Hello dear home builders,
Do you have a water softening system? Is it really worth it, or is it just a money-making scheme?
Our architect recommended one to us, but the question is whether the 3000 euros really justify it.
I think that’s a lot of money.
Do you have a water softening system? Is it really worth it, or is it just a money-making scheme?
Our architect recommended one to us, but the question is whether the 3000 euros really justify it.
I think that’s a lot of money.
Vicky Pedia16 Jan 2020 22:27The many opinions already shared here clearly show that such a system is useful for hard water. The ongoing costs are manageable. There is no need to worry about water quality at all. The added salt reacts chemically.
I am not familiar with most of the systems mentioned. However, the "green" ones from "Beck" are also installed in hospitals. They also have a hotline.
I am not familiar with most of the systems mentioned. However, the "green" ones from "Beck" are also installed in hospitals. They also have a hotline.
H
hampshire17 Jan 2020 01:02Nordlys schrieb:
What maintenance and care are required, and how often? Can you do it yourself?In my opinion, the frequent maintenance intervals are mainly aimed at maximizing profit. You can regularly check and inspect things yourself. It’s not exactly rocket science.S
Stefan314708 Feb 2021 01:26Hello,
For some time now, I have been going through countless posts both for and against water softeners. The system installed at friends’ places has actually convinced us, but two questions remain, which have at least been touched on here before. Perhaps I may revive this somewhat older thread.
First, there is the question of whether softened water should really be re-hardened to at least 7°dH (degrees German hardness). Is this really confirmed? I have even tried completely softened water as a test. It doesn’t taste fresh, even when chilled, but rather dull. The 4°dH (4°dH) at my friends’ place, however, was quite convincing in terms of taste. There are definitely suppliers with a hardness of 4°dH (4°dH), and no one seems to consider re-hardening the water. Is there a scientific explanation, understandable even for laypeople like me, why one should not soften water to this extent? Mixing the water back up to at least 7°dH (7°dH) would, from my point of view, defeat the purpose of softening and might discourage me from installing a system.
Why is the increase of sodium ions supposed to be harmful? Mathematically, the sodium content rises by 115 mg/l (115 mg/l) when softening water from 18 to 4°dH (4°dH). That sounds like a lot compared to a mentioned limit of 200 mg/l (200 mg/l), especially if you drink about 2 liters daily. But is that limit really correctly understood? I recently saw a list of 54 mineral waters with sodium contents over 200 mg/l (200 mg/l) — up to 4360 mg/l (4360 mg/l)! Cornflakes undeniably contain nearly 1000 mg of sodium per 100 grams. If you serve your child a 30-gram portion for breakfast, that already exceeds the limit found in one liter of softened water. And if I treat myself to a 200-gram steak — usually much larger, since hardly any steakhouse serves just 200 grams — then I am at a solid 5000 mg or 5 grams! Meat of all kinds, whether beef, pork, or lamb, contains around 2500 mg sodium per 100 grams. Something about the criticism of water softeners must be off. I once read — I don’t remember where — that this limit is not actually intended as a health hazard threshold but rather as a technical reference. Does anyone know of a well-explained, convincing, and understandable discussion on this (even if it concludes that exceeding this limit is harmful to health)?
Otherwise: No, softened water doesn’t taste salty; it simply cannot. The roughly 5 liters of water used daily for regeneration is not a wasteful use of our resources, so you don’t have to convince me otherwise.
Thanks and best regards
Stefan
For some time now, I have been going through countless posts both for and against water softeners. The system installed at friends’ places has actually convinced us, but two questions remain, which have at least been touched on here before. Perhaps I may revive this somewhat older thread.
First, there is the question of whether softened water should really be re-hardened to at least 7°dH (degrees German hardness). Is this really confirmed? I have even tried completely softened water as a test. It doesn’t taste fresh, even when chilled, but rather dull. The 4°dH (4°dH) at my friends’ place, however, was quite convincing in terms of taste. There are definitely suppliers with a hardness of 4°dH (4°dH), and no one seems to consider re-hardening the water. Is there a scientific explanation, understandable even for laypeople like me, why one should not soften water to this extent? Mixing the water back up to at least 7°dH (7°dH) would, from my point of view, defeat the purpose of softening and might discourage me from installing a system.
Why is the increase of sodium ions supposed to be harmful? Mathematically, the sodium content rises by 115 mg/l (115 mg/l) when softening water from 18 to 4°dH (4°dH). That sounds like a lot compared to a mentioned limit of 200 mg/l (200 mg/l), especially if you drink about 2 liters daily. But is that limit really correctly understood? I recently saw a list of 54 mineral waters with sodium contents over 200 mg/l (200 mg/l) — up to 4360 mg/l (4360 mg/l)! Cornflakes undeniably contain nearly 1000 mg of sodium per 100 grams. If you serve your child a 30-gram portion for breakfast, that already exceeds the limit found in one liter of softened water. And if I treat myself to a 200-gram steak — usually much larger, since hardly any steakhouse serves just 200 grams — then I am at a solid 5000 mg or 5 grams! Meat of all kinds, whether beef, pork, or lamb, contains around 2500 mg sodium per 100 grams. Something about the criticism of water softeners must be off. I once read — I don’t remember where — that this limit is not actually intended as a health hazard threshold but rather as a technical reference. Does anyone know of a well-explained, convincing, and understandable discussion on this (even if it concludes that exceeding this limit is harmful to health)?
Otherwise: No, softened water doesn’t taste salty; it simply cannot. The roughly 5 liters of water used daily for regeneration is not a wasteful use of our resources, so you don’t have to convince me otherwise.
Thanks and best regards
Stefan
Stefan31470 schrieb:
understandable explanationThere are different approaches to this. 7 - 8 °dH (degrees German hardness) is usually the sweet spot, meaning you typically get the optimal balance between benefits (Mg and Ca have been sufficiently replaced, so precipitation effects are limited) and costs (a system set to 8 °dH (143 ppm) has a higher capacity than one set to 0 °dH (0 ppm), resulting in fewer regeneration cycles). Below 8 °dH, you gain little in terms of reducing lime deposits on showers, fittings, and household appliances, but your operating costs increase.On the other hand, there are nutritional aspects (Mg and Ca are relevant minerals for the body) as well as drinking water regulations concerning sodium levels; additionally, there are ecological factors, since a system operating at 0 °dH regenerates more frequently than one at 8 °dH, leading to higher salt and wastewater volumes.
Stefan31470 schrieb:
Why is enrichment with sodium ions considered harmful?Not harmful per se. Drinking water in Germany is subject to strict regulations and monitoring as a food product, which is why the sodium limit is very low.Extreme hypertension patients and the preparation of infant formula should avoid sodium-rich water. Whether 200 mg/l (200 mg per liter) already counts as sodium-rich, I can’t say for sure, but that is the set limit. Whether this is reasonable or not is another matter. The limit values are based on common procedures involving TDI (tolerable daily intake), dose-response relationships, safety factors, combined effects, current scientific knowledge, threshold effects, specific population groups, and so on.