Water softener appliances solve hard water problems. hard water is usually rich in minerals like magnesium, manganese, and calcium, if you find that your soap doesn’t lather well when you do dishes or your shampoo doesn’t lather well when you shower, that is the results of hard water.
If your laundry looks dingy and your bathtub has a ring where the water reaches, it is a result of hard water. Despite the fact that these minerals don’t necessarily pose a health risk for you, the deposits can damage your plumbing, your water heater, and other appliances. In addition to that, washing dishes, and doing laundry becomes a challenge.
How to solve hard water problems
Hard water comes from underground sources that usually collect the minerals from dissolved rocks. One of the best solutions to hard water problems is getting a water softener unit. There are many waters softeners, but the most common one is the ion-exchange unit.
Salt-based ion exchange water softness
This is one of the most popular types of water softeners and it cycles water through two different thanks. One of the tanks comes with resin beads and the other tank comes with brine. The machine works by substituting salt for the hard minerals. This is an ion-exchange process and it works very well when it comes to software water.
Salt-free water softeners
Salt-free water softeners usually come with potassium chloride instead of sodium salt. These are more suitable for people who are concerned about their salt intake. These are actually descalers that prevent minerals from being deposited to the water surface and into the pipes. They are not as effective as ion-exchange appliances, but they are far better than being without.
Dual tank water softness
When water softeners are recharging, they disconnect from the water system and the regeneration cycle usually occur at night. It can be problematic when you need soft water during this process. This can be an issue for large families that need water on a constant basis. One of the best solutions to this issue is getting a dual tank unit that comes with two resin tanks. This way, when one is in use the other one will have soft water and the supply will be endless.
Magnetic water softness
This is a more controversial water softener. It is a plug-in device that you connect to your incoming pipe. The magnetic field usually changes the electromagnetic properties and then repelled by the pipes. It is quite effective and quite digital too.
Water softener features to look for
Before you start shopping for your water softener it is imperative that you acquaint yourself with features and controls. For instance, all of those important things you need to look for are the amount of salt and water you need for recharging, the controls available for the regeneration cycle, and how long every cycle will take. You should also know that sometimes fully automatic appliances also require manual refilling with salt. Two of the most common methods used to control cycles are timer controls and DIR controls.