Hard water is water that has a high mineral content, typically calcium or magnesium. When it enters your home from your water source, it can leave deposits or “scale” on plumbing fixtures, appliances, and other everyday objects. It can clog pipes and reduce the efficiency of devices. It affects your daily life –from cooking to cleaning to doing laundry. A water softener has a resin tank containing thousands of tiny resin beads that hold electrically charged ions. When freshly regenerated, the beads become full of sodium ions from the water softener salt. As hard water passes through the water softener system, the calcium and magnesium ions are attracted to the resin beads. There, sodium ions are exchanged for the hard water ions. The softener system then delivers soft water for your use.

Yes, it is the answer, but it depends. Most people can safely drink softened water with no ill effect; the only noticeable difference is the taste: some people like it, others don’t. Some people with skin conditions, such as eczema, have also reported an improvement in their condition using soft water for washing, but the evidence is limited. However, higher quantities of sodium (used in the ion exchange process of removing calcium and magnesium) may not be suitable for babies or people with cardiovascular problems as it can increase hypertension. For these reasons, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and local water companies advise that you keep a separate supply for drinking that has not passed through the softener where water softeners have been installed.

Hard water is used to describe any water that contains mineral ions with a charge of +2. Hard water is water that has high mineral content (as opposed to "soft water"). It is formed when water percolates through deposits of calcium and magnesium-containing minerals such as limestone, chalk, and dolomite. Hard water can pose serious problems in industrial settings, where water hardness is monitored to avoid costly breakdowns in boilers, cooling towers, and other equipment that handles water. Wherever water hardness is a concern, water softening is commonly used to reduce hard water's adverse effects.

Water softeners and conditioners work effectively with either sodium chloride (commonly referred to as salt) or potassium chloride (actually a type of salt). It is essential to understand that salt absorbs moisture and can clog or bridge and can become mushy. At this point, the salt is useless. It would help if you allowed the salt to resolve down to or at the water level before adding more. In other words—use what you put in before adding more. How often you’ll have to add more salt to the brine tank will depend on a few factors. 1. Size of the brine tank 2. Water hardness in your area 3. Quantity needs of your

Depending on the style of your location, finding the perfect place for your water softener may be a breeze, or it may require a bit extra investigation. In most cases, the best site is in the basement or garage, close to where the main water line enters your house. With these critical elements in mind, you’ll be able to select the best spot and get your softener installed in no time.

As a homeowner, you’ll find that the quality of water coming out of your faucets can be a significant concern. Do you know if your water is hard? Hard water contains high levels of certain minerals, and the hardness of your water will depend on where you live because each region can have different levels of hard water depending on its source and treatment. Although hard water is not harmful to your health overall, it can hugely affect your hair and skin. Here’s the scoop on what precisely hard water is, the impact it can have on your body, and how to figure out if it’s time to fix it with a water softening solution.