Optimize water – Page 2

Sodium instead of lime – water softening using ion exchangers

The principle of the ion exchanger is a chemical one: one substance is removed from the water and another is added. Lime in water consists of calcium and magnesium. Ion exchangers work in such a way that they replace calcium in the water with sodium. We looked at exactly how this works.

The technical principle behind the ion exchange process

An ion exchanger can exchange particles with the same charge with one another. Calcium and magnesium are positively charged and can therefore be replaced by another positively charged substance. In the ion exchanger, the water flows through a container with tiny synthetic resin balls. These globules are full of sodium ions. The exchange takes place when the water flows through: One calcium and one magnesium ion each get into the spheres and at the same time displace two sodium ions. The sodium gets into the water, but the hardness components calcium and magnesium are gone.

The water that flows out of the pipe after the ion exchanger has about zero degrees of German hardness. No wonder – it no longer contains any calcium or magnesium. Such soft water is also problematic as it quickly damages pipes and soap is almost impossible to wash off. Therefore, the softened water must be mixed with non-softened water. For water as food a degree of hardness of 8.4 degrees German hardness is intended, this value can be easily adjusted via a valve. However, the hardness of the tap water can change over the years – this setting must also be checked continuously. Sometimes phosphates are added to the softened water. These protect galvanized pipes.

Wastewater, salt and maintenance – running costs for ion exchangers

If water flows out of the pipe without calcium and magnesium, these minerals must of course end up somewhere. This is regulated via the wastewater, the unwanted substances are simply flushed out. The amount of wastewater required for this depends on how hard the water was originally. How expensive this is in the long run cannot be said in general terms, but these costs are not negligible.

The regeneration of the ion exchanger is an important cost item. At some point all the sodium is flushed out of the synthetic resin balls and these no longer absorb any more calcium and magnesium. Then table salt must be refilled. This is made up of sodium and chloride. If the synthetic resin is rinsed with it, the calcium and magnesium are displaced from the balls. These are enriched again with sodium. You cannot drink the water from the ion exchanger during regeneration; normal, non-softened water then flows out of the pipe through a second valve. Most water softening systems automatically rinse the synthetic resin with the salt solution, you just have to make sure that you constantly refill enough table salt.

Once a year, qualified personnel should service the ion exchanger. Contact your installer or the company from whom you purchased the device. You should also keep an eye out for impurities or fungal growth when refilling the regeneration salt.

What speaks for and against an ion exchanger?

Ion exchangers work efficiently. The water hardness can be precisely regulated and problems in the household such as calcified shower heads or high detergent consumption are skillfully counteracted.

The sodium that is added to the water can be problematic with ion exchangers. Sodium is in and of itself a vital substance for the human body. However, we already consume far too much of it. Through our food alone, we consume an average of thirty times the amount we need – every day. How bad the extra sodium really is is a matter of opinion. Anyone who has to pay attention to a low-sodium diet should clarify the use of such a device with a doctor.

Compared to other water softening systems, the running costs are relatively high. However, maintenance and refilling of the salt are very important. If you do not act carefully here, you run the risk of contamination. This is also favored when the device is in a warm place, for example in the boiler room. So it doesn’t hurt to have the water quality and bacteria count tested from time to time.

Soften the water centrally – why is this not done?

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If you have to descale the coffee machine every few weeks, you have probably scolded your water supplier at some point. In other places soft water comes from the tap, but costs the same. That seems unfair, but is allowed. Lime is made up of the minerals calcium and magnesium. From a health point of view, there is no need to remove them – they are very important for the human organism. Thus the water suppliers with hard water deliver healthy water at the same time. The maximum amount of calcium and magnesium that may be contained is not stipulated in the drinking water ordinance. You cannot overdose on the minerals. Nevertheless, many citizens want centralized water softening. Surveys from individual regions show that many would be willing to pay more for the water accordingly.

Central softening is usually not profitable

One hears again and again from individual municipalities who decide to install a central water softener. If you calculate the costs and the environmental impact, such a system usually does not pay off. It is often neglected that it is not just households that use water. Your coffee machine would appreciate softer water, but how does a laboratory, a dentist’s practice or a nursery see it? For many applications, a central softening would be unnecessary, if not wrong.

Various methods are used for central softening. On the one hand, ion exchangers or reverse osmosis technology can be used. Another possibility is to add lime to the water. As a result, the calcium and magnesium bind to it and are no longer rinsed out with the water. All of these possibilities are united by high wastewater consumption. The systems have to be flushed with plenty of drinking water in order to keep going. Of course, you also need a lot of wastewater if you run an ion exchanger or a reverse osmosis system at home. However, central softening causes far greater costs overall, as the water for industry and agriculture is also affected. To soften this, misses the target.

