Hard water is one of the common problems that many home owners face, especially in India. The presence of excess minerals such as calcium, magnesium, manganese and carbonate make water hard and unfit for usage. Hard water leaves spots on your utensils, causes plumbing problems and also makes your kitchen appliances ineffective. Apart from these, hard water can have an effect on your health and also make your skin and hair dry. Gone are the days when people depended on traditional methods of making hard water soft. With the availability of water softeners for home, you can easily make hard water soft without any extra efforts. However, choosing the best water softener for your home can be a tough task, considering the number of options available in the market. To help you out, we discuss 5 important questions to ask when buying a water softener.
1. What are the types of iron present in water?
• Water mainly consists of four different types of iron: Oxidized, soluble, colloidal and bacterial iron. Oxidized iron is clearly visible in water. If the water that you receive has red particles, water has oxidized iron.
• Soluble irons form when water comes in contact with air. Soluble iron is also red in color and you can clearly see it present in water.
• Colloidal iron contains tiny particles of oxidized iron, which makes the water look milky. Colloidal iron is small in size and so you can’t remove it with a filter. Water that has colloidal iron needs chlorination
• Bacterial iron forms in the pipes of the houses and is difficult to remove. If the surface of your crockery or toilet has a reddish-green slime, water has bacterial iron.
2. How does a water softener work?
The main function of a domestic water softener is to treat water and remove the excess minerals that cause hardness. The water softeners use an ion exchange process to remove the hardness and make it suitable for consumption. Water softeners contain resin beads, which remove calcium and other minerals that make water hard with an ion exchange process. The beads in the water softener system remove unwanted elements from water to make it soft. The negative ions of the beads attract the dissolved particles present that make water hard to provide you with soft water. When suspended particles fill up the resin beads , the machine automatically regenerates to continue with the process.
3. What is Automatic Regeneration?
When the water softener operates, the particles that make water hard build up in the resin bed of the softener. After a certain level of build-up, the water softener automatically mixes salt in the water tank to remove the particles from the resin bed. The water softener flushes the tank in order to be ready to start softening the water again. The regeneration process happens generally at night when the machine doesn’t use water.
You can also read: Effects of Hard Water and How Water Filtration Should be Done
4. Does a Water Softener Remove Bacteria?
No. Many people confuse water softener with a purifier and end up buying the wrong product. Both the products can’t be used interchangeably. A water softener is mainly used for treating the hardness in water. To remove bacteria or any other pathogens present in water, you need to get a water purifier. The kind of water purifier that you will need depends on the quality of water. As a result, test the water quality tested before making the final decision.
5. What type of water softener to choose?
Another important question that you need to ask which type water softener should you choose. It is advisable to consider your usage before buying a water softener. Decide whether you need to use the water softener for whole house or just for bathing and washing purposes. For instance, KENT Mini, a top quality water softener is ideal for washing machines, dishwashers and geysers, whereas KENT Autosoft is ideal for complete water supply to your home.
Also Read: Five Reasons To Own A Water Purifier
Last Few Words
Those were the 5 most important questions you need to ask when buying a water softener for home. Before making the final, compare the different options available in the market. Don’t forget to read the customer reviews and the reputation of the company before making the final decision.