Water and Its Unparalleled Importance

The vitality of water for human life is undisputed. The indispensable nature of water is often overlooked by giving more importance to industrialisation and other development strategies. With the alarming effects of pollution and contamination in place, people are finding it difficult to get access to quality water that is completely fit for use. The majority of the population around the world are having more access to hard water rather than soft water. Hard water has high concentrations of minerals when compared to normal water. Hard water is not known to pose a health hazard but dealing with it in the household and otherwise is quite difficult. Hard water often increases your cost of living among other things. One of the most efficient ways of converting hard water to soft water is by using a water softener. With a large number of water softeners available in the market, it is of high importance that you understand what does water softener do and the benefits of soft water over hard water. Let us see how a water softener will help you reap the benefits of soft water over hard water.

When to Buy a Water Softener

Now, the big question arises as to when to decide that you need to go for a water softener. The alarm for the need of a water softener is often raised by your house hold devices itself. Look out for these common signs like scale build up on your house hold appliances, a dry and itchy skin, grey and faded clothes, skyrocketing water bills, a plumbing which requires constant repair, stains on stinks and bath tubs and brittle glassware. Though these are the most common signs, there might be certain signs that are not easily visible. Water softener helps you to expand the lifespan of your appliances and does not let your expense creep out your budget. Soft water makes your life easy in simple ways like increasing the life span of your clothes, house hold items and even enhancing the texture of your skin.

What is Hard Water?

Before we understand more about water softeners, let us see what is hard water and the disadvantages associated with it. The ground water, when it percolates through the earth’s surface, absorbs minerals like calcium and magnesium. Hard water has high concentration of these minerals compared to normal water. Hard water poses problem in households as well as industries like textile, sugar, paper etc. You might have noticed that in some places soap doesn’t easily lather with water where as in some places it does. This is because of the fact that the former is hard water and the latter is soft water. In the presence of hard water the soap gives scum and very little lather. Hard water is also known to clog pipes. Dealing with it is often a nuisance among other things.

Hard Water and Limescale

Hard water increases the chances of limescale deposits in households and industries alike. The term limescale is an unpleasant one for people who lives in areas with hard water. As hard water has high concentrations of minerals like magnesium and calcium, when the water evaporates it leaves behind calcium carbonate deposits, commonly known as limescale. The white crust, which is nothing but the limescale deposits accumulates quickly and can be found on any surface that is in contact with hard water. These deposits sticks very fast and is difficult to get rid of. It gives rise to blockage of pipes, reduced efficiency of water heaters which in turn gives rise to higher energy consumption as it takes more time to boil water. Limescale leads to reduced durability. The house hold appliances also becomes less visually attractive reducing the charm of your home.

Measure of Water Hardness

Water hardness is measured in parts per million or ppm. The measure of ppm in water is the mass of a contaminate or a chemical that is present per unit volume of water. The total hardness of water is primarily calculated as the sum of calcium and magnesium in water. Typically, the hardness of hard water is in the range of 120-180 ppm whereas for soft water it is less than 60 ppm, even though various organisations around the world use slightly different measures for the same. In order to measure the hardness of water at home you can go for a test kit which comes with a detailed manual on how to measure the hardness.

What Does a Water Softener Do?

Now that we have seen the harmful impacts that hard water has on our daily life, let us look at what does water softener do. In simple terms, a water softener helps to remove impurities like calcium and magnesium. Water softener is a mechanical device fixed to the water supply system. Irrespective of the different kind of water softeners available in the market, all of it works on one single principle of ion exchange. Ion exchange is the process of removing the calcium and magnesium for some other minerals, in most cases sodium. A mineral tank filled with polystyrene beads is located in the heart of a water softener. The positive charges found in calcium and magnesium is traded for the negative charges founded in the beads. When the hard water passes through the mineral tank, the minerals will get attached to the beads replacing sodium ions. The sodium ions pass to the water. The resulting soft water flows out of the tank to the building for your use. The water can be collected in tapes and can be used for your daily needs. You will start to realise the benefit of using soft water over hard water as you go.

Regenerating the Water Softener

A water softener needs to recharge itself periodically. The recharge or the regenerating cycle is started once the beads are saturated with magnesium and calcium. The first phase is known as the backwash phase in which water flow is reversed and the dirt is flushed out of the tank. The second phase is the recharge phase in which the brine solution rich in sodium is carried from the brine tank to the mineral tank. The beads collect the sodium, replacing the magnesium and calcium deposits which goes into the drain. At the end of this phase. the mineral tank is cleared off the brine solution and refilling of the brine tank happens. The presence of a regenerating system in most of the water softeners makes use of an electric timer, a computer or a mechanical water meter to automate the process. Some people also go for manual recharge cycle, which is often undertaken as a part of maintenance or when the water shows the characteristics of hard water. The frequency of recharge is determined by the hardness of water and amount of water used. The recharge of water softener doesn’t consume much energy either, which makes it an energy efficient way to adopt.