Not only the companies have objections. Many people do not want to drink chemically treated water and know how to counteract limescale naturally. While individual treatment in households is not a problem for hard water, the reverse is not possible.

Two is no better

Sometimes you would have to treat the water twice. For many medical devices, for example, softened water is far from sufficient. That would require an additional procedure, there would be double costs and wastewater volumes. However, the double processing does not bring any advantages.

Many systems for central softening use filter systems. The problem is that most of the contamination can be traced back to the water pipes in the house. Therefore, the results from a water test usually do not agree with the analysis values of the waterworks. A central filtering is no guarantee of the best drinking water quality in your water glass. You may pay extra for water treatment, but you may not benefit from it at all. The only remedy in such a case is to replace the water pipes or an additional treatment system in your own home.

Reverse osmosis – the fine membrane for pure water

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A reverse osmosis system works with a principle from nature. Osmosis is a process in which a liquid migrates through a membrane. The easiest way to explain this is with an example. You may have noticed that ripe cherries burst on the tree after a downpour. This is due to an osmosis process.

Rainwater collects on the skin of the cherries, inside they are full of sugar water. The property of water is that it wants to balance the concentration of dissolved substances. As it migrates inside the cherries, the sugary solution is diluted and thus more similar to rainwater. But the skin of the cherries doesn’t last long – it bursts.

A natural principle for clean water

This principle is reversed for water treatment, which is why it is also called reverse osmosis. While with natural osmosis the purer rainwater flows to the water “polluted” with sugar, with reverse osmosis the polluted water flows to the pure water. The “contaminated” water has to pass through a fine membrane. Basically, it’s a filter. The pores are so small that only water molecules can pass through. All foreign substances such as minerals, bacteria, drug residues or heavy metals are filtered out.

However, reverse osmosis is not as simple as it sounds. The principle forces the water to act contrary to its natural laws. The process does not take place “voluntarily”. The water has to be pressed through the membrane with a high expenditure of energy. It takes a lot of time until the small water molecules are perfectly cleaned. Therefore, from an energy and time ecological point of view, it would not make sense to treat all the water for the household in this way. Reverse osmosis devices are usually installed under the sink, with many having a second water tap installed on the sink. Only the water used for drinking and cooking is purified using reverse osmosis. The method is not suitable for protecting technical equipment such as washing machines or boilers from limescale deposits.

Perfectly prepared – but primarily no drinking water

Osmosis water has similar properties to distilled water. It is mostly used for medical or technical purposes. If you want to drink the water, it must first be enriched with minerals. Straight from the reverse osmosis system, it really only consists of hydrogen and oxygen, which is not necessarily good for the human body. The pH of the water becomes acidic, which is bad for pipes and plumbing in addition to health issues.

The problem with reverse osmosis is the high running costs. The filtered out substances must come with plenty of drinking water flushed out of the system. How much wastewater is created naturally depends on how much is filtered out. Thumbs up pi it can be said that for one liter of osmosis water around three liters of drinking water are required for rinsing. Regular maintenance is necessary for this. Otherwise the membrane runs the risk of germinating. If the system is not properly maintained, the filtered substances can be concentrated back into the water. This risk is increased if the system is not in operation for a long time. In such a case, the membrane should be replaced.

If you get thirsty quickly, a reverse osmosis system could take your nerves. An average device takes between five and ten minutes to produce one liter of treated water.

Softening water – the 7 most important questions at a glance

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Why should you soften water?

The answer to this question is very simple: To save money, effort and time! Hard water causes some household problems. Are you already annoyed by constantly calcified kettles, annoying cleaning and a bland coffee taste? If hard water enters your home through the water pipe, in the worst case it can even clog pipes and break heating elements. Hard water can as well Skin problems cause or worsen, become a problem for pets, or clog your plants. Especially in households with Children the water quality plays a major role. The little ones’ bodies cannot cope with pollutants so well and are therefore particularly sensitive.

Softening water can help. Due to the effects of lime, an ÖNORM even requires around 20 percent of Austrian households to soften. This applies to everyone whose water has a degree of hardness of over 18 ° dH (German hardness). But even if the water is less hard, softening it can make sense. With soft water, there are far fewer costs for repairs and cleaning of devices. Only small amounts of detergent are required for washing and cleaning. Even if a water softener is not cheap, the costs pay off quickly.

How does water get hard in the first place?

In the household, hard water is a problem especially where it is heated. The lime precipitates from 60 degrees Celsius. This means that it separates from the water and settles on surfaces. So arise Calcified kettle , Flakes on the tea, or stubborn deposits. The lime also remains when it evaporates. Stained shower walls and marks on sinks are the best examples of this.

