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Water Softeners

Packaged Water Softeners, These are chemicals which help to control water hardness. There are two types, precipitating and non-precipitating. Precipitating water softeners include washing soda and borax. Non-precipitating water softeners use complex phosphates to sequester calcium and magnesium ions.

Mechanical Water Softeners, Mechanical water softening units can be permanently installed into the plumbing system to continuously remove calcium and magnesium. Water softeners operate on the ion exchange process. In this process, water passes through a media bed, usually sulfonated polystyrene beads. The beads are supersaturated with sodium. The ion exchange process takes place as hard water passes through the softening material.

Hard water treated with an ion exchange water softener has sodium added. According to the Water Quality Association (WQA), the ion exchange softening process adds sodium at the rate of about 8 mg/liter for each grain of hardness removed per gallon of water.

Because of the sodium content of softened water, some individuals may be advised by their physician, not to install water softeners, to soften only hot water or to bypass the water softener with a cold water line to provide un softened water for drinking and cooking; usually to a separate faucet at the kitchen sink.

Mechanically softened water is not recommended for watering plants, lawns, and gardens due to its sodium content.

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