To Be Or Not To Be Green...Traditional Water Softeners Versus Salt Free Softeners

1/4/201011:49:53 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment

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Hard water contains a high concentrate of calcium bi-carbonate, which is lime stone in most cases acrossed the nation. When hard water passes through a  home it leaves behind some of the lime stone that tends to harden on surfaces. This hardening of the lime stone is called hard water scale, which is known to shorten the life of plumbing, fixtures and water using appliances. 

 Homeowners who have a high concentration of hardness choose to either constantly repair and or replace damaged components of their home or purchase a water softener to protect the home from damage. Historically, homeowners with hard water had one option to effectively resolve the problems caused by hard water scale, which is the traditional water softening technology known as a Ion Exchange Water Softener An Ion Exchange Softener physically removes the hardness in the water with a ion exchange resin. The hardness in the water is a ion. As the water passes over the resin bead the hardness ion is captured by the resin. The water is now softened and the homeowner will then enjoy the many benefits of soft water. After a period of time, the resin becomes saturated with hard water ions and needs to be cleaned. The cleaning process is call ion exchange. All traditional water softeners are control valved based, which means there is a electronic timer and valve that determines when cleaning is needed and mechanically completes the cleaning process. When it is determined the system needs to be cleaned, the system uses a brine or salt solution, which is stored in a separate salt tank. Since salt is also an ion it too can is attracted to the resin bead. In order for the "exchange" or cleaning to take effect, the system must inject a higher concentration of sodium ion than the hardness ion residing on the resin bead.  The higher concentration of sodium ions forces the hardness ions off the resin bead and the sodium ion takes the place of the hardness ion. The released hardeness ions are then backflushed down the sewer along with the excess sodium. After this process is complete the system is considered to be "recharged". After the system is recharged, it is ready to begin the softening process over again. As the  hardness ions from the source water  are re-introduced and pass through the system the resin bead releases the sodium ion to capture the hardness ion. This exchange continues through the life of the system. 

The ion exchange process presents three major environmental concerns. First, most all ion exchange systems are electric based and contribute to the energy use of the home. Second, all of these systems use up to 80 gallons of water to clean themselves per cycle. Most systems will clean themselves 2-3 times per week, thus dramatically increasing waste water in the home. Lastly, the backflushing of sodium back into the sewer is causing major problems for city water treatement plants and raising many enviromental concerns. 

Now the homeowner with hard water concerns have a second option. The latest advanced technology is called Nano Technology. This process utilizes a resin bead that transforms a hardness ion into a crysrtal versus removing the hardness ion. Some manufactures call this new process Template Assisted Cyrstallization or TAC for short. As the hardness ions passes through the system, they come in contact with the resin and at a molecular level, the structure of the hardness ion is altered so that it cannot harden or produce scale build-up. Since this type of resin does not physically capture of remove the hardness ion it does not need to be cleaned, thus eliminating the need for a regeneration or an ion exchange process. All of these systems are 100% non-electric, do not waste water, and most importantly do not use salt or any other "regenerant".  

The new Nano Technology has been proven to provide many of the benefits that a traditional ion exchange softener will for the homeowner. Since the main reason for softening hard water is to protect the home from damaging scale build-up, this advanced technology is rapidly becoming the system of choice in this age of eco-friendly consciousness. Homeowners that have previously owned ion-exchange systems that switch to nano systems will see the same results as far as less spots on dishware, less scale build-up on water using appliances, shower doors and tubs, the use of less soaps and cleaners, and softer smoother skin and laundry, and many other benefits associated with soft water. Nano system users will not experience a slippery feeling when bathing caused by ion-exchange system salt and removal of the hardness ions. In addition, nano system users will not need to buy add on products, such as reverse osmosis drinking water systems to remove the excess sodium introduced into the water by ion-exchange systems. 

In California, legislation is being passed to ban ion-exchange systems because they do not meet green initiatives. It is conceivable that these bans will spread across the nation rendering ion-exchange systems obsolete. Homeowners should take this information into serious consideration before investing in a traditional "salt based" system.