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.

Joshua Hind is the author of this article on Water Descaler.

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By Hannah Pauline

Water Softeners Are Useful, Not Sexy

Water softeners aren't really a sexy purchase, but they can go a long way toward making life better in your home. Hard water is a common problem associated with well water. You may have noticed rings in your toilet or dishwasher, laundry not quite getting cleaned, etc. Many times the answer can be a water softener. Most kinds of softener machines are sized according to how many people are going to use them. The bigger the unit the more expensive it is. Most people think that the typical purchase of a water softener is a sizable investment, but it doesn't have to be.

Many companies that sell water treatment equipment offer hardness tests. We went through the home demo from a major national chain (I won't name names) and of course they showed how horribly hard our water was. They gave us the speech on how much soap we can save with soft water (that is true) and showed us the difference in water types (far clearer with soft water). But then they wanted us to pay hundreds of dollars a year to use their special system plus expensive salt. No way! There has to be a cheaper option. Fortunately there is. We did our homework and compared models at the major home improvement stores. We saw that most were far cheaper than the brand name monthly subscription scenario. For about $250-$300 up front and then $12 worth of salt that lasted 8 months we had soft water. I love a bargain!

Many people think soft water tastes salty. You can control how your softener unit works to adjust the level of "softness" you want. Give it a few days and make adjustments slowly. You will soon find that perfect setting and you'll save a fortune in the process, not only in dish and laundry soaps, but in household cleaning supplies and no monthly subscriptions.

If you are having water issues at your home and hardness appears as the only substantial water problem, the installation of a water softener is recommended. Sometimes the required water treatment may range from nothing at all to simple filters, a small water softener or a small reverse osmosis system. Until you know the real problem don't go overboard getting everything. Start with filters and then get an economical unit and you'll be amazed at the difference.

Article By Kristen Easton