Water Conditioners and Water Softeners
Suffering from limescale build up? Hard water can be a big problem in the UK for many households. Limescale is one of the biggest issues associated with it. If you live in a hard water area, like 60% of the U.K., you would have noticed that limescale leaves behind a hard residue on plumbing, central heating, taps and appliances that are exposed to hot water. Over time, this residue can build up and be difficult to clean and can damage household appliances. In this blog post, we’re looking at the difference between water conditioners and water softeners. We hope this will help you to fight limescale build up in the best way for your household.
What is hard water?
Hard water is a term that describes water that has a high concentration of minerals within it. Calcium and magnesium are the most common minerals found in hard water. Limescale is typically formed from chalky deposits such as calcium carbonate. This is then left behind when the water evaporates. Hard water is particularly common in the southeast, east and parts of north Wales in the U.K. Here you will see very hard water. Therefore, these mineral deposits build up on surfaces and appliances that are exposed to hot water. Because of the problems associated with limescale, many are keen to find a way to improve the quality of their tap water. The good news is that there are a number of water treatment systems on the market which can accomplish this.
How to Get Rid of Limescale and Hard Water in Your Home
When it comes to cleaning, limescale can be a real pain to deal with. It is stubborn and difficult to remove, and it can really dull the shine on your sinks and tap. If you live in a hard water area, you will have seen the effects of hard water around your kitchens and bathrooms. The shower head may not seem as powerful, or you may notice limescale ‘scum’ in your tea. Often, a descaler is required to clean the kettle and shower head to reduce limescale within it. This may seem trivial, but the limescale impacts our ability to visually inspect some plumbing components easily, such as the heating element in our washing machines or dishwasher. Over time this limescale will damage the appliance and you’ll need to either replace it, or get it repaired by a plumber or engineer. Both situations can be costly.
For many, this is incentive enough to find a long-term solution to hard water. There are ways to improve the quality of the water.
These methods include water conditioning systems, water filters or water softening devices. These all can help with water purification and water treatment and have different pros and cons to each.
What is the Difference Between Water Conditioners and Water Softeners?
The difference between a water softener and a water conditioner is in their basic design. Each filter the water differently. However, their end goal is similar. Their goal is ultimately to improve water quality. They do this by reducing limescale and other impurities in the water.
Water Softeners:
A water softener is a device that removes minerals such as calcium and magnesium ions. It uses an ion exchange process. It does this by using salt. The harder minerals are then exchanged for sodium ions. Water is then flushed through resin beads. This traps the minerals within it, good or bad. Over time, these minerals build up and the resin bed needs to be flushed out and the salt replaced. Due to the fact a water softener works by adding salt and using a filter system, there is some maintenance and running costs associated with using this form of system. This can be quite costly, especially for those areas with very hard water. Another disadvantage to using a water softener is that the added sodium (salt) is not healthy. Many of the minerals that are removed from the drinking water are good for you.
Water Conditioners:
A water conditioner is a device that is similar to a salt-free water softener. It changes the way the minerals interact with your plumbing, central heating, and household appliances without removing the good minerals. These good minerals are beneficial for your health. It is important they remain. In addition, a water conditioner does not require on-going maintenance or need expense such as salt added to it. Simply add it to your central heating system and forget about it. With a water conditioner, you will be reducing limescale build-up in your home which will be saving you time on cleaning and money on appliance maintenance. You also get the health benefits from the good minerals that are contained within the water. This is why many people look for a salt-free water conditioner instead of a water softener.
A water conditioner deploys to alter the water in different ways. This includes, Ion Polarization, and Magnetism or Electromagnetism which use a magnetic field. Some of these methods require an electric connection to work, whilst others do not. The cost of each will vary depending on this.
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