Hard Water | Filters for hard water | Which hard water filter to use?
Hard Water. How to choose a shower filter for hard water?
Hardness is the most common problem with water quality. The term "hard" began to be used to describe water after washing with conventional fatty acid-based soaps, after which the laundry literally became hard. Today, this is one of the main problems of water for both technological and household applications.
Rigidity is due to the total amount of dissolved ions of alkali-earth metals, usually take into account calcium Ca2+ and magnesium Mg2+, as they make up at least 98-99% of all compounds. To a lesser degree, beryllium, strontium, and barium affect stiffness - these metals belong to the group of heavy metals, so they are separately regulated by more stringent standards.
The term "hard water" actively pours through the human imagination, mainly becoming the main "enemy" of advertising novelties. Special installations, all kinds of filters and chemicals, of course, "effectively fight" against this problem.
But before proceeding to specific solutions, let us define the essence of the problem. How to choose a shower filter for hard water? Buy a hard water filter now and get a free gift!
What is hard water and what is the best shower filter for hard water?
Everything here must be taken almost literally, because such a liquid does not spare anybody - neither electrical appliances, nor living organisms. Hard water has in its composition an excess of salt, which has a gradual negative impact on almost everything. Most often talk about calcium and magnesium compounds, whose level exceeds the norm.
WATER SUPPLY OF HARD WATER RIGHT, MOL/L.
|
|
WATER HARDNESS |
CHANGE UNITS, mmol/l |
|
1 |
Very soft |
Up to 1.5 |
|
2 |
Soft |
Over 1.5 to 4.0 |
|
3 |
Average hardness |
Over 4.00 to 8.00 |
|
4 |
Hard |
More than 8.00 to 12.00 |
|
5 |
Very hard |
Over 12.00 |
A distinction is made between temporary and permanent hardness salts. Ca and Mg carbonate compounds are unstable to high temperatures and have the ability to settle (e.g. scale) - this is the temporary hardness of water. If the pair for cations (positive atoms) of calcium and magnesium in the molecule are chlorides or sulfates, it is a matter of constant water hardness.
The total amount of such salts forms the total hardness. Since the hardness of water is actually the content of salts in it, then we measure this value in a certain amount in a certain volume. The international system offers mole per cubic meter (mole/m³) or millimole per liter (mole/dm³). Relative units, such as milligrams of equivalent per liter (mg-eqv/l), are often used.
In terms of specific figures, water with a total salt content of up to 3-4 mmol/l is considered soft; the medium hardness threshold ends at 6-8 mmol/l, all that is higher is very hard water. Norms allow to supply water with a concentration of salts up to 6.5 mmol/l; pumps, spill points should not exceed the level of 7 mmol/l; wells and wells - up to 10 similar units.
Water hardness is not an absolute value, so it is divided into:
- Temporary. This name is due to the presence of carbonates or hydrogen carbonates of magnesium and calcium in the water. When water is boiling, these substances decompose to form carbonate and metal salts, which precipitate. This hardness disappears almost completely as a result of heating.
- Permanent. At this hardness, the water contains magnesium and calcium salts of strong acids. For example, nitrogen, salt. An increase in temperature does not affect these compounds, so they remain in water, affecting its hardness.
- General. This index includes the total value of the above mentioned stiffness.
To determine the level of water hardness in the water pipe or well, you need to make a water analysis, which will show not only the presence and amount of hardness salts in the water, but also the presence of other impurities.
How to determine the water hardness of a house? How to choose a best hard water filter?
The taste of very hard water has a characteristic bitter taste, but to feel it in water with average hardness is quite difficult (especially if you are used to drinking such water). But soft water with low salt content will seem fresh.
To determine the exact hardness, you can submit it for analysis in a specialized laboratory. This step is mandatory if you are going to choose a best hard water filter or use water in beverages and food production.
The second option is the home semi-quantitative determination of stiffness using test strips, which can be purchased from specialized stores for hard water treatment or aquarists.
WHAT IS HARMFUL OF HARD WATER IN THE HOME?
Temporary hardness deserves special attention here, because it is the water that settles on the walls of water heaters. Probably, everybody has met the scale on the walls of the kettle or heard about disabling washing machine fuel elements, hard water build up on shower head - this is the effect of hardness salts.
Sedentary carbon compounds of calcium (mainly) and magnesium (less often) gradually form a crust on the heating walls, which has poor thermal conductivity. As a result, the water temperature increase device spends 10% more energy for each millimeter of scale.
In the context of overall energy efficiency, the issue is even more striking with numbers. Clean water is twice as fast as heating, and annual energy costs can be reduced by 35% if there is no scale on the fuel elements (the most powerful electrical devices in the house are usually associated with heating).
A significantly worse consequence of scale formation - the device does not turn on (overheating protection is triggered) or even there was a failure. It is one thing if there are problems with the electric kettle, but when a powerful boiler fails - the seriousness of the problem becomes obvious.
When washing dishes, you have to spend up to 60% more detergent, because it actively interacts with hardness salts. Laundry in hard water also increases powder consumption (sometimes up to 70%), and the reaction product settles in tissues - things become hard to the touch and wear out faster. Even rubber gaskets in taps will last less time!
Why is so much attention paid to stiffness in general? How to choose a best hard water filter?
To begin with, the higher the value of stiffness, the stronger organoleptic properties of water change, and far from good. Thus, the taste acquires an unpleasant bitterish shade. In addition, hard water has a bad effect on the human gastrointestinal tract, as well as provokes various diseases of other body systems. Nevertheless, even the World Health Organization can't give any recommendations regarding this water characteristic. Since there are no concrete results that speak about the benefits of soft water.
You can understand what water is in front of you even while taking a bath or shower. Hard water filter - basic functions!
If you go out feeling the squeaking on your washed skin or hair, you have clearly been bought in hard water. It's the water that destroys the protective fat layer that covers the skin. If you do not leave the feeling of soapiness, it means that you used soft water, and your fat film is safe and sound.
The hardness of water can also be seen in domestic conditions. For example, if you wash dishes with hard water, there are stains on its surface - this is the result of the interaction of calcium and magnesium salts with soap. It takes a lot of water to wash them off. The soft liquid is much more economical in this case.
Hard water also affects household appliances: washing machines, electric kettles. When heated, salts crystallize and form scale, which is one of the main causes of failure of these appliances.
To solve the problem of hard water in the shower and its harmful effect on skin and hair, it is necessary to use water softener shower head hard water filter. There are also filters with special reagent that allows you to soften the water.
Where to buy the shower filter head for hard water?
Shower filter head for hard water and chlorine that you can buy on our website, easy to install and apply. In any case, it is never too late to start taking care of your health.
HOW TO GET RID OF HARD WATER? HARD WATER TREATMENT.
Since the problem is not new, there are enough options to solve it. Everything depends on goals, volumes and cost. Industrial scale usually uses powerful "softeners" for hard water treatment - tanks with special resins (in the form of balls), the passage of which is replaced in the harmful compounds of cationites Ca and Mg active sodium (not so "hard" reagent). Rigid salt compound decays and loses its harmful effect, but the resin can be restored with a well-purified solution of table salt (NaCl).