Water Conditioning

Softeners

The function of a water softener is to remove hardness minerals (calcium) from water. Calcium deposits are commonly found around water fixtures including showers and dishwashers. The unseen calcium is in water heaters, clothes washers, and plumbing lines and interferes with most cleaning tasks, bathing, laundry, dishwashing and personal grooming.

Softeners use a process called ion exchange. Sodium ions are replaced with hardness minerals (calcium) over a resin bed in the water softener. Once the water softener is full of calcium, it will regenerate itself or flush out the calcium to produce a new bed again. This process can occur almost indefinitely over the lifetime of the softener. Most water softeners last 20 plus years.

The Water Quality Association classifies hard water as follows:

Soft water - 1 grain hard
Slightly hard 1 - 3 l/2 grains hard
Moderately hard 3 1A - 7 grains hard
Hard water 7 - 10 Vz grains hard
Very hard Over 10 M> grains hard

The Hard Facts about Water Hardness

The information provided was obtained from: Health and Welfare Canada, Good House Keeping, Macleans Magazine. It gives an approximate cost of monthly expenses due to hard water.

Costs incurred by the use of hard water.

Personal care items, skin care products and creams 10.00
Plumbing related products. Repair or replace 10.00
Excessive wear on clothes from washing 25.00
Extra fuel to heat hot water 25.00
Extra use of cleaning products, shampoos, and soaps 30.00
Total cost for one month 100.00 After one year 1200.00
After two years 2400.00 After three years 3600.00