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Hard Water Questions |
 | What is hard water? |
 | Water is considered hard if it contains calcium and magnesium. Both are common elements found in water. According to the Water Quality Association, hard water is water that has hardness minerals in excess of 1 grain per gallon (gpg). Most water supplies range from 3 to 50 gpg. Following are relative levels of hardness:
Soft Water---less than 1 gpg
Slightly Hard---1 to 3.5 gpg
Moderately Hard---3.5 to 7 gpg
Hard---7 to 10.5 gpg
Very Hard---10.5 and higher
If left untreated hard water will form scaling in water heaters, pipes, boilers, air conditioners, etc. This causes inefficiency, and can lead to permanent damage of the items it comes in contact with.
Water that is considered hard does not clean as efficiently as soft water. For example, at 10 gpg of hardness it may take up to 15 additional pounds of detergent per 1,000 gallons of water to clean effectively. As a result of its properties, hard water forms soap curd. This curd sticks to clothing, dishes, glassware, and to one’s skin, leaving it itchy or sticky. |
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| How much soap should I use with softened water? |
| It is suggested that a person first try using a quarter cup at first instead of a cup or more. The general rule is use as little soap as possible at first, and gradually increase the amount until you have a sufficient amount. |
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| How does a softener work? |
| A water softener simply exchanges hardness ions (calcium and magnesium) with sodium ions. This process is called ion exchange. This exchange takes place within the media (resin) tank. When water flow through the tank it comes in contact with small resin beads that are covered with sodium ions. As the water flows by the sodium ions they are exchanged with hardness ions. Eventually the beads contain nothing but calcium and magnesium and no sodium. It is at this point that the beads stop softening the water, and it is time for them to be regenerated.
Regeneration involves saturating the beads with a high concentration of salt (sodium chloride). The brine displaces all of the hardness ions that have built up on the resin beads with sodium ions. The remaining chlorides, excess brine, and all the calcium and magnesium are flushed out of the tank and it is now once again ready to soften the water.
The differences that separate one softener from another are flow rates, tank size, and the type of regeneration used. |
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| Will water softener discharge harm my septic tank? |
| A great deal of research has been done on this subject. According to The Water Quality Association (WQA), water softener regeneration discharge poses no problems to a septic tank or its related leach field. Studies have shown that discharge (waste) does not interfere with the system drain field soil percolation, and in many cases, can actually improve the percolation especially when fine textured soils are involved. |
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| Can I use softened water on my lawn or garden? |
| If the hardness level of the raw (untreated) water is high so to as a general rule will be the sodium level of the treated water. This water treated water could harm grass and hinder plant growth. Also using softened water on outside plants and shrubs is wasteful. Many people simply by-pass one or more of their outside spigots for outside watering. This can be done when the system is installed. |
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| Can I use soft water in my humidifier? |
| When soft water is used instead of hard water the residue in the unit’s panel can usually be cleaned by flushing it with water or using a soft brush. Hard water by its nature will leave a scale that is difficult at best to remove. Using soft water will keep scale from accumulating, and thus keep the humidifying unit functioning properly. |
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General Questions |
| Is there a difference between filtered water and softened water? |
| Softening water requires an ion exchange process be employed to remove the hardness ions (calcium and magnesium) from the water. These ions are dissolved in water and can not be trapped by filtration.
Filtered water involves separating mineral particles like precipitated iron and organic matter from water. As water passes through a filter media, particles, which may vary in different size, are trapped, and only clean water passes through to service |
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| How much sodium is added to the water by a water softener? |
| It all depends on the hardness of the raw water. The following table shows the additional amount of sodium consumed by drinking one quart of softened water.
Water Hardness Sodium Added By Softening
1.0 grains per gallon - 7.5 milligrams/quart
5.0 grain per gallon - 37.5 milligrams/quart
10.0 grains per gallon - 75.0 milligrams/quart
20.0 grains per gallon - 150.0 milligrams/quart
40.0 grains per gallon - 300.0 milligrams/quart |
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| Is this additional amount of sodium in my diet harmful? |
| For normal healthy people, the answer would be no. The amount of sodium one consumes from drinking water is approximately 5-10% of the amount consumed from other food sources. One slice of bread contains 161 milligrams of sodium; a tablespoon of ketchup, 204 milligrams; a hot dog, 610 milligrams.
However, if you are on a sodium-free diet or suffer from hypertension, you should consult with your physican about the proper water for drinking. |
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Drinking Water Questions |
| What is Reverse Osmosis? |
| Reverse Osmosis is the process of forcing a solvent from a region of high solute (dissolved substance) concentration through a semi-permeable membrane to a region of low solute concentration by applying a pressure in excess of the osmotic pressure. In simpler terms, reverse osmosis is pushing a solution through a filter that traps the solute from one side and allows the obtainment of the pure solvent from the other side.
A household system usually filters water through a four-stage process.
1) Raw water flows through a sediment filter to remove solid objects, typically 5 micron or larger.
2) Water then flows through a carbon block filter to remove 98% of the organics in the water.
3) The next stage removes approximately 99% of the dissolved contaminants. The reverse osmosis cartridge is responsible for this function. The remove contaminants are washed down the drain leaving only the high quality product water which is stored in the systems accumulator tank.
4) Lastly, when the product water is drawn from the tank it is processed through a post carbon filter which subjects the water to a final polishing before it is consumed.
A reverse osmosis system removes far more contaminants than other point-of-use systems. A reverse osmosis system can effectively remove sodium, nitrates, organics and dissolved inorganics from a water supply. |
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| What kinds of bottled water are available today? |
| Most people don't realize that bottled water that is classified as "bottled water" or "drinking water" is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. This agency makes sure that all bottled or drinking water sold maintains certain standards.
By definition, bottled water can not contain chemical additives (other than extracts or flavors) or sweeteners, and must be sugar and calorie free. Flavors or extracts can be added to water but they must be less than 1% by weight. Anything over this limit is classified as a soft drink.
Various water types classified by the FDA are:
Mineral: Water that has no less than 250 parts per million (ppm) of dissolved solids. No minerals can be added to the product.
Artesian: Water extracted from an aquifer.
Purified: Water processed by either deionization, distillation or reverse osmosis.
Spring: Bottled water derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface.
Sparkling: Water that after treatment, and possible replacement with carbon dioxide, contains the same amount of carbon dioxide that it had as it emerged from the source. |
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| How much water should a person drink? |
| The question depends on several things: your health, your age, what you eat, and whether you are a man or a woman. As a general rule of thumb, a person should drink 6 to 8 eight-ounce glasses of water per day as part of a healthy diet. Drinks containing caffeine or alcohol can cause the body to lose water, and you may need to drink more water if you live in a hot climate or if you exercise routinely. Men need more water than women because they have more lean muscle, and persons taking certain medications or with some chronic diseases may be directed by a physician to reduce the amount of water they consume. A quick way to check if you are drinking enough water is to look at your urine. Urine should be pale yellow in color. If it is dark yellow or has a strong odor, or if you go to the lavatory less than 4 times day, you probably should drink more fluids.
Lastly, talk to your physician about how much water you should be drinking on a daily basis. |
