Hard water is probably the most common water problem found in the home. Hard
water spots your glasses and dishes, makes laundry dull, and causes soap scum
and scale to build-up making cleaning a chore. The most common hardness causing
minerals are Calcium and Magnesium that is dissolved in a water supply.
According to the Water Quality Association, hard water is water that contains
dissolved hardness minerals above 1 GPG (grains per gallon). Relative levels of
hardness have been established:
Soft Water - less than 1 gpg
Slightly hard - 1 to 3.5 gpg
Moderately hard - 3.5 to 7 gpg
Hard - 7 to 10.5 gpg
Very Hard - 10.5 and higher gpg
Using an ion exchange water softener is the most common form of treatment.
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How much soap should I use
with softened water? |
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Using too much soap is a hard habit to break. When first using softened water
for household cleaning, a good way to adjust to the difference in cleaning
efficiency is to use as little soap as possible. Try using a quarter cup rather
than the cup or more that may have been necessary prior to the installation of a
water softener. If necessary, gradually increase the quantity used to produce
the desired results.
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How does a water softener
work? |
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The most common water softening method is called "ion exchange.” Put simply,
this type of softening is a process where calcium and magnesium (the minerals
that make water hard) ions are exchanged for sodium ions.
This exchange takes place in a "resin bed" made up of a tiny bead-like material.
The beads have a negative charge and attract and hold positively charged ions
such as sodium. The beads will exchange the sodium ion for a calcium or
magnesium ion since they both have a more powerful positive change.
The differences that separate one softener from another are features such as
flow rates, salt capacity and regeneration type.
Regeneration is the process of “recharging” the resin beads when they are “full”
of nothing but calcium and magnesium. The type of system a softener uses to
regenerate is a very important part of the process and can mean the difference
between having enough soft water available or not.
Regeneration “triggered” by a specific time of day is called time clock
regeneration. However, one of the most effective regeneration techniques uses
Aqua-Sensor® technology, which is based on actual demand. This exclusive option
can result in a savings of nearly two tons of salt and 20,000 gallons of water
over the lifecycle of your water softener –saving you more than any other brand.
Click here for more information about Aqua-Sensor® technology.
With water softeners, regeneration is the process of “recharging” the resin
beads when they are “full” of nothing but calcium and magnesium.
The type of system a softener uses to regenerate is a very important part of the
process and can mean the difference between having enough soft water available
or not.
Regeneration “triggered” by a specific time of day is called time clock
regeneration. Systems set to run after a specific number of gallons have been
used are referred to as metered. However, one of the most effective regeneration
techniques uses Aqua-Sensor® technology, which is based on actual demand. This
exclusive option can result in a savings of nearly two tons of salt and 20,000
gallons of water over the lifecycle of your water softener – saving you more
than any other brand.
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What is the Aqua-Sensor®
technology, and how can it help me save on salt and water? |
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Think that water softeners are a drain on your wallet? Think again, thanks to a
patented technology from Culligan called Aqua-Sensor® that electronically
monitors hardness removal to activate regeneration only when necessary. This
exclusive option can result in a savings
of nearly two tons of salt and 20,000 gallons of water over the lifecycle of
your water softener –saving you more than any other brand.
With Aqua-Sensor® technology, consumers can make sure that the year-in and
year-out operating costs of a water softener are as low as possible.
Aqua-Sensor® technology is available as an option on two of Culligan’s
full-featured water softener lines, the Culligan Gold SeriesTM and the Culligan
Platinum Series®.
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The Hard Facts on Soft Water |
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According to the U.S.
Geological Survey, more than 85 percent of the United States
geography has hard water. While many consumers use a water softener
so they can enjoy the benefits of soft water, there is some
confusion about whether softened water is safe to drink.
Some consumers are concerned
that drinking softened water will increase the level of sodium in
their diet. Despite the myth, softening your water will not result
in salty-tasting water. Sodium bicarbonate, which is different from
sodium chloride (table salt), is formed through the water softening
process.
The amount of sodium added to
water from the water softening process depends on the hardness of
the water supply. When very hard water (greater than 10 grains of
hardness per gallon) is softened, only 20 to 40 mg of sodium is
added to every 8 ounces of water. For comparison, an 8-ounce glass
of low-fat milk contains about 120 mg of sodium, a 12-ounce can of
diet soda contains from 20 to 70 mg, and an 8-ounce glass of orange
juice contains about 25 mg.
The majority of the sodium in
consumers' diets -- more than 90 percent -- comes from sources such
as processed foods and table salt. The recommended daily allowance
for sodium consumption is 2,400 mg. drinking two quarts of softened
water would only add approximately 240 mg of sodium to your diet.
Individuals concerned about sodium in their diet should consult
their physician about effective means of reducing overall sodium
consumption.
An Easy Solution to Hard Water Problems
Hard water forms when
naturally occurring minerals enter water sources. Over time these
minerals are absorbed by groundwater. The two most common types of
minerals found in hard water are calcium and magnesium compounds.
