Water Treatment Information

Water Softening

Water hardness is one of the most common water problems facing homeowners today. Hard water keeps soaps and detergents from getting laundry and dishes completely clean causing you to spend more on extra soap and cleaning products. It also leaves spots on glasses, shower doors and fixtures. Hard water scale can clog pipes and plumbing fixtures which causes premature failure of washing machines, hot water heaters and dishwashers. Hard water also dries skin, dulls hair and makes shaving difficult.

 

Why is it called Hard Water?

 

The term “hard water” originally came about because such water was “hard” for soaps to get things really clean. The calcium in hard water retards the cleaning action of soaps. You will use up to twice as much soap and detergent when cleaning with hard water than with soft water.

 

Hard water also combines with soaps to form a curd known as “soap scum”. This scum can remain as a residue on laundry and is found as a white ring on tubs, tile and toilets.

 

Hardened soap scum actually coats the fibers of washed fabrics making them wear out faster. Colors fade and whites darken faster in hard water washing.

 

When hard water is heated, the calcium comes out of the solution and forms hard water scale. This scale builds up in household appliances and shortens their life. Water heaters don’t last long or operate efficiently due to scale build-up on the elements and inside the tank. Washing machines and dishwashers also have shortened lives.

 

This scale is evident as white spots on cleaned glasses, shower doors, coffeepots and faucets and other fixtures.

 

Plumbing pipes, fixtures, and shower heads become clogged with hard water scale over time. The pipes become restricted and the flow rates drop dramatically. Faucets need repairs more often due to scale clogging and inner workings.

 

Does Hard Water also affect our hair and skin?

 

The hardness minerals tend to dry the skin. Shampoos and soaps do not work efficiently in hard water leaving hair dull and dry. The undissolved soaps and shampoos actually leave a residue film on skin and hair. The film combines with shampoo or soap, trapping dirt and bacteria that can lead to chapping, itching, flaking skin and clogged pores. If you wash in hard water you are not truly getting clean.

 

The remedy for all these hard water problems is the installation of a water softener.

 

Many people say that soft water feels “slippery” or “slimy” thinking that the soap is not washing off the skin and hair. This is due to the fact that you are so accustomed to the buildup that is not longer there, the new “silky” feeling is foreign to you. This is actually the way your skin was intended to feel and requires only a short time for this to be the new “normal”.

 

Why Soften household water?

 

To soften water is to remove calcium (among other things like iron) from the water and that is commonly done by one of the following two methods.

 

One method is ion exchange and done by a water softener. A water softener exchanges either sodium ions (NaC1) or potassium ions (KC1) for calcium ions in the water. That is it…there are no ifs, no ands, no buts and no sales double-talk. Simple chemistry and physics. There is no black magic to water softening. No matter how hard sales people try to, they can not violate the laws of physics or change the nature of chemical actions and reactions.

 

The other is by a filter but no simple filter will remove calcium. You would need a reverse osmosis unit large enough to service your entire house.

 

No magnetic or electronic gizmo will soften your water but people waste their money on them every day. In other words, you must use salt or potassium chloride in order to get truly soft water. Anything else is removing the chlorine from the water.

 

Reverse Osmosis

One of the most efficient and cost-efficient home water treatment systems for drinking water use is a process called reverse osmosis (RO). RO systems work by pressuring water against a semi-permeable membrane that stops contaminants from passing. It allows clean, clear water to pass through. Health related contaminants such as lead and asbestos, as well as many other contaminants affecting taste, color and odor are reduced or eliminated by an RO system.

 

Reverse osmosis systems are compact units installed under the sink, wet bar, or anywhere there is a drain. They produce high quality water perfect for use in drinking, cooking, and making ice cubes. The low mineral content of RO treated water also makes it ideal for use in steam irons, car batteries and humidifiers. A reverse osmosis system is an effective means of providing a household with gallons of fresh water at a fraction of the cost of premium bottled water. All bottled water is not the same!

 

How does Reverse Osmosis work?

 

Osmosis is the natural tendency for water of lesser concentration (containing more dissolved particles) to pass through a semi-permeable membrane and dilute water of a higher concentration (containing more dissolved particles). Eventually, the fluid concentration on both sides of the membrane is equalized.

