actually be priced around a thousand dollars. You would want to have a really great water softener in place at that price and for the best of your health. There are two kinds of water softener systems - ionic and magnetic. A number of vendors sell water softening systems, and a few of them do a good job of it.

INSTALLING A WATER SOFTENER

To identify a good water softener vendor, you need to keep watch for the following.

Reputation of the vendor: The vendor must be a reputable one with a good track record, since a water softener is not something that every company builds and makes the best possible job of. Don't buy from an unknown or shady company. Vendor history: Check whether this vendor has a presence in the market for a reasonable duration. Vendor specialization: Check whether the vendor has enough specialization in making water softening systems and have worked long enough in this area. If needed, look for online testimonials. Variety of models produced: See whether the vendor has the right model for you. Also see whether they produce multiple models with different capacities (light duty versus heavy duty and so on). The more they work on water softeners, the better. This essentially means you shall not practically face too many challenges when you replace things like your ion exchanging brine salt. Warranty and maintenance clauses: Take a look at these also before you buy - you want to be on the safe side and there are enough vendors in the market.

Now that you know what to look for in a vendor of water softening systems, you are all set to go for your own water softening system.

Water Softener Reviews - How to Identify the Best Water Softening System Vendors

INSTALLING A WATER SOFTENER

Do You Know The Difference Between A Water Filter And A Water Softener?

Several years ago I moved into a new home located in a rural area that was not supplied by the nearest municipal water system. My source of fresh water was a drilled well. The water is of very good quality but is very hard water. I really did not fully understand the term "hard water" for several years but I have finally come to grips with issues related to hard water.

I have been using a water conditioning system produced by Culligan since I moved into my home. I thought it was a water softener. Everyone called it a water softener and that is what I called it. I got a little discouraged with the system performance and began considering a change. The Culligan system required the addition of peroxide to operate correctly and I was using nearly 10 gallons per month. My water was still showing some iron and system pressure was falling considerably.

INSTALLING A WATER SOFTENER

I began researching water softeners. To my surprise I was not operating a water softener. It was merely a deluxe "water filter". The water was passing through a media bed that filtered the water but it did not soften it. I realized at that point that two completely distinct processes were involved in proper water conditioning.

For optimum water quality the water should be filtered and then it should be "softened". I found that the softening process removed dissolved minerals that a filter allowed to pass through. That accounted for the mineral build-up on my appliances such as electric tea kettle and porcelain fixtures etc. Even system iron is present in different forms. Some iron is actually dissolved in the water and passes through a filter. It will however solidify when it is not circulating. It contributes a very large build-up inside hot water heaters.

I decided on a simple but high quality cartridge filter and a water softener that required salt pellets for constant optimum softening. The salt used by the softener does not actually enter your water supply. I found that it's only purpose was to flush out a special media bed that has special physical qualities that attract the minerals like a magnet. Many people are under the misguided belief that salt goes into your useable water - not so.

The media bed requires flushing at regular intervals to continue working at peak performance. The system will shut down at predetermined times and close itself off from your water supply. It then takes the salted water into the media bed. This will cause the accumulated minerals to release from the media. It is all flushed into your waste water system by a separate plumbing connection. Once this cleaning cycle completes, the system re-opens and sends fresh, conditioned water to your water supply again.

This is the point where I discovered "soft water". I was amazed. After I installed my new filter and conditioner it took about 2 days to fully displace all previous water from the water heater and storage system. Now when I take a bath the difference is absolutely amazing. After several years of "hard water", the water now truly felt soft and slippery. This is soft water. Soap lathers so much better and laundry detergent can be reduced considerably yet with better results.

This was my education regarding water softening and water filtering. There is considerable difference between the two processes. I hope this will help someone still lucky enough to be using fresh underground water.

Do You Know The Difference Between A Water Filter And A Water Softener?

INSTALLING A WATER SOFTENER

Steps To Installing An Inline Shower Filter

The Tools And Equipment You Will Need:

An In-Line Shower Filter Scissors to cut Teflon tape Some Teflon tape (optional) A 1.5" BSP rubber / plastic washer (this should have come with the shower filter) Towel to dry anything that becomes wet. A wrench (not necessary unless you want to create a very tight seal, though the Teflon tape should be enough).

