An electric water softener is a device which reduces and monitors the hardness of water that we use everyday. The hardness of water is measured by computing the amount of sediments that are dissolved in the water. One grain of hardness equates to about one seven thousandth of a pound. In general, water that has three point five or more grains per one gallon is regarded as hard water. If it contains more than ten point five grains per gallon, it is regarded as extremely hard. Hard water causes many problems which otherwise would not be encountered if soft water is used.
An electric water softener increases the quality of the water. It also takes away the unsightly water spots which hard water can cause on sinks, faucets, shower doors and other items that are washed with hard water. As more hard water is used, more residues from it are accumulated making them harder to remove. Dishes that are washed with soft water are cleaner, because there are less soap spots and water marks. These can usually be removed by treating them with a solution of water and white vinegar, but they will keep coming back because water and vinegar is not a permanent solution to the problem. In addition, hard water creates problems for washing your clothes. Soft water makes clothes brighter, cleaner and softer, making them last longer and look better. Furthermore, energy consumption around the house is lessened since the build up of hard water scale is reduced on water heaters.
Traditionally, an electric water softener works to soften hard water by changing its composition through a process called ion exchange. The method does not allow high concentrations of salt or sodium to be introduced into the water. There are many electric water softeners that are in the market and the choice will depend on your personal requirements. There are water softener models which you can purchase for as low as six hundred and fifty pounds sterling and as high as one thousand five hundred pounds.
Installing an electric water softener is rather expensive because it requires its own plumbing modifications, as well as a set of problems that is unique to the device. As compared to a water descaler, a water softener also requires more space because it is considerably larger in size. This can create some problems when the time comes to fill it up with salt, because there is less room to manoeuvre if you have a confined space. The salt which you will use in your electric water softener can cost you between fifty pounds to a hundred and fifty pounds. It might also be well to point out that the soft water produced from the device is not suitable to drink for babies as well as some adults. This will require you to have set up an additional drinking water supply which will involve additional cost. In addition, the waste matter produced by the water softener is not friendly to the environment.