Water is made hard by the minerals that are dissolved in it. The so-called total hardness is made up of calcium and magnesium. These minerals come from calcareous rock in our water. If rainwater flows through the layers of the earth, it is enriched with minerals – the groundwater becomes calcareous. Of course, not all water is equally hard, a distinction is made between different degrees of water hardness.

When should you soften water?

There is no general answer to that. Some people will not find a medium water hardness disturbing, others will. As a first clue, we have already given you 18 ° dH above. From this water hardness onwards, the ÖNORM will request softening. It is best to first find out your own degree of water hardness, classify it accordingly and decide for yourself whether you want to test a water softener. If you have any doubts, it is best to seek advice from a specialist.

What is the point of softening?

If you decide on a softening technology, a lot changes. Softened water feels noticeably softer. Lime gives the water taste, but if the tea tastes like chalk, you can no longer argue about good taste. Soft water dissolves soap and detergents better. This means that you can significantly reduce your detergent consumption and get by with less when washing your hands or washing dishes. Softening can prevent or significantly reduce unsightly limescale deposits. This makes cleaning the bathroom and kitchen a lot easier.

Softening cannot be done with one Filter process be equated. By definition, only the hardness components calcium and magnesium are removed or changed during softening. In filter processes, these two minerals also disappear from the water, but usually some other substances with them.

It is important not to overdo it when softening. The pH value is also related to the calcium content in the water. If you remove lime, the pH value automatically drops. Water thus becomes an acid to a slight extent. If water with a pH value that is too low is pumped through pipes, it attacks them and can dissolve substances that are hazardous to health. This is not only problematic for the pipes themselves, it can even contaminate your water again. For Drinking water is therefore in the Food book of the Federal Ministry of Health requires a minimum hardness of 8.4 degrees German hardness.

How is water softened?

You can change the hardness of the water in various ways. In principle, there is the option of removing calcium and magnesium from the water or changing the structure of the lime.

Chemical variants

The most popular and widespread variant of chemical softening is the Ion exchanger . Perhaps you already have one at home – these devices are built into dishwashers as standard. In ion exchangers there is a container with synthetic resin that is loaded with table salt. If water flows through, the exchange takes place. Calcium is taken from the water and bound in the synthetic resin, but sodium gets into the water. Sodium is fundamentally vital for the human body, but in our modern society we already ingest far too much of it through our food. The ion exchange process is costly because the device requires frequent maintenance. The process also produces a lot of wastewater.

Another method is to soften water by adding a chemical solution. Understandably, this is not suitable for drinking water. Such chemical softeners can already be found in most laundry detergents so that they can develop their cleaning effect better. We also offer our own softeners for washing machines, for example.

Physical variants

The lime undergoes a structural change in devices Permanent magnets or electric fields . These change the lime so that it can no longer form solid deposits. This reduces limescale deposits. Since calcium and magnesium remain in the water, the good taste is not lost. New limescale deposits can be wiped off a blackboard as easily as chalk dust. The disadvantage of these devices is that the effect only lasts for a certain time. If water stands for 48 hours – for example in the coffee machine – deposits can first form again.

It is more in the technical area distillation to use. Water is boiled and the rising steam is cooled. The resulting condensation is free of any foreign matter, so it only consists of H2O. You may remember the chemistry teacher’s warnings from school that drinking distilled water ruptures cells and can be fatal. This effect is controversial. Some people even swear by the health benefits of distilled water and don’t drink anything else. However, experts warn that it is essential to add minerals to distilled water before drinking it. This method is very time-consuming and involves extremely high energy consumption.

A similar “empty” water as in the distillation is obtained with Reverse osmosis . In principle, this is a filter process. The water is pushed through a semi-permeable membrane only with the line pressure. Since water molecules are smaller than minerals and pollutants, only pure water remains after the membrane. The problem with this method is that the filtered out substances have to be rinsed out again. For one liter of osmosis water you have to calculate four liters of wastewater. This water is also primarily used in the technical field. Before drinking, experts say you should fortify it with minerals.

Can you soften water without chemicals and salt?

The answer is yes! As you can see, there are some physical water softening systems that work entirely without chemicals and salt. Those who want to soften in an environmentally conscious way will find gentle and sustainable options here. When choosing a water softener, you should always think about your own consumption and what exactly you need the lime-free water for. Depending on how much water you soften, more or less wastewater comes together. The maintenance intervals also depend on the amount of softened water.

What options are there to soften water in the rented apartment?

Many water softeners are primarily aimed at homeowners. If you live in a rented apartment, you cannot normally install a device on the main water pipe and must first clarify any changes with the landlord. That is why there are small devices that you either attach directly to the tap or have as filter jugs on the dining table. Such softeners are also ideal for trying out, or if you do not want to soften the water in the entire household. In our water shop you will find a selection of renowned products that cover all needs.

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