Hard & Soft Water Explained

Water is often described as "hard" or "soft," but what does that mean?

In reality, all water is soft because it doesn't contain any minerals.

However, when water passes through soil and rocks, it picks up minerals like calcium and magnesium. These minerals make the water "hard."

The Fine-Line Between Hard And Soft Water

What makes water soft or hard? Well, hard water has a higher mineral content, unlike soft water. This is due to excessive amounts of calcium and magnesium ions, which make water hard.

On the other hand, soft water has had these minerals removed through a process called ion exchange.

There are pros and cons to both types of water. Hard water is generally believed to be more alkaline than soft water, which can benefit people who follow a healthy diet. It also contains more nutrients like calcium and magnesium, essential for good health.

However, hard water can also leave behind scale deposits on taps, kettles, other appliances, and clothes, which nobody wants.

The only problem with soft water is that it contains sodium and chloride ions, which can be pretty harsh on hair (you may have noticed this if you've ever washed your hair with softened water).

But, sodium and chloride ions are also what make hard water cause scale build-up. So, by removing them from the equation, we gain the benefits of drinking more pure water without worrying about any damage to our home appliances or clothes.

With that aside, let's now look at how ion exchange works and how we can benefit from using equipment like a whole house filter.

Turning Hard Water Into Soft Water

So how does this process work? All calcium and magnesium found in hard water are replaced with sodium during ion exchange.

The whole process involves putting a special resin in the water and letting it sit for a few minutes, during which time all calcium and magnesium ions bond to it (rather than to each other) and then slowly release their sodium ions into the water. This effectively replaces the calcium and magnesium found in hard water with sodium – thus creating softened water.

So what's good about softening our drinking water? Well, this means we get cleaner and better-tasting drinking water– but it also means we can look forward to cleaner appliances, softer laundry, and dishware that doesn't leave residue after every wash.

To put it simply: cleanliness is much easier to maintain when we have soft water, and we get to enjoy the best worlds: cleaner water and cleaner appliances.

In Summary

The differences are noticeable in just one shower or dishwashing session!

It's incredible how something so simple can create such a significant impact on your life.

So if you feel like your dishes could use some extra scrubbing or that there is too much soap scum building up around your faucets, contact an expert plumber today for advice on what to do next. A licensed plumber can help tell if your plumbing system is right for hard or soft water.