How to Convert Hard Water to Soft water? Yes, hard water can very well be converted into soft water with the help of a few processes. But what is ‘hard water,’ and why is it called so? What are the dangers and threats that hard water poses to our lives and lifestyle? And most importantly, can we convert hard water into Soft water? Yes, and more details on this in this article. But first, how do you know if the water is Hard or Soft?
Well, this is quite simple. Have you noticed ‘White patches’ on clothes and utensils after washing them? This usually occurs when the water used for the process is ‘hard.’ This is nothing but the excessive amounts of Magnesium and Calcium content in a certain water body or source. When used for everyday processes, these mineral deposits stay behind on the Clothes’ surface, causing a ‘white deal of corrosion and damages to the pipes, tiles, and glass, hence reducing the efficiency of the product in the process. However, it is worth a mention that about 17 % of the water sources around the world are not ‘safe’ for consumption. Nevertheless, the good news is that the hard water can be converted into Soft water with the help of a few Scientifically-backed processes. These few steps are easy to accomplish and can be done within the confines of our homes, neighbourhood, society, and communities.
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How To Convert Hard Water To Soft Water At Home?
One of the best methods of converting hard water to soft water is by the use of ‘Water Softener.’ What is a Water Softener? Well, this is a device that is used for the process of converting hard water into soft water. Here the process of ‘Ion Exchange’ is applied to replace the Magnesium and Calcium in the water with Sodium. This causes the water to ‘soften-down’ hence, more suitable for everyday use. If you are wondering how to convert hard water to soft water at home? Well, that is possible too, with the help of boiling. In case the Water content comprises excessive amounts of Carbonates, then the simple process of boiling can relieve it of considerable amounts of hardness. Most homes across the world utilize this process of water softening, as it is simple to perform. However, the flip-side is that the process of water boiling can be energy consuming, tedious, and also time taking.
For more long-term benefits, it is recommended to utilize the ‘Permanent Water Treatment’ methods. This will ensure that all the home appliances remain protected and are also suitable for cooking, cleaning, and everyday consumption.
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How Do Water Softeners Work?
You know you are dealing with Hard water when cleaning with soap does not generate much lather. For this process, one can make use of the Water Softener. This is a complete house ‘Water-Filtration system’ that applies the phenomenon of ‘Ion Exchange’ for the removal of harmful minerals from the water body. As mentioned previously in the article, this is done with the process of exchanging the Calcium and Magnesium ions with Sodium ions. So, if you are wondering how to convert hard water to soft water for hair wash? You can do so with the process of ‘Water Softening.’ This is done when the water is made to enter a Mineral Tank, where the surface is lined with ‘Resin Beads.’ These are Polystyrene-made beads that are Charged with Sodium Ions. These Resins are Negatively-Charged Ions or Anions. Likewise, the Calcium and Magnesium Ions are Positively charged ions or cations. Now, this is the basic ‘law of attraction’ where the Positive charge is attracted with the Negative charge. Hence, as the hard water containing the Positive ions is made to pass through the Mineral tank, the Negative ions attract them and pull them towards themselves. This results in the hard water emerging free from the anions, hence, turning ‘soft,’ as the Sodium ion is released in the process.
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Features of a Water Softener?
When wondering about how to convert borewell water to soft water, a water softener can be used. To get a better idea about the device, let us take a peek inside it:
The Tank
This is the main chamber, where the main water softening process is accomplished. Here the hard water is poured into with the help of the water supply lines. The water is made to pass through the Resin beads, hence depositing the Calcium and the Magnesium ions. The processed water is then made to emerge out from the outlet pipes and supplied to the rest of the house.
The Valves
This is the main ‘control; from where the water is made to enter the ‘Tank.’ The Valve comprises a Meter that keeps track of the water quantity entering the tank. The main purpose of the Valve is to ‘signal’ as and when the Resin beads are depleted from the process of water softening. This occurs over time, with a constant process of water softening taking place. When the Resins arrive at their threshold, the Valve starts the ‘Regeneration Cycle.’ This is the maximum capacity that is pre-programmed into the control valve automatically onto the onboard computer. This also includes various factors like the size of the house, the number of people residing in it, and the hardness value of the water.
The Brine Tank
The smaller tank is located beside the main tank. The main function of the brine tank is to assist the water regeneration process. This comprises of high Salt concentration solution in order to be able to restore the ‘charge of the Resin beads’ that tends to diminish with time. The manual addition of the Salts is done into the Brine tank as Pallets or Blocks. When the Brine tank receives the signal from the Valves about the diminishing charge of the Resins, the Brine tank releases the heavy Brine solution from within into the main Mineral tank. Hence the process of Regeneration works by recharging the Resin beads in order to be able to remove the water hardness again.
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How to Convert Hard Water to Soft water?: The Conclusion
Do water softeners work? Well, they sure do. Water softening has a widespread application all over the world. The water treated from the device is also vouched to be safe for drinking purposes, in combination with a RO system for better results. So, there you have it, all that you need to know about the process of water softening and how it works. Water is life; hence it is vital that we take charge of the purity of the water we are dealing with. It is an understatement to declare that ‘investment in clean water is the best investment of all.