Water which is classified as “hard” is water that contains minerals including calcium and magnesium, water softeners in Fremont, NE use ion exchange to remove these minerals, creating soft water. Water which is too hard can make cleaning difficult, it leaves water spots on glassware, dulls clothing and leaves a scum on kitchen and bathroom fixtures and other surfaces. Water softening is not harmful to most people but those on a low sodium diet may wish to talk to their doctor before installing one.
Hard water is produced in the ground because minerals including sodium and magnesium enter the water as the minerals are dissolved from the rock surrounding the aquifer. It is the calcium and magnesium that are most responsible for the condition which is known as “hard water.” Although it may be an odd way of measuring hardness is measured in grains per gallon with a grain being the weight of one wheat kernel. Water which is in excess of 1 GPG is thought of as being hard but when it reaches 10.5 GPG is very hard indeed.
Certain laundry detergents have been formulated with additives which will soften the water enough to wash clothes but for all the water in the house to be softened, including that used for drinking must use an ion exchange system for softening. Water softeners have an ion exchange medium which is coated with sodium ions with a positive charge. The minerals also are positively charged but the charge is stronger than the sodium ions. As water passes through the medium, the mineral ions are captured by the medium and replaced with sodium ions; it is this action that softens otherwise hard water.
Once the exchange medium becomes saturated with calcium and magnesium ions the system is backwashed with brine which is a solution of water and sodium chloride which is salt. This process is known as backwashing, the mineral ions are flushed away and new sodium ions attach to the medium and the process begins again.
Although all systems use a similar arrangement they can vary based on the amount of human intervention that is required to affect the recharge. The most common and certainly the most popular domestic water softeners in Fremont, NE are fully automatic, they work on a user set timer. Another popular system requires no intervention at all; the recharge is accomplished completely automatically based on the amount of water that has passed through the system.
Futuramic’s Clean Water Center offers the newest technology in water softeners in Fremont, NE. The new system self-sanitizes and automatically backwashes based on actual water consumption making the unit virtually hands free. Visit website to know more.
