Why use Water Softener?
Hard water
Ordinary hard water is quite inefficient with soap and detergents. In fact only about 12.5% of the soap actually makes the lather, the rest becomes suspended in the water making it cloudy, scum laden and difficult to clean. It will allow scale to form easily and build up persistently.
Softened water
Softened water however is very efficient with soap and detergents. When it's applied virtually all the soap will dissolve making a good lather meaning there's no cloudiness and no soap scum to clean off. It will dissolves existing scale back into the water and will not allow any new scale to form.
What is a water softener?
A water softener is a machine plumbed into the water supply of a property which treats all the water that the property uses. There usually is one tap left un-softened for drinking water
How does it work?
The water softener comprises three parts - container of ion exchange resin, a control valve/timer unit and a brine reservoir. Water passes through the resin, where the calcium and magnesium are replaced with sodium. After a preset time or after a certain amount of water has passed through the resin, the control valve unit switches the softener "off" and regenerates the resin with brine from the reservoir. This takes a little while and is usually done at night, when no water is likely to be needed in the house.
Why does it need salt?
The brine used in regenerating the resin is made by dissolving salt. The brine reservoir has a constant level of water in it and is refilled with salt every month or so.
Can I use any salt?
No. To avoid contamination you should use only specially processed water softener salt (Salt Blocks, Tablets or Granules) - remember, the salt is used to regenerate the resin through which your domestic water is going to pass
How big is a softener?
Modern softeners for domestic use fit inside a normal kitchen cupboard.
How can I buy a softener?
Water softeners need to be sized correctly and plumbed in and set up properly. We suggest that you refer to the yellow pages for details of local softener suppliers.