Friday, August 21, 2009

The Benefits Of Using Water Softeners

By Tal Potishman

Once you start using a water softener it will be hard to go back. It is easy to see it as luxury spending at first, however its long-term benefits far outdo any short term expenditure. You will notice an improvement in your quality of life and it's life-changing benefits.

The difference between 'hard' water and 'soft' water

When reference is made to 'hard' water it means that it contains more minerals than ordinary water. The minerals that are particularly relevant here are calcium and magnesium. As the calcium and magnesium dissolves, the water becomes more hard. A significant amount of calcium and magnesium causes the water to become even harder. Water softening is the process of removing those ions that make the water hard. These ions are usually calcium and magnesium ions.

Reduction in carbon emissions

Water softeners are not only great for the home, but they are also environmentally friendly, helping to reduce carbon emissions by removing the build up of scale that forms insides pipes and heating systems. The improvement rate was 5.6% according to some tests carried out by the government.

Installing a water softener in the home will also reduce the need to invest in cleaning products. This will be a further benefit to the environment. The lifespan of the appliances around your house will increase and also reduce the need for an engineer to do repair work. The infliction of limescale can be ravaging, however this will not be a problem if you have a water softener installed.

Some commentators have questioned the real benefits of water softeners. They call them time-wasters because they use water to regenerate. However it is argued that this is not the case today. The water softener regenerates the effectiveness of the resin used to soften the water by washing it with brine, usually once a day.

Since it came into place around a 100 years ago, the industry has worked on improving its ability to operate on less water usage. Most of the contemporary water softeners meet the Building Research Establishment's (BRE) Code for Sustainable Homes specification for acceptable performance, which is for regeneration to use no more than 4% of the total amount of softened water the softener produces.

Improvement in lifestyle

As mentioned earlier, using water softeners will drastically improve your lifestyle at home. Little problems you used to have before like your shower or sink blocking, you will not have to deal with any more. You will notice a reduction in scale which will keep your boiler running efficiently. Furthermore, your time spent in cleaning will be greatly reduced as your shower cubicle will stay clean for weeks and need limited polishing up.

Vast savings on household cleaning products

Installing a water softener can enable you to save vast amounts of money on various cleaning products, such as scale removers, shower cleaners, and floor cleaners etc. The most substantial, but perhaps less obvious savings you will make will be on your hot water heating system by removing its scale.

Finally, you should bear in mind that water softeners will not just benefit you economically and environmentally. Once you have experienced the true luxury of washing and showering in scum free water, you won't be able to go back.

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