Hard water is a fact of life. And the more we understand to accept this fact, the easier it is to find the solution for it.
We know about hard water and the harm it can bring to our plumbing and appliances. And it is annoying to see scale buildup destroy service life of water heaters.
Yes, you can improve the flavor of water using carbon filter systems, but this is not ideal knowing that the filtered water may still damage your skin and your family's hair each time you visit shower.
This is why we recommend that you lease or buy a water softening system to remove the effects of hard water in your home.
A water softener is just a particular sort of "filter" that removes calcium and magnesium from hard water using plastic beads - and cleans itself occasionally using a procedure called "regeneration."
Water softeners consist of three main elements: a brine tank, a mineral tank, and a control valve.
The two tanks are kept separated within the cabinet, although lower-capacity systems often connect the mineral tank and brine tanks into a single unit. Larger systems typically use a separate brine tank and a mineral tank.
Mineral Tank: The mineral tank is where the action is. This is where water filtering occurs, and the hard water is softened (i.e., magnesium and calcium are eliminated).
Brine Tank: The brine tank is where a solution of potassium or salt is stored.
Control Valve: The control valve is the system that controls the flow of water into and from this brine and mineral tanks through regeneration.
Water softeners can make life a LOT easier for homeowners. But some people cling to certain myths that keep them from taking action.
A number of these are just misunderstandings; others are complete untruths.
Here are some water softener myths and facts that happen when you use a water softener - as we dispel eight distinct water myths.
Myth No. 1 -- Water softeners add salt to your water.
It's simple to understand why people make this mistake.
To be clear, though: if you install a water softener in your dwelling, you aren't drinking salt water.
It's a fact that you require water softening salts, but you should not taste salt in your water.
Water softeners actually filter water using an ion exchange procedure to remove minerals such as magnesium and calcium that are known for making the water hard.
A particular media present in the mineral tank makes this process possible. This media is filled with sodium ions which remove minerals from your water.
As a result, it is not salt (NaCl) that has been added to your water - it is sodium ion (Na).
Myth No. 2 -- The quantity of sodium added to softened water is not healthy.
The quantity of sodium ion that a water softening system puts into your water is dependent upon how hard the water of your home is in the first place.
That being said, the quantity of sodium in water is too little to harm you. The Mayo Clinic claims on its website that "the additional sodium should not be a problem for most healthy adults."
Not everybody likes the taste of water that has been purified, but for this reason, they often don’t take care of their hard water problems at all.
Fortunately, some solutions get around this.
You can separate the faucet you use for cooking and drinking out of your system while still obtaining the benefits of softened water for bathing, cleaning, and laundry.
You can install a reverse osmosis system to furnish clean drinking water that is refreshing and pure.
Myth No. 3 -- Water softeners produce purified water.
Water softeners are designed to decrease water's hardness. They do an exceptional job of removing metals and minerals that cause scale that causes many domestic problems.
However, all contaminants are not filtered out by water softeners. This is just another reason why you may need a reverse osmosis system, too. You can look into other kinds of filtration methods to manage sulfur and iron problems.
Myth No. 4 -- Water softening removes healthy minerals.
Talking more on water softener myths is that, when people hear water softeners remove calcium and minerals, they believe nutrients are being taken away by the process. After all, magnesium and calcium can help maintain bone health.
The fact remains that the magnesium and calcium deposits in water are inorganic minerals, which do not offer the same advantages as getting minerals from supplements or food.
The calcium and magnesium in hard water may not be absorbed by the cells in the body, at all.
Drinking water is not at all the best way to add minerals to your diet. Far better to eat your vegetables and fruits for that.
Myth No. 5 -- Soft water leaves a film on your skin.
Many people notice a strange feeling when they shower in soft water. It seems slick or slimy.
This isn't a thin layer being left after a shower, and it is not soap which does not wash away.
It's instead of the opposite. You only get soap scum when you bathe in hard water.
Everything you notice after showering in hard water isn't a sign you are “squeaky clean," but rather, that you're covered in a sticky residue.
The slickness in your skin when you bathe in the soft water is your body's natural essential oils. It is how “clean” is supposed to feel!
Myth No. 6 -- Water softeners waste energy and water
It's a fact that some water softeners can spend salt and water during the softening process. This is a cycle that your system goes through to re-charge the media using sodium ions.
Nowadays, homeowners have access to highly efficient water softeners.
For example, Water-Right has developed a unique technology named W.E.T. (Water Efficient Technology) for their Evolve® and WaterCare® systems, which helps save energy and money by studying your home's water demands and using the smallest amount of salt and water needed for regeneration.
Additionally, other ways of water filtration can save the environment. Soft Water is much more efficient at cleaning, that means that you'll require to use less detergent and cleaning products that are chemical-filled, which then reduces water pollution.
Plus, if you add a reverse osmosis system, you can stop buying water available in plastic bottles. And bottled water negatively impacts the environment FAR more than water softening does!
Myth No. 7 -- Water softeners cost a lot.
Installing a new water softening system in your home does cost a bit. However, it is going to save you a lot of hard earned cash over the long term.
Yes, power will be used by your water softener, too – and you will have to purchase salt; and it'll have to be serviced after a regular interval of time; but water softeners save a lot of money, too.
The most significant cost savings come from your water heater. With soft water, your appliances require less energy to operate, while hard water leaves them ineffective and forces the water heater to run at a higher temperature. That is one way a water softener will decrease your utility bills while prolonging the lifespan of appliances.
Water also decreases the amount of laundry detergent you use to wash clothes by over 50-percent and prevents the original colors of the clothes.
Myth No. 8 -- You do not need a water softener if you have a public water supply
This might be among the greatest blunders of all.
Water softeners are found in houses that use groundwater, yes. If that's the situation, the water needs softening.
However municipal water is hardly ever 100% pure water. Over 80-percent of homes in America have hard water issues.
Also, each city does not have the same water quality.
If you are troubled with your home's water whether it's drinking, bathing, laundry, cleaning or washing, there are a lot of solutions to improve the quality of your home water. You need to select the most effective solution to solve water-related issues.
Conclusion
Water is a source of life. It is therefore essential to use only water that is healthy for you and your family.
This is why you should test the quality of your water periodically, and if you find your water quality is not up to the mark, it’s the time to take action.
As with many other things in life, it is better to be educated and to understand the facts about ordinary water softening myths - so you can find the best water softener system to satisfy your needs.
We hope you have learned something from these water softener myths!
Additional Resources:
https://www.thespruce.com/water-softeners-how-they-work-1824916
https://www.thewatersoftener.com/water-softener-facts-and-myths/
