WHAT IS SOFT WATER?

Soft Water, Is It Worth It?
You ever stay in a lovely hotel with towels that are feathery soft and fluffy and you wonder how they got that way? Or, what about the unforgettable shower with silky smooth water? Most likely you got to experience the benefits of soft water.

You may have noticed that your laundry and water at home do not feel the same way. You could have a hard water issue. Hard water is the result of excessive minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, in your water supply that creates scaly build up. Hard water can negatively impact your life in many ways, decreasing the life span of your appliances and fixtures, affecting your plumbing, leaving your hair and skin dry and itchy and making everything so much harder to clean. It sounds like it is time to get a water softener, right?

Well, what is a water softener? In short, a water softener is exactly that! It softens hard water by using the scientific process called ion exchange to remove minerals such as calcium and magnesium and replaces them with sodium ions. The water softener tank contains media, also known as resin beads, which are negatively charged which then attracts the positive charged minerals like a magnet. Once the hard water travels through the media, it is then treated. What happens next? There is a separate tank known as a brine tank that holds the sodium, or simply known as salt, which will clean the resin beads in the softener tank during the “regeneration” period, leaving the beads fresh and ready to start the water softening process all over again.

Common Misconceptions
A common misconception is that a water softener will purify water, this is simply not true. Reverse Osmosis systems are designed to purify water. While the water softener removes the minerals that create hard water, it does not remove contaminants and impurities that can adversely affect the taste or smell. Another misconception is that a water softener will make your water taste “salty”. It is important to remember that soft water is not salt water but only contains a small amount of sodium. Some customers are concerned that a water softener will interfere with their septic system. In truth, a water softener can actually benefit the biologic performance of the septic system with the right amount of sodium which aids in bacterial growth to help break down the solids within your septic tank.


The New Feeling of Clean
You won’t be used to it right away; it will take some time to adjust. First time users of soft water will often say they feel like their water has a “slimy” feeling and that they cannot get the sensation to wash off. The answer is that this is the new feeling of clean! This is how your skin is supposed to feel after getting a good cleaning. Once you get used to this new feeling, there is no going back. Your hair will no longer feel dry and look dull, your skin will no longer feel dry and itchy, your shower will no longer be coated in hard to clean water spots and buildup, your dishes will be spotless, your appliances will last longer and you will even cut costs in purchasing cleaning products! With this new perspective on how cleanliness should really be, there will be no doubt that you will tell your friends and family how wonderful it is to have a water softening system.

So is soft water right for you? Keeping all this in mind, ultimately the choice is yours. So give us a call and schedule your appointment today!

To view the Research on the Benefits of Soft Water, Please click HERE