Hard water is the water with high mineral contents like magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate. Hard water is like a springwell water that is rough and hard that can cause various damages in both houses and industries. These mineral contents are reduced with the use of hard water filters. These hard water if used in industries may cause damage to cooling towers and boilers along with other industrial equipment. Hard waters are not safe even for domestic use like cooking, drinking, washing and bathing. These water has high level of bacterial contaminants which can upset the immune system of the human. They are not suitable even for bathing as it causes skin dryness and forms limps in hair. Hence, it is advisable to use water filter to improve the quality of the water.
How to identify hard water?
- Poor washing of clothes i.e; it reduces the efficiency of the washing machine. Clothes that are washed with hard water appear stiff and dingy. It even shortens the lifespan of the clothes.
- You can identify the hard water with the mineral ring that is formed on the tip of the faucet or toilet bowl. It is an easy identification method that will help you to safeguard the health of your family.
- Hard water causes unsightly deposits of whitish scale in pipes, dishes, water heaters, etc. The whitish scale is the proof of the hardness of water.
- Hard water even causes calcification of shower heads and taps.
- It also form a film of soap scum in bathtubs and washbasins. Hard water used for bathing along with soap leaves a sticky feeling on the skin. This sticky soap curd makes it difficult to remove soil and bacteria from the person’s body.
Treatment of hard water through softeners
Hard water can be treated with the help of hard water filter also known as water softeners. These water softeners remove the unwanted mineral contents from the water by way of ion-exchange process. The process is done with the help of sodium that are present in the tank of ion-exchange beads. These beads are super-saturated that helps to reduce the mineral content of the hard water. The sodium content is replaced with the calcium and magnesium ions that gets attached to the resin beads and are than released in the water. The water that is released is the softened water that can be used for domestic work.
Treatment of hard water through conditioners
Water conditioners are also used to for converting hard water to soft water. However, unlike water softeners, water conditioners let calcium ions remain suspended in the water. They are present in small particles but their ability to form limescale is reduced. One of the benefits of using water conditioner is that the calcium content remains in the water as they are good dietary mineral. However, water conditioners are not suitable as they do not work in all situations. But their ability to soften water cannot be ignored.