Impacts of Softened Water on Health

Now that the question of what does water softener do is answered let us look at the impacts of softened water on our health. It is an often debated topic as to whether drinking softened water is safe to health. Softened water is not proven to be bad for your health. The amount of sodium in softened water that you drink depends on the hardness prevalent in water. But softened water is not salt water. In fact, softened water consists of all the natural minerals that we require in our diet. Considering the fact the most of your sodium intake comes from your food intake, only less than three percent is believed to come from softened water. For people who want to eliminate the sodium content in their softened water, reverse osmosis is a much recommended method. A reverse osmosis system can be installed with the water softener to ensure that you have sodium free softened water. Having said that hard water is not believed to have an adverse affect on our health either. So, it is on you to decide whether to go for hard water or soft water for consumption keeping in mind what suits your health the best.

Pointers for Purchasing Decision

With the presence of lot of water softeners in the market, making a purchasing decision regarding the same is quite difficult. First, determine the hardness of water buy a test kit or contact your municipality. Then, in order to determine the size of the water softener you need to get, multiply the number of members in your house with the gallons of water they use. Multiply this with the hardness of water. In this age where, companies go an extra mile to make their customer experience hassle free, contact a water softener company and a representative will answer all your questions. Durability of a water softener is an important factor to consider when you make your purchasing decision. The lifespan of a water softener is usually very long, but it definitely depends on the quality of water softener that you buy. The average lifespan of a water softener is about 10 to 15 years, but they can last up to 20 years as well. So, when you purchase a water softener, let the health of your family, the durability and the price guide you to make the decision.

Myths Related to Water Softeners

While, there are many benefits of using a water softener, many people get carried away by the myths surrounding water softeners. The myth that water softeners make the water salty is in place as the magnesium and calcium ion is replaced with sodium ions. Another one is only the use of salt free conditioners helps to soften water. Some people also believe that water softeners waste salt, energy and water. The two other prevalent myths are that water softeners remove the good minerals from water and are bad for septic systems. The above stated myths are often a deterrent to many while choosing hard water over soft water. The fact that water softeners use green technology is often side lined by these myths. The benefits of soft water, including the less amount of waste produced, helps us to contribute to a cleaner and greener environment. After all aren’t we all aiming for a greener environment which is able to sustain us for generations to come.

Benefits of Water Softening

The benefits of water softening are many. Water softening helps the devices at our home last longer. It also helps to reduce the amount of soaps and detergents used which in turn is better for the environment. Soft water makes your appliances stainless. It also helps to save time by heating water quickly. Water softener is energy efficient and only uses the energy required to run a digital alarm clock. Soft water helps to increase the life span of household devices like laundry machines, heating systems, air conditioners and other appliances based on water. Using soft water makes your skin soft. Above all, soft water helps to keep the environment around you healthy and finer to live. Realising these benefits and keeping the myths related to soft water at bay will help you in making your life more easier giving you more time with your family and friends rather than managing your household chores

Say Yes to an Enhanced Lifestyle

In the present age, access to water of great quality has become a privilege. Even though there are no hazards caused by hard water, managing the daily chores with the help of it is difficult. In turn, soft water is much more beneficial and is more hassle free to manage. With the help of devices like water softeners, which purifies the hard water, it has become easily achievable as well. So, if you are living in an area with hard water, make your life easy by buying a water softener. Soft water also helps you to save time, energy and money. When you make your purchasing decision, keep the pointers in mind to get the best one suited for the needs of your family. When you have an easy, quick and safe option to make the hard water soft, why delay in making water softener a part of your household. Say yes to an enhanced lifestyle by keeping your budget at bay and of course to water of enhanced quality.

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Vendor	Price
Walmart	$279.94

Many households and businesses invest in water softeners to reverse the negative effects hard water has on plumbing and household appliances. Water is considered hard when it has high amounts of dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Such minerals often react within plumbing and appliances forming hard deposits. As the deposits grow in size, they can easily block plumbing and reduce the efficiency of your household appliances. A good water softener will help eliminate these deposits and, reduce the amount of dissolved minerals within water. The main problem with softeners is that they can be expensive to install and maintain. In addition, they remove minerals such as calcium which have been found to have health benefits.

