HARD WATER
The most common problem found in water may be hardness, generally associated with an abundance of calcium and/or magnesium dissolved in the water. Hard water has not been shown to cause health problems, but can be a nuisance as it may cause soap curds and deposits to form on pipes and other plumbing fixtures. Over time this can reduce the diameter of the pipes.
Scale deposits are a typical indicator of hard water.
Hard water is high in dissolved minerals, both calcium and magnesium. You may have felt the effects of hard water the last time you washed your hands. Depending on the hardness of your water, after using soap to wash you may have felt there was a film of residue left on your hands. In hard water, soap reacts with the calcium (which is relatively high in hard water) to form "soap scum". When using hard water, more soap or detergent is needed to get things like your hands, hair and laundry clean.
Have you done a load of dishes in the dishwasher, taken out the glasses, and noticed spots or film on them? This is more hard-water residue—not dangerous, but unsightly. When hard water is heated, such as in a home water heater, solid deposits of calcium carbonate can form. This scale can reduce the life of equipment, raise the costs of heating the water, lower the efficiency of electric water heaters, and clog pipes. And, yes, mineral buildup will occur in your home coffee maker too, which is why some people occasionally run vinegar (an acid) through the pot.
WATER TREATMENT CAN IMPROVE HARD WATER ISSUES.
Scale deposits from hardness buildup affects fixtures and appliances found throughout the entire home or business. For this reason, hardness is typically addressed with treatment of water for the whole house or building rather than just at a specific faucet.
WATER SOFTENING
The typical ion exchange system (or water softener) consists of a pressurized mineral tank filled with water softener resin (sulfonated, polystyrene beads) that is capable of removing hardness ions, positive charged, from water and replacing them with softer ions, negative charged, such as sodium.
The mineral tank is connected to a brine tank that’s filled with salt, which periodically regenerates the resin beads. During the regeneration process, the salt solution in the brine tank flushes the calcium and magnesium off the resin in the softener and the resin is recharged with sodium, an exchange of positive and negative ions, before being sent to the drain. The brine solution from your brine tank is the fuel to recharge the resin with sodium providing you with softened water.
In the Bathroom: Your soap and shampoo will lather better. Your hair and skin will feel noticeably cleaner, softer and not as dry. Additionally, there will be no soap scum or mineral deposits to clean off sinks, showers, tub or toilets.
In the Kitchen: Dishes will clean up easily and be virtually spot-free. The gray film that glassware gets when etched with by mineral laden water will disappear. Plus, hands will feel softer and look better.
In the Laundry: Clothes will be softer, cleaner, whiter and brighter, and last longer. Using soft water and pure soap products increases the life of clothing, towels and linens up to 33%. Without hard water service issues, washing machines will last longer, too.
Plumbing and Appliances: Appliances that use soft water will last longer and run better. Why? Because water heaters, washing machines and dishwashers using hard water can wear out 30% faster.