A water softener reduces calcium or magnesium concentration in hard water.
A water softener comes in two forms, either beads-filter or zeolite chemical-matrix-filter form. They work by replacing calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions.
Problems with hard water
Hard water can contain many magnesium and calcium ions. The ions dissolve easily in water, and due to cohesion, they tend to stick together. They also tend to bond with other substances, such as copper. When a few ions bond with such substances, other ions will, in turn, bond with them. These ions can cause problems with metal structures. The ions build up as deposits inside water pipes and water heaters, eventually clogging the pipes. In many households, calcium or magnesium may build up in cookware, especially in coffee machines and kettles. The clusters of calcium and magnesium ions forms what could be described as "scale," or, more informally, "buildup." Additionally, when one showers or washes their hands in hot water, the ions react with the soap to form a sticky "scum," which hinders the soap's ability to lather properly.
To alleviate problems with hard water, it can be treated to reduce the calcium and magnesium concentration. Many ways exist for this; however, for households, most of those are much too expensive. One inexpensive solution is to use a water softener, which many households use.
How it works
The softener is filled with sodium designed for use in water softeners. Sodium is fairly inexpensive, and it does not create massive deposits or react with soap, so it is ideal to rectify hard water problems. Water flows through zeolite or past the beads in the softener. The filters are saturated with sodium ions, and when calcium and magnesium ions come along, they swap places with the sodium ions. In the end, magnesium and calcium ions remain on the beads or in the zeolite matrix, while sodium ions enter into the water. Eventually, all that remains inside the matrix or beads in the softener are calcium and magnesium ions. Dirty filters can then either be replaced or regenerated.
See also
External links
Last updated: 08-16-2005 05:19:09
