Water with too much mineral content is regarded as hard water. On the other hand, soft water is free of magnesium, calcium, and other unnecessary elements. We all want soft water in our homes because it makes cleaning easy and is gentle on the skin and hair. Hard water not only makes your skin feel drier but also causes spotting and scale build-up on tiles, bathtubs, and sinks. One way to increase the lifespan of plumbing and water appliance is through water softening.
Water Hardness From a Chemical Point of View
Choosing the right water softening system requires you to understand water hardness in your household’s water supply. Often, hard water is caused by calcium carbonate, a naturally occurring compound, covering roughly 4% of the Earth’s crust. It’s present in limestone, marble, and chalk. There are three primary forms of calcium carbonate that share similar chemical structures. They only differ in purity, color, and thickness.
Apart from calcium, other non-carbonate metals and minerals can make your water hard. As water passes through wells and the municipal supplies, it picks these elements:
• Manganese
• Aluminum
• Zinc
• Iron
• Copper
• Magnesium
Metals particularly harden the water when it is heated. High temperatures make them crystallize, so they embed themselves on surfaces. You’re not likely to see the hardness until something serious happens to the water systems. While it’s not a health concern, it can turn from a daily nuisance to a bigger future problem.
Choosing the Right Water Softening System
To find the best water softener, you need to understand a few basics. You want a system with a smooth-running operation and save your bank in the long haul, like this system by Springwell.
a. Level of Hardness
There is only one surefire way to detect hardness in your water: Have it tested. But be sure of what you’re testing before purchasing a water softener. You can get a water-testing kit from your nearest home improvement store. Ask a trusted plumber or water filtration professional to help you with testing. It is also useful to check with your municipality, county, or city soil-and-water conservation department. They could be offering water testing kits and services at a reduced cost.
Generally, water hardness is calculated in terms of gpg- grains per gallon. The grain capacity refers to the number of grains that the softener removes before regenerating. A water softener works better and when it regenerates once after 3-10 days. Municipalities measure the grain capacity in ppm-parts per million, liters, or milligrams per liter. One gpg equals to 17.1L, ppm, or mg. This is the same as 1/7000th of one rock pound. The extent of hardness differs from one geographical area to the next. It also depends on the characteristics of the soil in that region. Hard water is more prevalent in some areas than others because the concentration of dissolved solids differs too.
Moderately hard water contains 6-11 gpg or 100-190 ppm. Over 7 grains of water hardness per gallon is regarded as hard. A test reveals the level of metals and minerals in a sample of water. It also helps to detect the presence of microorganisms, acidity, chlorine, and other pollutants. Don’t just test for hardness. Be curious to know the complete range of specific contaminants. Fortunately, water softeners are designed for different levels of hardness.
Assessing the water reveals critical information to help in the purchasing of the right water softening mechanism. If you suspect that the water quality in your home has changed, don’t hesitate to do a test. For instance, it may have a funny odor or taste.
b. Household Water Usage Capacity
You need to purchase a water softening system that matches the size of your household. Since the designs come in different sizes, your choice should align with the water hardness level and the home water flow rate. A smaller system tends to reduce the lifespan of your appliances. It can cost more money to replace the damaged parts. If the softening system is too big, your household might run into sanitary issues that end up wasting too much backwash water and salts. But a water softener that equals the size of your household water usage capacity runs efficiently without wasting water or money,
Suppose the daily water consumption per person in the house is 50 gallons. A family of 5 would have a water consumption rate of 250 gallons /day. The rate could go as high as 500 gallons/day if the household members take long showers or do laundry. You might want to consider a water softener of a bigger capacity if your household consumes massive daily volumes of water.
Bottom Line
It’s imperative to get a trusted and experienced water softener expert to help you analyze the water that circulates your property. You don’t want to experience confusion when buying the best water softener to meet your home or business requirements. You’ll find a broad spectrum of water softening systems in the market today and are sure to find one that best suits your household. We have given you fundamental knowledge on how to pick one. Now it’s time to narrow down your search. All the best in finding the ultimate solution!