Saturday 27 December 2008

Hard Water Stains - Electromagnetic Water Conditioners

Electromagnetic water conditioners are a relatively new invention. The idea is that by passing water through a magnetic field, the calcium and magnesium ion's are altered in such a way that they loose their ability to cause scale.

See below for two types of electronic and magnetic water conditioners that help to reduce scale formation in pipes which may help to save hundreds of dollars on heating bills as elements in boilers and kettles do not "fur-up". Efficiency is also improved in washing machines and dishwashers as scale cannot form inside causing loss of heating control.









These devices have a number of benefits and many are used in industry; although the water is not technically soft, it has the useful properties of soft water, that is, it may reduce limescale in your pipes and may increase heating efficiency as well as lengthening the lifespan of any clothes washed in the conditioned water.

However, the jury is still out on whether these devices work effectively in a residential environment. The magnetic current that passes through the water does not technically remove the unwanted minerals but simply changes the chemical make-up of them. This is supposed to prevent the minerals from "sticking" to the sides of pipes and fixtures around the home - thus reducing hard water stains and scale formation. However, as they are still present in the water, they can still cause problems around the home. There was a period of time in the 60's and 70's where many of these anti scale devices were installed in industrial systems, however they are not used as frequently these days.

On positive aspect of the devices is that as calcium is an important dietary element, the conditioned water still retains its calcium content as it is not physically removed from the water.

Have you had any experience with these electronic descaling devices, and what did you think of them? Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment or email me at support@hardwaterstainstips.com

Sunday 21 December 2008

Water Softeners and Filters - Discover How They Can Improve Your Water Supply

It may be useful to invest in a water filter for your home to make sure that your drinking water is clean and free from contaminants. There are different forms of water filters available today, all useful as a water softening treatment:

•Granulated, activated carbon water filters – These are portable filters that are found in water jugs. They are the simplest type of filter and removes contaminants such as chlorine, large particles and parasites. They are available at most kitchenware stores and are reasonably cheap if you have a low budget. However, they have a short filter life and don’t filter out many chemicals and bacteria.

•Carbon block, activated carbon water filters
– These types of filters are generally built-in to the water supply in your home. These filters are more expensive than granulated types, but they do give better filtration and do not need to be replaced as often.

•Ceramic carbon water filters
– This type of filter is comprised of a ceramic part and a carbon part; this gives it an ability to filter out a broad range of contaminants from the water supply. Some are infused with silver, as this is a good antibiotic and reduces the number of micro-organisms present. These filters are good value for money. They are built-in to the home water supply and need to be replaced about every 12 months in the average household.

•Reverse osmosis water filters – These filters are often considered the best form of water filtration available today. The water is passed through a semi-permeable membrane, which filters out almost every contaminant. They are more expensive than other types of filters but have reasonably low running costs, effective filtration and can be used to filter water to the whole house, and remove minerals that cause hard water stains in the home.

•Combination Systems – This filter has become available in recent years and are seen as an alternative to reverse osmosis systems. They have a number of different filters, and each filtration process removes different contaminants.

•Alkaline Water Machines – These systems not only filters your drinking water but it make it more alkaline. They are promoted as a good system for those with environmental illnesses where there is too much acid in the body. However, the jury is still out on how effective these machines are and whether they do indeed have any health benefit by altering the pH of the water. They do have effective filtration but can be expensive and waste a lot of water during the filtration process.

Sunday 14 December 2008

Mechanical Water Softeners


Mechanical water softening units can be permanently installed into the plumbing system to continuously remove calcium and magnesium and prevent the formation of limescale around the home.

Water softeners operate on the ion exchange process. In this process, water passes through a media bed, usually sulfonated polystyrene beads. The beads are supersaturated with sodium. The ion exchange process takes place as hard water passes through the softening material. The hardness minerals attach themselves to the resin beads while sodium on the resin beads is released simultaneously into the water.

When the resin becomes saturated with calcium and magnesium, it must be recharged. The recharging is done by passing a salt (brine) solution through the resin. The sodium replaces the calcium and magnesium which are discharged in the waste water.

Hard water treated with an ion exchange water softener has sodium added. According to the Water Quality Association (WQA), the ion exchange softening process adds sodium at the rate of about 8 mg/liter for each grain of hardness removed per gallon of water.

For example, if the water has a hardness of 10 grains per gallon, it will contain about 80 mg/liter of sodium after being softened in an ion exchange water softener if all hardness minerals (which cause hard water stains) are removed.

Because of the sodium content of softened water, some individuals may be advised by their doctor, not to install water softeners, to soften only hot water or to bypass the water softener with a cold water line to provide unsoftened water for drinking and cooking; usually to a separate faucet at the kitchen sink.

Mechanically softened water is not recommended for watering plants, lawns, and gardens due to its sodium content.

Sunday 7 December 2008

Packaged Water Softeners

Basically, these are chemicals which help to control water hardness. There are two types, precipitating and non-precipitating.

Precipitating water softeners include washing soda and borax, see image below...

These products form an insoluble precipitate with calcium and magnesium ions. The mineral ions then cannot interfere with cleaning efficiency, but the precipitate makes water cloudy and can build up on surfaces. Precipitating water softeners increase alkalinity of the cleaning solution and this may damage skin and other materials being cleaned. Washing soda is great for cleaning clothes in hard water areas but it's not used for drinking water, as explained above, the water becomes cloudy from the minerals precipitating out of the water. It would certainly not be a good idea to drink!


Non-precipitating water softeners use complex phosphates to sequester calcium and magnesium ions. There is no precipitate to form deposits and does not cause hard water stains on surfaces and alkalinity is not increased. If used in enough quantity, non-precipitating water softeners will help dissolve soap curd for a period of time.