INSTALLING A WATER SOFTENER

Preparation:

Before you begin, ensure that your in-line shower filter is completely clean and dry. Please do not install your shower filter immediately after you've had a shower! Ensure there is no water on the floor of your shower or water on the sides of your bath / shower. Having any water in the area you want to install the filter will be a real hazard as you can easily slip on the water and injuire yourself. Ensure that the area is dry throughout the installation process. If water spills out of any components, please immediately take your towel and mop up it up. Ensure that your tools and filter are at hand and in easy reach.

Steps:

In situation where you are installing your in filter in a shower with a hose and hand held shower head:

Remove the hose from the water outlet pipe. When you do this residual water will flow out of the pipe, please ensure you mop up this water. Wrap the thread of the pipe (the part grooves) with about 4 revolutions of the Teflon tape, cut it and press it down. Ensure that the 'female' water inlet pipe has the washer installed in it tightly and then position the 'female' water inlet pipe end onto the 'male' water outlet pipe and turn the shower filter in a clock-wise direction, make sure that for the first few revolutions the two threads meet tightly. Then turn until the shower filter is completely installed tightly onto the shower water outlet pipe. Take the end of the shower hose that was attached to the water pipe and attach it to the 'male' end of the filter.

If installing your in line shower filter onto a fixed shower head:

First remove the head from the shower water outlet arm. When you do this residual water will flow out of the shower pipe, please ensure you mop up this water. Wrap the thread of the shower pipe (the grooves) with about 4 revolutions of the Teflon tape, cut it and press it down. Ensure that the filter 'female' water inlet pipe has the washer installed in it tightly and then position the shower filter 'female' water inlet pipe end onto the 'male' shower water outlet pipe and slowly at first turn the filter in a clock wise direction, making sure that for the first few revolutions there two threads are meeting tightly. Then turn in a quicker fashion until the shower filter is completely installed tightly onto the shower water outlet pipe. After this take the shower head that you initially removed and position it over the 'male' end of the shower filter. Ensure that you have your original washer in your fixed shower head and screw your shower head onto the 'male' end of the filter in a clock wise direction. Ensure that the seal is tight.

In both of the above installation processes. Test by turning on the water. If you find that you are getting a leak in the filter or any connections, ensure that the seals are tight in that connection. In some instances (like old showers with old connections) you may need to use the wrench to tighten the connections.

Steps To Installing An Inline Shower Filter

INSTALLING A WATER SOFTENER

Water Softener Reviews - How Do Water Softeners Work?

As you know, water softeners are devices that use chemical methods to reduce the hardness of water. With a good water softener in place, one can drastically remove hardness factor of the water and successfully transform it into soft and usable water. The hardness factor of water would give you a tough time with cleaning, washing, removing soap from objects and maintaining your health. If you remove the hardness from the water well enough, then the soft water produced in the process would be as good as any other natural soft water.

The problem that many of us face is that the water we receive from the authorities is often hard. Quite often the limits of permissible calcium, magnesium and iron are crossed. And more so, it also depends on the particular geographical area. If the water available in your geographical area is known to have excessive metals and minerals in it then in all likelihood you re receiving hard water at home.

A WATER SOFTENER

Usually the water softening devices used in houses use a filter and a brine tank. The salt mixture comprising of the brine removes the minerals from the water using sodium ion replacement technology. The sodium ions are induced to replace the Fe+, Ca+ and Mg+ (iron, calcium and magnesium respectively) ions. These replaced ions stay back in the tank while the cleaned water moves through the water supply pipe of your home.

Clearly, you need to maintain the brine tank by flushing out the used up salt and adding more brine. So the maintenance option of the water softener has to be a good one for the overall system to remain effective over a long period of time. The water softening systems are somewhat expensive - might cause from a few hundred dollars to a thousand-odd dollars. If you plan to install a water softener at home, then it is recommended to go for good quality ones from reputable dealers with a reasonable warranty.

Water Softener Reviews - How Do Water Softeners Work?

A WATER SOFTENER

Why is the Pelican a Great Choice For a Salt Free Water Softener?

Millions of Americans experience hard water and according to the U.S Geological Survey, this number of Americans affected by hard water is 85%. Hard water comes from many underground resources such as aquifers that collect softened minerals from rock such as magnesium carbonate, manganese and calcium. These particular minerals are what give water its "hard" title. The problem with harder water is not so much about health but it can become expensive.

