Q.1) What is
Water Softener?
A Water Softener is a device to soften hard water. Water Softeners reduce
the Calcium and Magnesium in hard water there by reducing the hardness.
Q.2) Is hard
water harmful?
That depends on the application to which the water is being put.
4.1 Drinking Water
: For drinking water it is desirable that the total hardness does not
exceed 300 parts per million (p.p.m) as per I.S.I standards. Corporation
water hardness of between 50 to 200 p.p.m which accounts for its sweet
taste of water gets adversely affected.
4.2 Hair & Skin
: Hard water does not easily produce a lather with soap. Infact it leaves
an insoluble sticky residue which though not highly visible, clings
to the hair and skin leaving the hair feeling sticky & lifeless, and
the skin feeling dry.
4.3 Gadgets : Hardness
also leaves white salt deposits whenever water is heated, this is called
scaling.
4.3.1 Geysers :
These salt deposits coat the elements of geysers, leading to increased
electricity consumption and reducing in the life of the element.
4.3.2 Steam Irons
: The salts deposits block the vents of steam irons.
4.3.3 Solar Water
Heaters : The salt deposits also choke the water pipes in Solar Water
Heaters.
4.3.4 Washing Machines
: Since hard water dose not easily produce a lather, the efficiency
of washing machines adversely affected. Clothes lose their brightness
and shine. Moreover the salt deposits will damage the heating elements
in fully automatic washing machine.
4.3.5 Floors & Kitchen
Utensils : When the hardness is very high it also leaves white marks
on the floors after they have been mopped, and salt encrustation on
kitchen utensils used for cooking.
4.3.6 Sanitary Fixtures
: Hard water stains and damages sanitary fixtures.
Q.5) How does
AquaSoft Soften water ?
AquaSoft eliminates the salts responsible for hardness from the water,
namely Calcium and Magnesium. In the softener there are millions of
tiny polymer beads (resin) which carry a Sodium ion charge. As the water
flows over this resin, the Sodium ion thereby softening the water. Sodium
is extremely soluble in water and does not precipitate on heating, thus
eliminating all the problems associated with hard water.
When all the Sodium ions have been extracted by the hard water, the
resin is regenerated by washing it in a concentrated salt solution (brine).
This allows the AquaSoft Water Softener to be used again and again.
(The process of washing the resin in a concentrated solution of brine
is called regeneration).
Q.6) How frequently
does the AquaSoft softener need to be regenerated?
This depends upon the degree of hardness of the water and the amount
of water drawn from the softener. A simple qualitative way of determining
the need for regeneration would be by trying to obtain lather with soap
using the water drawn from the softener. If the lather forms easily,
then the water is soft, if not, the resin should be regenerated.
Alternative one may use the AquaSoft Hardness Test Kit to determine
the hardness. If the hardness if above 50 p.p.m then the resin should
be regenerated.
