How Many Types Of Water Softeners Are Available?

Last Updated on November 23, 2022 by

The water softener systems are the products that are used to solve the problems that we face due to hard water. Water that is rich in minerals is known as hard water. The minerals that are found in the water are magnesium carbonate, manganese and calcium. If the shampoo and soap do not lather well in the water, the bathtub has marks, spots on the dishes, your laundry looks dirty and dingy, the coffee maker has deposits, this means that the water in your house is hard. In such cases, you should buy a water softener for home.

The natural minerals that are found in hard water do not cause any kind of damage to your health but they will form deposits in the pipes and plumbing system. It will even make the appliances inefficient and you have to pay for the repairs of the appliances. To save yourself from these problems it is better that you choose to get a water softener for overhead tanks.

What Is Hard Water?

Water that has more than 1 GPG of dissolved minerals is considered to be hard but the water that has more than 3.5 GPG is softer than the one. The water that has more than 10.5 GPG is relatively hard. To test the water and know the hardness of the water you should choose to use the water test kit that is available online. You can use this to learn whether you have Hard water in your house or not and which water softener for home will be perfect to remove the minerals.

Problems Related To Hard Water

The hard water is not an issue, rather it is something that will force us to spend money on repairs. The problems that are caused by the hard water are usually hidden under a major malfunction that occurs in the system.

When the hard water is heated, the minerals that are dissolved in the water start to crystallize and start forming the scale which starts to clog the plumbing and reduces the flow of the water. Lime deposits and scale will take a toll on the appliances that are used to heat water like coffee makers, dishwashers etc. This increases the chances of repairs as well.

In worst cases the scale cakes formed in the interior of the water heaters, make it fail more than anything less. The problems that are related to hard water are a nuisance when you cook and bathe, clean your house or do the laundry. Magnesium and calcium tend to react with cleansers, shampoos and soaps and detergents as well. This reduces the cleansing capabilities of these products and you have to rinse them more.

Hard water also forms a thick scum on the walls and tiles which are hard to clean. It makes your dishes and cookware full of marks that don’t go away. Adding to this the minerals in the hard water like manganese and iron, make the water smell and taste bad.

Types Of Water Softeners

In most houses, the water softener that is used is the ion exchange or the cation exchange. Along with this, some softeners use other technologies as well. Following are some of the differences. 

Softeners With Salt Based Ion Exchange System

The water softeners that use the salt-based ion exchange system had special resin beads in one tank. The other tank is filled with the use of brine. The principle that is followed to work is the ion exchange. It softens the hard water by substituting minerals such as iron, magnesium and calcium with sodium.

Salt Free Softener

The softeners that are salt free regenerates with the use of a substitute of potassium chloride salt rather than using sodium. These units are better for people who are slightly concerned about the intake of salt. These softeners are also called the descaler as it does not reduce the minerals in the hard water but also restricts the mineral from being deposited as scales on the pipes and appliances that use water.

These softeners are compact and can fit in small spaces as well. This type of softener is good for water treatment but not so effective as modern water softeners.

Dual Tank Water Softeners

When the softener is recharged it is constructed to disconnect with the water Systems which is mainly due to the commission. Due to this reason, the regeneration cycle sets during the night-time. It will become problematic if soft water is needed during the time of regeneration. This is because the softeners remove the deposit on the resin bed and cannot purify the water during that time.

Choose the type of water softener for overhead tanks that suits your needs and falls under your budget. Follow this guide to get the best softener and save yourself from the expensive repairs and problems caused by hard water.

Read More: What Is Water Conditioner?