Have you ever heard of a water softener? I must confess, until recently I was not aware of it. Here in Germany, strict regulations and guidelines apply to the treatment of drinking water, which for this reason is of good quality throughout the country. Nevertheless, there are sometimes serious differences in the water from region to region - especially when it comes to the degree of hardness. Hard water leads to limescale deposits, which can be noticed in various places in the household. Under certain circumstances, it can make sense to invest in a water treatment system, because continuous water softening has a number of advantages.
In this article, I would therefore like to explain to you briefly and succinctly what hard water actually is and when a water softening system makes sense.
- What is hard water?
- How does the water softener work?
- When does the water softener make sense?
- Closing words
What is hard water and how does it manifest itself?
Experts speak of "hard water" when water has an high content of calcium and magnesium compounds exhibit. It occurs when the water seeps through limestone or chalk deposits and picks up corresponding particles. From a value of > 8.4°dH, water is considered hard. In regions such as northern Bavaria, Thuringia and in northeastern federal states such as Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany has the hardest water.
In the household, you as a consumer can detect a high water hardness mainly at Increased occurrence of lime deposits in the shower and bathtub, in the kettle and coffee maker. In addition, laundry may appear stiff and hard after washing and textiles may have a shorter life.
How does a home water softener work?
In order to soften water permanently, water softening systems are available to tenants as well as homeowners. These ensure reliable domestic water decalcification. They are connected to the house entrance of the tap water and work on the principle of ion exchange: The water flows over a resin bed capable of exchanging the magnesium and calcium ions for sodium ions. In this way, the hardness of the water is decisively reduced. Depending on the individual property situation, different variants of water treatment are available. Therefore Water softening systems for apartment buildings available as well as Decalcification systems for new buildings.
If you want to achieve particularly efficient water treatment, you should use systems with activated carbon filters. These are not only capable of softening the water, but also enable thorough purification. The same applies to all water treatment systems based on the principle of reverse osmosis. These are particularly suitable for the treatment of Drinking water in the kitchen and bathroom. If desired, the corresponding systems can be installed under the kitchen sink, for example, so that hygienically pure tap water can be drawn directly from the faucet. We now have this done in our kitchen.
When does a water softener make sense?
When water softeners are used for a single-family home or apartment building, the residents can benefit from several advantages at once. This concerns not only the fact that there are significantly less lime residue in hot water appliances and shower and sink there. The use of water filtration systems for home also allows to reduce the Permanently reduce energy costsThis is because heating systems and water boilers work more efficiently when they are dealing with soft water. Water softeners for the home are also characterized by a increased environmental friendliness from the use of the decalcifiers, as consumption of decalcifiers and comparable cleaning agents in the kitchen and bathroom is reduced by up to 50 percent.
If a water filter is used specifically for the treatment of drinking water, there is no need for the Buy and carry drinking water filled in plastic bottles Here, too, consumers can save money and do something for the environment at the same time. Last but not least soft water also has a positive effect on the skin. Especially for people with sensitive skin or skin diseases, the use of a water softener is recommended. After installation, water treatment plants for the house present themselves low maintenance and can last up to 15 years or more. It is not mandatory to maintain them; however, it is advisable to call in an expert at regular intervals and have the system checked to ensure that it continues to function efficiently. Incidentally, the water softening system has only a minimal effect on the water pressure in the house. Small fluctuations are usually not even noticed by the residents.
A water softening system can be worthwhile!
So, if you have problems with lime residue in your home or a crooked back from carrying your six-packs of water, the water softener is definitely worth it. The benefits range from ecological and aesthetic, to health aspects.
I hope this post was able to give you the information you were looking for about the purpose of a water softener.
If you have any questions or would like to share your own experiences with water treatment, feel free to comment below.
Stay clean,
PS.: Look you with pleasure still a little bit in the Health Blog of CareElite. There you will learn, for example, why you can Go for a walk more often should!