 

Reverse Osmosis, as its name implies, is the reversal of the natural flow of osmosis. By applying pressure to the water solution of higher concentration (the incoming water), the flow of liquid is reversed. Under these conditions, the membrane still rejects the contaminants, but allows the fresh cleansed water to pass through. The purified water is collected in a holding tank and the contaminants are flushed away. The process, originally designed to make sea water drinkable for the Navy, removes a range of contaminants from household drinking water.

 

Here are the rejection characteristics of reverse osmosis membranes:

 

  • Sodium: 85-94%
  • Phosphate: 96-98%
  • Sulfate: 96-98%
  • Lead: 95-98%
  • Calcium: 94-98%
  • Arsenic: 92-96%
  • Potassium: 85-95%
  • Magnesium: 94-98%
  • Nitrate: 60-75%
  • Nickel: 96-98%
  • Iron: 94-98%
  • Fluoride: 85-92%
  • Zinc: 95-98%
  • Manganese: 94-98%
  • Mercury: 95-98%
  • Cadmium: 95-98%
  • Mercury: 95-98%
  • Barium: 95-98%
  • Selenium: 94-96%
  • Cyanide: 94-92%
  • Chloride: 85-92%

 

The removal percentage may vary based on membrane type, water pressure, water temperature and total dissolved solids. Activated carbon filtration that accompanies a reverse osmosis system will remove:

 

  • Chlorine: 99.9%
  • Chloramines: 99.9%
  • Trihalomethanes: 99.9%

 

When do I replace my Reverse Osmosis filters?

 

The frequency in replacing reverse osmosis filters and the membrane greatly depends on the quality of the system as well as the quality of the water. A low quality system will require filter changes as often as every three to six months and the membrane every one to two years. A good system, however, backed by a whole house filtration system, will only require filters every one to two years and the membrane can last as long as four years. The total dissolved solids (TDS) in the water are the minerals, metals and salts present in the tap water. The higher the TDS, the harder the system works. The TDS will be tested during the inspection.

 

Carbon Filtration

Many people are concerned about chlorine in their drinking water. Not many of us stop to think about the dangers associated with chlorine in our bath water. Most people don’t realize that more chemicals enter our body through skin absorption and inhalation of steam while showering and bathing than does from drinking water.

 

Chlorine is regarded as one of the most important advances of modern civilization as it disinfects the water and prevents would be outbreaks of waterborne disease like typhoid, dysentery and cholera that existed in the 1900’s. Chlorine also controls and eliminates the growth of microbes such as Giardia and Ecoli.

 

New evidence suggests that despite its disinfectant properties, the addition of chlorine to our municipal water may adversely affect our health, especially in the long-term. There is much concern amongst experts about the harmful effects of chlorine. According to the US Council of Environmental Quality, the cancer risk amongst people drinking and absorbing chlorinated water is as much as 93% higher than among those whose water does not contain chlorine.

 

Elemental chlorine is extremely reactive and it combines with other natural compounds to form toxic by-products such as THMs (Trihalomethanes) and chlorinated hydrocarbons. TTHMs (Total Trihalomethanes) are a by-product of municipal water disinfection. These chlorine by-products trigger the production of free radicals in the body, causing cell damage, and are highly carcinogenic.

 

Why is bathing in chlorinated water so bad?

 

  • A warm bath opens the skin’s pores and allows for easier absorption of chlorine and other chemicals.
  • Inhalation of chlorine and chemical vapors is a suspected cause of bronchitis and asthma in children.
  • Chlorine attacks the skin’s natural moisture barrier and dries the skin out.
  • Chlorinated water can also irritate the eyes, leaving them red, itchy and burning.

 

As we become more aware of the health risks associated with chlorine in our water supply, more people every day are turning to water filters to provide them with clean drinking and shower water. Relatively few people are aware that a filter exists to remove virtually all chlorine from the water in their home.

 

It doesn’t make much sense to allow chlorinated water to splash all over your body, seeping into your eyes, ears and mouth. Whole house water filters greatly reduce the symptoms associated with chlorine inhalation and irritation by removing more than 90% of chlorine found in the water.

 

The “workhorse” in a carbon purification system is high grade Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) which filters your water. It completely reduces the objectionable taste and odors of chlorine.

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