Sep 7th, 2010 | Written by marylyn | Posted in Home and Household |

For most people a water softener is a luxury they can live without to a point. Granted, it will cost something to install and maintain, but once you have done your cost-benefit analysis then it becomes more apparent that the benefits outweigh the cost. A water softener is a must have for those who are serious about cutting their water and detergent costs along with maintaining their equipment that interfaces with the house water supply.

Some common questions relating to water softeners and water filtration systems in general follow.

1. Is hard water harmful?

Many people are unaware of the fact that hard water damages your piping whether it is in your dish washer or washing machine because of the various minerals in the water that have a corrosive effect on your home’s piping. In order to prevent this corrosion water softeners are employed to remove the corrosive minerals. An added benefit to softening your water is that the efficiency of your heating improves because the minerals present in hard water retard the heating process and require more energy to heat the same amount of water.

2. How does a water filtration system work?

There are many different kinds of filtration systems with a water softener being one kind of water filtration that can be performed. A water softening system works by allowing the water to flow over resin beads that are coated with sodium ions. Unlike the calcium and magnesium ions that destroy pipes and teeth the sodium ions are harmless. When the water is flowing over the beads or through zeolites there are valves that prevent it from flowing backwards once it has been filtered. A water softener in Phoenix is not greatly different than most other water softeners aside from the climate in which it operates. Because of the climate there are some aspects of your softening system that should not be overlooked and that you should verify are included in your system.

3. How do I program my water softener?

Even though there is soft water coming out of your taps there is a technical aspect that comes with the initial installation. This comes into play when you are setting the timer for your control valves in that the amount of water used for a certain number of days has to be calculated before the timer is set. There are two types of control valves namely the metered and day timer but in both cases the amount of water consumed has to be accurate to prevent any wastage. Regardless of the type you choose regeneration occurs after a specified amount of time assuring you of a continuous supply of soft water.

To conclude, it is obvious that there are many more questions relating to water softeners and other filtration systems that have not been addressed here. There are many resources available online to answer other questions you may have. It is important for you to do as much research as you can before purchasing a water softener to be sure it will meet your needs. While there are many similarities in different filtering systems, there are some aspects that are important to be aware of that directly relate to the climate in which you live such as Phoenix, AZ. Clear Water Concepts is a water softener company in Phoenix Arizona.

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