Many of the problems of hard water are usually hidden until a malfunction happens in the homes water-using appliances or the plumbing system. When the hard water is heated the dissolved hard water minerals start to re-crystallize and form scale that can eventually reduce water flow through the pipes by clogging the plumbing. There are products called salt free water softeners that may be able to help.

INSTALLING A WATER SOFTENER

If you have been looking for into a line of great salt free water softeners Amazon.com sells the Pelican PSE 1800 Whole House Water Filter and Softener.

Benefits of this product:

Saves you money on costly plumbing and water appliance repairs Make beverages such as coffee, lemonade, tea or just about any beverage taste better Increases the effectiveness of hot water tanks There is also not drain to install, no electricity, and no maintenance It leaves valuable mineral in the water

This Pelican Carbon Series whole house water filter is one of the best on the market today. This filter solves a host of contaminating issues and is very reasonably priced. It has a multistage filtration process and superior performance media that will give you sparkling clean water straight from the tap. Compared to other salt free water softeners this one ranks king.

This is superior in the line of salt free water softeners and will help improve the texture and feel of your skin. You can say good-bye to unpleasant odors that come from some water and you can also enjoy itch-free skin. There are large amounts of wasted water salt released in the environment that has caused a host of problems that people are unaware of. This systems technology makes the formation of microscopic calcium crystals, which in turn gets rid of the harder water side effects.

Why is the Pelican a Great Choice For a Salt Free Water Softener?

INSTALLING A WATER SOFTENER

Water Softener Reviews - What is Hard Water and How Can a Water Softener Help?

If you have hard water in your area, it is imperative that you go for some water softener. Hard water has excessive minerals and metals, and is bad for health. If you are using hard water for drinking and even washing then you are exposing yourself and your family to these extra metals and minerals. This is a situation where you should seriously consider getting a water softener for your home.

Scientists measure the quality of water from different angles. One of the measurements counts the parts of metals and minerals per million parts of water. This is expressed in a term known as PPM. If the PPM value of a sample of water is higher than a certain threshold, then it qualifies for being labeled as hard water. This is what is dangerous for health.

A WATER SOFTENER

Hard water is not only dangerous for health. It is also terribly bad for your appliances, water pipes and clothes. The hard water that we usually get in our conventional societies comprise of a high degree of calcium, iron and magnesium. These metals react with the material building our water pipes and appliances and eat into them. In fact, they also react with our skins and can leave you with an itchy skin. This can potentially turn into a skin allergy in the longer run.

A water softener would remove these elements from the water. The water would become soft and would be free from the potential health and other hazards that it would otherwise cause. These systems are somewhat expensive - would cost you a few hundred to around a thousand dollars depending upon the quality of softener you use, but the one-time installation cost is easily offset by the long-term benefits that come in the forms of health improvement and cost and effort saved in daily lives. Make sure that if you decide to get one for yourself then you get a branded one with a reasonable warranty and good reputation.

Water Softener Reviews - What is Hard Water and How Can a Water Softener Help?

A WATER SOFTENER

Effective Tips For Softening Water

The traditional ways of softening water are the boiling, distillation and iodine treatment. Not everyone is ready to waste their time to boil water and then cool them before they can actually use for drinking purposes. This is why the purifiers came into existence.

The water purifiers have the in-built boiling facility and then the boiled water will be purified by the filters that are also built inside the water purifiers. At the times of pollution it may be quite prudent to go for the purifiers that are available in the market. The water purifiers should have been certified by any of the health organizations so that you can be sure of the results.

INSTALLING A WATER SOFTENER

If you drink water straight away from taps then you are probably risking your health against extra bucks. If you want to have a healthy life then you should probably switch over to a purifier. You should go for the cartridge type because it has the capability to purify as much of it as possible despite the large amount of contamination.

So the cartridge type of water purifier is the commonest type of purifier that most of the customers buy to soften their water. Softening can also be done by getting rid of the minerals and the chemicals present in the water. For that removal process you must carefully select the water purifier.

You should clean the filters every now and then so that the efficiency of the water purifiers remains the same without any decline. Softening water can be done with the help of different kinds of softeners like the electrical softener which uses electric power to separate the chemicals and minerals from the normal water.

Electric water softeners are one of the commonest types of softener which has high level of efficiency in separating the minerals. The cost effective type of softener is the reverse osmosis. The reverse osmosis is just a kind of filter which uses semi permeable membrane.

Effective Tips For Softening Water

INSTALLING A WATER SOFTENER