The Eddy electronic water descaler is a cheaper eco-friendly alternative to a water softener. If offers the same benefits on plumbing as your water softener but, doesn’t alter the nature of the dissolved minerals. This review will focus on the Eddy electronic descaler. But before that, here’s a brief overview about how the descaler works.

Understanding How a Descaler Works

The descaler uses an electric current run through copper coils wound around plumbing preferably close to the inlet pipe to create a magnetic wave. The wave is then applied to hard water. These waves prevent the different magnesium, calcium and other minerals from reacting and forming deposits within your plumbing. However, the waves do not alter the nature of the minerals as is the case with water softeners. This means you’ll get all the benefits presented by hard drinking water when you use a descaler.

Eddy electronic descaler features

Installing the Eddy descaler is easy. It comes inclusive of a detailed installation manual which many users find handy as far as making installation trouble free. It involves winding the coils on the desired spot along the length of your plumbing. It’s recommended you install the coils as close to the water inlet as possible to protect the whole building’s plumbing from lime scale. Then, plug in the descaler in a 110 volt power outlet and turn on. The installation process doesn’t require altering your plumbing or hiring a plumber. This will save you time and money. Speaking of savings, this is a 5 watt water descaler and won’t consume a lot of electricity.

The descaler can be installed on both plastic and metal pipes. However, it cannot be installed on lead and iron pipes which might render the magnetic wave ineffective. It can also be installed on pipes with diameters of up to 1.5 inches. For larger pipes, you’re provided with a different Eddy coil set.

The Eddy electronic descaler only requires an electric current to work. It doesn’t need salt, water or to regenerate every once in a while. On your part, this means extra savings on money and time. You won’t need to buy additional salt after every few months or have to wait a few hours for the descaler to regenerate. You are however assured of a continuous supply of water and 24/7 protection of plumbing against lime scale. Once the descaler is installed and turned on, you don’t need to carry out any special maintenance checks to ensure its working efficiently.
The Eddy electronic water descaler will only prevent lime scale from forming within your home or business’ plumbing. The water within the plumbing will still retain its hardness. Hard water has several benefits when used for drinking. It tastes better compared to soft water. It also contains trace minerals which present health benefits. Calcium in particular is great for bones and has also been found to reduce chances of developing heart disease.

Measuring 6.7 X 1.6 X 3.5 inches, this descaler doesn’t require a lot of space to install. Compared to water softeners, the Eddy descaler saves on space as it can easily be mounted on a wall. All you need is have a power outlet nearby to provide power for the descaler. This makes it a good option for homes and businesses alike.
Little maintenance is required for the Eddy water descaler. Few people encounter problems when operating their units. In case yours malfunctions, there’s no need to worry about having to pay high fees for repairs or replacements. The descaler’s manufacturer offers a lifetime replacement and repairs guarantee on all descalers. This is much better compared to what most water softener manufacturers offer. In order to ensure that you’re completely satisfied with your descaler, you’re offered a 12 month 100% risk free money back guarantee. This ensures you get the best value for your money.

Pros

Water descalers offer a handful of benefits compared to water softeners. The Eddy electronic descaler offers many more which include the following:
– A compact and lightweight design which is easy to install. This makes it suitable for both homes and businesses.
– 5 watt power rating ensures that it doesn’t consume a lot of electricity allowing you to save on bills.
– Easy installation doesn’t require altering plumbing or hiring professional plumbers to install.
– Maintenance free operation doesn’t require regeneration or addition of water softener salt.
– Doesn’t remove minerals from water allowing you to enjoy health benefits of drinking hard water.
– Costs a fraction of water softeners and comes with money back guarantee and lifetime repair and replacement policy.

Cons

Although a great way to prevent lime scale, the following are some of the concerns you should know before deciding to invest in this descaler.
– It needs to be installed indoors and close to a power outlet.
– Minerals that make water hard aren’t removed.
– It has been found to be most effective in areas where water hardness doesn’t exceed 10GPG.
If you’re looking for an efficient way to protect your home or business plumbing from lime scale but don’t want to invest in an expensive, bulky and hard to maintain water softener, the Eddy electronic water descaler is a good choice. It’s an inexpensive descaler that comes in a compact and easy to install package. It’s maintenance free and comes with a 12 month money back guarantee and lifetime repairs and replacement warranty. This allows you to get the best value for money, protect your plumbing and, enjoy the benefits of hard water.

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