Hard Water Treatment

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Hard Water Treatment

Hard water is water that is high in dissolved minerals, especially magnesium and calcium. It should be noted that although it is highly undesirable, hard water is not a serious health risk. Rather, it is more of a nuisance since it has the tendency to create mineral buildup in water pipes and in heating systems. Moreover, hard water causes poor soap and/or detergent performance.

How Water Collects Minerals

A universal solvent, water is highly susceptible to contamination. It can easily absorb impurities, whether organic/inorganic or biological/non-biological. Water becomes even more solvent when it combines with carbon dioxide in the air. As the oxygen in H mixes with the carbon in CO, it results in the formation of a substance, called carbonic acid.

Carbonic acid is highly solvent, even more so than regular HO. As water travels through soil and rock, carbonic acid is likewise carried along with it. Because of this, minerals encountered by water as it moves are slowly dissolved, creating a solution that makes water hard. As more calcium, magnesium, and other minerals are dissolved into the water, the degree of hardness likewise increases.

Simple Water Treatment Methods

What can you do in order to reduce the effects of hard water? There are simple steps you can take in order to do so. Here are a few commercial systems that are commonly used for hard water treatment:

Chemical Water Softeners

This hard water treatment method involves the addition of chemicals in the water you use for laundry. Since one of the problems of hard water is the poor performance of detergent, the aim of this treatment method is to allow detergents to produce more soap suds even in hard water.

Instead of changing the type of detergent to use, you can continue using the detergent you have always been using (Detergents specially made for hard water are more expensive). The chemicals added in the water have the effect of softening the water that is, reducing calcium and magnesium, thereby making it more susceptible to the action of soap and/or detergent.

Water Filters

Another hard water treatment method available is the water filter system. In this method, tap water is filtered using a portable unit in order to soften it. However, unlike Chemical Water Softeners, the water filter system produces water that is drinkable, with chlorine removed and many of the minerals filtered out.

Mechanical Water Softeners

This method of hard water treatment uses the same principle as the water filter system. However, instead of using a portable unit, mechanical water softeners are more permanent i.e. they are installed in the plumbing system.

To soften hard water, mechanical water softeners essentially replace magnesium and calcium with sodium. The result is water that free of limescale and with increased heat efficiency.