Low Cost Water Softeners

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Saltless Water Softener

The saltless water softener has been scrutinized and misjudged but only because of the way it is marketed. We know that people want a saltless water softener because they have either high blood pressure, don't want to hassle with the salt or live in a city or state that does not allow that much salt to go to drain. So a manufacturer or two have done the homework and made the media that prevents the calcium from sticking to faucets etc.

No problem here except the standard person in public has no idea of the difference between a water softener and a saltless water softener. So the salesman sales and markets it as a saltfree water softener and the public eats it up. So for the most part the problem has been created by some of the guys in the industry trying to make some money. After all SEO and Keyword searches are the hot thing now days in order to get your product or service found on the internet so you just use the same words the people are searching for and want to hear. The truth of the matter is that there is no such thing as a saltfree water softener or saltless water softener. I will explain below;

In order for water to be softened it must go through an Ion Exchange process which to put it simply where the calcium ions in the water attach to the sodium charged ions in the softener media, like a giant group hug. You can find articles out there that can describe it in more detail but if you don't care about being a chemist then there is no need. So because of the ion exchange process the hardness is removed and you have soft water.

Saltfree water softener/ Saltless water softener- is more of a conditioner. It conditions the water as it flows through the media and tank and as the water comes out it has been conditioned not to stick. The process is relatively easy to explain unless you want the chemical make up as well. Most companies use SP3 as the media and what the SP3 does is it makes the calcium stick to itself so it doesn't stick to pipes and faucets and glass, this being said in the most easiest form for you to understand. Go HERE for more information.

I have owned both. My wife and I prefer the water softener over the saltless water softener/conditioner even though you still get that slick feeling and you don't get the sodium in your water and don't have to mess with the salt pellets or salt tablets. One main reason is I noticed inside the dishwasher right under the door was some nasty red slimy stuff and when I switched back to the water softener the red slimy stuff went away. You still don't use as much shampoo and conditioner and soaps etc we were able to feel the difference. I had the both in case I forgot to put salt in the brine tank for the water softener I still had a back up just in case. We installed a few of these and never had any problem with them from our customers.

Well I hope this helped some in distinguishing the difference between a saltfree water softener and a regular water softener and perhaps also helped in choosing a saltfree water softener or a water softener and if you do have one or the other I would also recommend a reverse osmosis drinking water system

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

How to Measure Water Hardness

I have heard many people say that they have hard water and others say they have soft water and when it comes down to it sometimes both are correct and other times both are incorrect. Without testing the water one will never know just exactly how hard the water really is.

Let's talk about the types of water hardness;
1. Temporary Hardness-Temporary hardness is a type of water hardness caused by the presence of dissolved bicarbonate minerals (calcium bicarbonate and magnesium bicarbonate). When dissolved, these minerals yield calcium and magnesium cations (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺) and carbonate and bicarbonate anions (CO₃^2-, HCO₃^-). The presence of the metal cations makes the water hard. However, unlike the permanent hardness caused by sulfate and chloride compounds, this "temporary" hardness can be reduced either by boiling the water, or by the addition of lime (calcium hydroxide) through the softening process of lime softening.^[4] Boiling promotes the formation of carbonate from the bicarbonate and precipitates calcium carbonate out of solution, leaving water that is softer upon cooling.

2. Permanent Hardness-Permanent hardness is hardness (mineral content) that cannot be removed by boiling. When this is the case, it is usually caused by the presence of calcium sulfate and/or magnesium sulfates in the water, which do not precipitate out as the temperature increases. Ions causing permanent hardness of water can be removed using a water softener, or ion exchange column.
Total Permanent Hardness = Calcium Hardness + Magnesium Hardness
The calcium and magnesium hardness is the concentration of calcium and magnesium ions expressed as equivalent of calcium carbonate.
Total permanent water hardness expressed as equivalent of CaCO₃ can be calculated with the following formula: Total Permanent Hardness (CaCO₃) = 2.5(Ca²⁺) + 4.1(Mg²⁺).^{[citation needed]}

^{So what does all that mean to you? Let's simplify it, the type of hard water most people will have to}
^{fight will be permanent hardness. And as you can see it is eliminated by water softener or ion exchange process.}
^{So now we know that there are two types of water hardness now let's explore the way we measure hard water}
^{in order to determine water hardness and buy the correct size water softener.}

^{Water hardness is measured in a few different ways but we will only talk about 3 ways water hardness is measured}
^{Mg/l = Milligrams per liter- when measured in this fashion it is 17.1}
^{PPM= Parts Per Million- when measured in this fashion it is 17.1}
^{GPG= Grains Per Gallons- when measured in this fashion it is 1}
^{For example 10gpg hardness is 171.0 PPM or Mg/L}

