How To Choose Water Softener

A water softener is a device that is mainly used to reduce the dissolved calcium, magnesium and to some degree even manganese and ferrous iron concentration from water. If not removed, these metals can have an adverse effect. Most notably, these, when mixed with soaps and calcium sensitive detergents, hinder the ability of the detergent to actually form a nice lather.

The water that needs to be treated is passed through the water softener. The negatively charged resins absorb the metal ions and connect with them. These resins, which contained elements like univalent hydrogen, sodium or even potassium ions, change places with calcium and magnesium ions in the water.

This inter-change results in the elimination of any precipitation or formation of scum. The moment the water passes through the softener, the hardness ions replace the hydrogen, sodium or potassium ions. It is, therefore very important to choose just the right kind of water softener that works best for you.

How To Choose Water Softener

Determining Water Hardness in grains per gallon is very important. The first step is to test your water for hardness before you actually go about getting a water softener. The hardness is usually measured in ppm (parts per-millions). Once you have the ppm figure with you, divide it by 17.1 to determine the corresponding hardness in grains per gallons in the water.
A very good way to find out whether the water softener you are getting is of good quality or not is to look at the ratings of the softener. What this will tell you is the amount of minerals that can be removed from the hard water.
The third way to choose the correct water softener is to look whether it is electric or non-electric. If it runs on electricity, then it makes it much easier to run in the long run than non-electric models.
The last thing to watch out for while getting a water softener is whether you want an ionic exchange unit or a magnetic softening unit. Both kinds of softeners are available in the market easily.

Choosing Right Water Softener

The various types of water softeners available are as follows:

The first type, called the Autotrol range of water softeners range from the softeners which are meant to be used primarily at homes to some that can be used for commercial purposes. These come in complete units. The features in these softeners include a 12 volt wall mount transformer, a microprocessor which monitors the daily usage of water. It also has the ability to renew itself and has a memory chip which stores the usage data of water.
The second type of water softeners is known as the Fleck water softeners. These have a variety of features on offer. This range of water softener's main focus is on just one aspect on water softening and hence it also comes in various range of sizes. Say, for instance, the Fleck 2510 line of softeners clean as on-demand status. These are basically used in homes and helps immensely in cleaning the drinking water or tap water, at homes. The on-demand status means that no amount of water is wasted.
The third type is the Clack WS1 water softeners. These use the latest technology and state of the art equipments. These types of softeners are used in combination with some simple end operations. These have very high capacity as well, which can range from 24,000 grain to 64,000 grain tank. A water high-flow valve controls the amount of water. According to the amount of water that is expelled per minute, it will automatically vary the amount.
If your requirement is based on the fact that you own a commercial building and need a water softener for it, then it becomes all the more important to choose a water softener that works real well and does its job perfectly. This will inturn ensure that the water used in your business is healthy and appropriate amounts are used; no amount is wasted.

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