You all must have heard of the term ‘hard water’ and also would have found out what it means. The hard water is full of ions of Magnesium, Calcium etc. which make it unusable and unfit for various purposes apart from drinking. To tackle this hardness, the water softeners were invented and became instant rage in all the parts of the world. A simple filter can keep the impurities away from water, but it does not help remove ions contributing to hardness. So, you need a softener that does the job left out by a simple water filter.
The market is flooded with brands that promise the world when it comes to removing hardness, thus, choosing the right softener proves to be a challenge. So, here are some important types of water softening equipment that you can consider buying for domestic purposes.
Magnetic water softener
This softener comes with an advantage of no-sodium solution. The device is attached to the water supplying pipe and creates a magnetic field around it repelling the carbonate ions from the pipe. Thus, the water that reaches the tap is free from hardening agents, and there is no addition of sodium too. This softener is pitched as salt-free water softener and is considered perfect for the houses requiring both the hot and cold water. However, it is better to read the reviews about these magnetic water softeners since some of the users have not found it effective.
Dual tank softeners for large families
Lots of members in the family simply mean more utilization of resources, especially water. Softeners of single tank type are to be put out of use temporarily till the regeneration cycle involving the removal of ions is complete. Since the soft water is in constant demand, one tank full of treated water and the other set aside for regeneration kind of arrangement fit the demand sufficiently.
Salt-based water softener
There are certain softeners that work on the principle of ion exchange. This equipment comprise of two tanks – one filled with brine and the other with simple resin beads. Sodium ion replaces the calcium ions from the hard water and makes the resultant solution soft, so to speak. But, the problem of increased sodium level in water can become a cause of various discomforts such as curdy layer on the utensils and walls etc. So, if you are in habit of cleaning the house almost daily, then only go for this water softener.
Apart from the mechanism of working, the buyer must pay attention to
- The make and build of the water softening system. A bulky water softener is certainly a headache and cannot be used for household with space constraints.
- Whether the softener is provided with pre-set regeneration cycling span or not. Even these automatic softeners need to be refilled with salts to make the arrangement working for longer duration.
Thus, the world of water softeners is too vivid, but the rule of one size fits all does not work here; buying it does require thorough shopping.