^{So in you'll want to know how it hard water is measured because when a salesman tries to pull the wool over your eyes}
^{and says your water is really really hard and it is only 5gpg instead of 85 Mg/L or 85 PPM It sounds really hard but}
^{let's look at how hard it really is according to our chart.}
^{Classification          Hardness in Mg/L          Hardness in PPM          Hardness in GPG}
^{Soft 0-60 Less than 60 0-3.5}
^{Moderately Hard 61-120 60-120 3.56-7.51}
^{Hard 121-180 120-180    7.06-10.51}
^{Very Hard    >180    >180 >10.57}

^{What do I use to measure my hardness? Here are a couple of ways to do so. You can go to the big box stores}
^{and some will have a way to measure your water hardness by using a small matchstick style dipping stick and once}
^{you dip it in the water you will match the color against the chart and it will tell you how hard your water is, you}
^{also have a water softener company come out and measure it for you but be prepared you may have to go through}
^{a sales presentation. You can also get the kit at a local pool supply place or you can go to Amazon for a kit.}

Saturday, December 13, 2014

BENEFITS OF A WATER SOFTENER

In today's world of water most people don't have water softeners because they either have soft water, don't want to pay a huge price for a water softener or may just not know the benefits to owning a water softener.

If you have soft water but you still seem to have a calcium build up on your sinks and tubs etc then you may want to take a look at one of these salt less water softeners because you may have soft water but your water may be just hard enough to leave a residue.

Salt Less Water Softener

Meaning it is not 100% soft but still registers 3-4 grains per gallon hard which is considered soft to mildly soft. As you know it is just enough to leave a residue that you don't want to have on your counters for visitors to see. You will also see the results with you hair, soaps and shampoo's. This really is not a water softener but a water conditioner. As the water passes over the media the calcium in the water is then bound together so in sticking to itself it does not stick to anything else. You will want to get a 2 cuft system as this will accommodate any size home and hardness. If you have iron in your water then you will want to remove the iron first as it will coat the beads of the media and not allow them to create the bond that the hard water molecules need in order for them to stick to one another and will limit the life expectancy of the salt less water softener.. As mentioned before this has the same effects as a water softener by means of allowing the soap to actually have suds and the need to use large amounts of shampoo and conditioner much less in order to have soft shiny hair that the wife always seeks.

The price of a water softener can range from $400.00 to more than $4,000.00 So most folks think they get what they pay for just don't buy one since they cannot afford one. Here is a company that sales the best water softener for a great price http://www.lowcostwatersofteners.com You'll find it is a Fleck 5600 which is the most popular and rugged water softener on the market.

Once you have a quality water softener you will see your water begin to change. What I mean by this is that your water will go from hard to soft to hard again and then finally to soft. What happens is that the hard water that comes into the water softener is then softened and is made aggressive. As it travels through your pipes and hot water heater it is eating away at the calcium build up and thus if you were to test it, you may find that it is not completely soft. We always recommend to wait at least 30 days until you see the 100% results of a water softener. So for the next 30 days your water will change as the build up inside your pipes begins to be cleaned out and that old faucet you thought didn't have much pressure begins to have pressure for some strange reason. Perhaps its not clogged with hard water deposits any longer.

You will now only need to use about half or even less shampoo and conditioner on your hair as well as half the amount of laundry detergent. In addition to less laundry detergent you can wash more of you laundry in cold water in order to get it clean unlike before whereas you would have to use hot water in order to get a clean load of wash. This will also cut down on your hot water bill as well. In addition to that you will see that your bright clothes tend to stay bright longer and you those unsightly stains that just pop up on that white blouse will no longer be popping up. You will have cleaner brighter laundry for years to come since soft water also helps in the cleaning process because the dirt and grime can be removed easier with soft water rather than with hard water.

Having a water softener also affects the tastes of coffee and juices made at home. With hard water it takes longer to make the coffee because of the calcium build up on the coils that heat the water as well as the soft water helps in getting rid of the bitter taste of strong coffee. You will lose that scummy look on top of the coffee and if you love ice tea then you'll enjoy being able to look through your glass and seeing the other side knowing that you have calcium free great tasting water.

Now if you want to go a step further with your water taste then you will want to get a drinking water system that goes under the sink and gets rid of up to 99% of everything in your drinking water. Talk about great tasting coffee or tea, well here it is. This system gets everything out and all you get is great tasting water, coffee or whatever beverage you desire knowing that it is completely healthy and free of contaminants and your liver and kidney will be thanking you for years to come.

Friday, December 5, 2014

Fluoride in Your Babies Water

WARNING PARENTS WHO USE BOTTLED WATER FOR THEIR BABIES; I was just in Walmart getting some bottled water for my coffee since I have not put an RO in my RV yet and I look at the baby water and think wow this should be really good water. To my surprise I was completely wrong. The pink label said steam distilled water (that is what distilled water is, collected steam) but then it said fluoride added. WHAT THE HECK? You don't make distilled water and then poison it by putting fluoride back into it. You can read the article at this link, please take the time to do so;
http://lowcostwatersofteners.com/water-filters/flouride-water-silent-killer/