Hello everyone. In the area where we will be building, we can expect very hard water.
Has anyone here had experience with water softening systems?
Would you recommend a water softener?
Do you know of a good product (salt)?
I understand there are many dubious products in this field. We are looking for something that is proven to work, without any pseudoscience or dowsing rods, etc.
Has anyone here had experience with water softening systems?
Would you recommend a water softener?
Do you know of a good product (salt)?
I understand there are many dubious products in this field. We are looking for something that is proven to work, without any pseudoscience or dowsing rods, etc.
M
MODERATOR21 May 2012 09:42Hello Tobi,
very interesting post, thank you.
very interesting post, thank you.
...you're welcome :-)
There is one more point I would like to address, namely to put into perspective two commonly promoted sales arguments for descaling or water softening devices:
1.
Energy savings with electric water heaters??
What applies to gas or oil-fired boilers—that a system without scale deposits can save about 20-40% energy—does not apply to electric water heaters.
While in gas or oil boilers more heat is lost through the flue when the heat transfer is impaired by scale buildup, the heat generated by an electric heating element, which is completely surrounded by water, cannot go anywhere else but into the surrounding water. Although the heating process takes slightly longer with scaling, the higher core temperature in the heating element increases its electrical resistance, which leads to a reduced power consumption. To explain this, imagine that the atomic lattice structure, through which electrons flow to conduct electricity, vibrates more intensely at higher temperatures. Because of these increased vibrations, electrons collide more frequently with the lattice, slowing down the current flow, which ultimately means lower electricity consumption.
1 kilowatt for 2 hours = 2 kilowatt-hours = 40 cents / 2 kilowatts for 1 hour = 2 kilowatt-hours = 40 cents. The heat lost through the mounting of the heating coil is negligible.
2.
Detergent savings = environmental protection??
It is frequently claimed that the environment is protected by reduced detergent use with water softened by ion exchange (salt) systems.
However, the following study by BUWAL shows that the salt released into the water by ion exchange softening systems burdens both the environment and humans many times more than if washing is done with a modular detergent system (washing powder combined with the required amount of water softening powder).
The four columns from left to right represent:
1. Washing with hard water using only washing powder
2. Washing with soft rainwater
3. Washing with soft water treated by ion exchange softening system
4. Washing with hard water using detergents in a modular system
There is one more point I would like to address, namely to put into perspective two commonly promoted sales arguments for descaling or water softening devices:
1.
Energy savings with electric water heaters??
What applies to gas or oil-fired boilers—that a system without scale deposits can save about 20-40% energy—does not apply to electric water heaters.
While in gas or oil boilers more heat is lost through the flue when the heat transfer is impaired by scale buildup, the heat generated by an electric heating element, which is completely surrounded by water, cannot go anywhere else but into the surrounding water. Although the heating process takes slightly longer with scaling, the higher core temperature in the heating element increases its electrical resistance, which leads to a reduced power consumption. To explain this, imagine that the atomic lattice structure, through which electrons flow to conduct electricity, vibrates more intensely at higher temperatures. Because of these increased vibrations, electrons collide more frequently with the lattice, slowing down the current flow, which ultimately means lower electricity consumption.
1 kilowatt for 2 hours = 2 kilowatt-hours = 40 cents / 2 kilowatts for 1 hour = 2 kilowatt-hours = 40 cents. The heat lost through the mounting of the heating coil is negligible.
2.
Detergent savings = environmental protection??
It is frequently claimed that the environment is protected by reduced detergent use with water softened by ion exchange (salt) systems.
However, the following study by BUWAL shows that the salt released into the water by ion exchange softening systems burdens both the environment and humans many times more than if washing is done with a modular detergent system (washing powder combined with the required amount of water softening powder).
The four columns from left to right represent:
1. Washing with hard water using only washing powder
2. Washing with soft rainwater
3. Washing with soft water treated by ion exchange softening system
4. Washing with hard water using detergents in a modular system
Hello Lt12,
Water softening systems are not just a convenience; as I explained earlier in my post, beyond a certain water hardness level (from 3.8 mmol/l or approximately 30°fH), softening systems are technically necessary.
If I have researched correctly, 3.8 mmol/l corresponds to a French hardness degree of 38.033°fH, not 30. According to the information sheet, softening is not recommended below 38°fH because the aggressive water from ion exchangers also brings certain technical disadvantages. The SVGW’s recommendation to consider softening only from 30°fH seems to be set rather low.
M
MODERATOR11 Jun 2012 16:18Hello Tobi, your calculation is correct; I had taken the values from an information sheet and did not verify them.
By the way, the silver resin content of 2% required in Switzerland for ion exchange water softening systems is not allowed in Germany because the limit for silver in drinking water set by their regulations is ten times lower, which would result in exceeding the limit by two to five times... but fortunately, silver is not considered so toxic for us Swiss 😕
It is advised to avoid any additional intake of silver, as we already consume that amount through our daily diet, and exceeding it can cause serious effects according to the WHO. It is also recommended not to use it widely in household settings in order to prevent the development of multidrug-resistant bacteria, which would render one of the last effective weapons against bacteria in hospitals useless.
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