These minerals' presence can make cleaning more difficult and can
reduce the lifespan of household appliances.
Luckily, there's a simple,
safe solution to hard water. Installing a water softener is quick,
easy and greatly reduces the natural hard minerals found in water,
making it easier to get clothes clean, leaving skin less dry and
irritated, and making showering more pleasant.
During the water softening
process, water softening salt charges thousands of tiny resin beads
inside the water softener with sodium ions. As hard water moves over
the resin beads, the calcium and magnesium minerals are attracted to
the beads and replaced with sodium ions, creating soft water. Over
time, the resin beads will become full of minerals and need to be
recharged. This process is known as the water softener's
regeneration cycle. The frequency of regeneration varies depending
on the water usage of each home and the source water's hardness.
Soft Water Can Save You Hard Cash
The term "hard water" was
originally coined to refer to water that was difficult or hard to
work with. Hard water requires much more soap, shampoo or detergent
than soft water, so your soap products don't stretch nearly as far.
The effects of hard water are felt most often in daily household
activities such as cleaning. The minerals present in hard water
inhibit soap's lathering and cleaning capabilities.
According to New Mexico State
University's Water Heater-Energy Savings Study, the lifespan of
appliances such as water heaters, washing machines and dishwashers
can be reduced by as much as 30 percent when hard water is used in
the home. Also, when hard water is heated, the minerals in the water
can precipitate out and form scales in the bottom of the water
heater. These scales may build up and result in increased water
heating costs.
Another factor to
consider is the high costs associated with repairing major
appliances. How much would you be willing to pay to repair a
5-year-old washing machine? Due to the high cost of repairs,
replacement is often the best option once hard water has wreaked
havoc on an appliance. By using soft water you can add more than
three years to the longevity of most of your appliances -- and save
yourself the expense of replacing them much sooner than you
expected.
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Is a water softener hard to
maintain/service? |
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Need to shorten your “to-do” list? If you have a water softener in the house,
one item you can cross off your list is buying salt and filling the salt tank,
thanks to the new two-part Salt ’n Service delivery program from Culligan®.
First, your local Culligan Man® will deliver salt right to your home and into
your water softener. He’ll work with you to assess your salt usage so we can
deliver the salt you need, when you need it, automatically!
Then, with every salt delivery, our trained water expert will conduct a 10-point
inspection of your water softener – from checking the time setting, salt level,
and water level in the salt tank to looking for leaks. And, all remaining salt
bags will be stacked neatly, and empty bags discarded into your trash.
Don’t cart home another load of salt! Contact your local Culligan® Dealer today
for more information on this terrific time-saver.
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Are there harmful effects of
water softener discharges on household septic tanks? |
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According to the Water Quality Association (WQA), water softener regeneration
discharges do not pose a problem to septic systems or to the leach field.
Studies have shown that water softener regeneration wastes not only do not
interfere with the septic tank system drain field soil percolation, but,
actually could improve soil percolation, particularly in fine-textured soils.
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Should I use soft water in my
humidifier? |
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Soft water provides for easier maintenance of a humidifier. When hard water
evaporates, a hard scale forms that normally requires some drastic removal
techniques. When soft water is used, the residue is commonly called “soft” and
can usually be removed by flushing the unit with water or going over the surface
with a brush.
Remember, softening water does not reduce the total amount of minerals present;
ion exchange softening exchanges the calcium and magnesium hardness causing
minerals with sodium minerals. The most common humidifier in homes has an open
pan, a small tube connected to a water source, and float valve. When water
evaporates, the float valve opens to permit make-up water to flow into the pan.
Eventually this type of unit fills with minerals deposited by the water.
Using soft water will keep the mineral build-up down and the humidifier
functioning properly.
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What To Do If Iron Stains Do
Occur on Clothes |
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First, DO NOT DRY THE GARMENTS.
Second, DO NOT BLEACH.
Either of these will make the problem worse!
Launder with
a commercial rust remover (such as RoVer®, Rit Rust Remover®,
Iron-Out®, Miracle-Rid-Iron®, or Whink®). The important ingredient
in these compounds is an acid-usually oxalic or hydrofluoric acid.
The remover ingredients combine with the iron and loosen it from the
fabric, then hold it in suspension in the wash water. The compounds
are poisonous if ingested. Use them carefully according to the
manufacturers' directions, and rinse the clothes thoroughly.
Acid remaining deteriorates fabrics.
Commercial rust
removers are intended for use only on white or colorfast fabrics.
Test colored clothes for colorfastness before attempting to remove
rust stains with commercial removers. Caution/Danger: Commercial
Rust Remover Products contain oxalic or hydrofluoric acids or other
chemicals which can cause skin or eye irritation, burns, or
poisoning. Use with care and according to the product package.
How To Test For Colorfastness
Follow any
instructions for colorfastness testing provided on rust remover
product package. If no instructions are given, follow the procedure
outlined here.
To determine the
effect of an iron stain remover on the dye in a fabric, test the
fabric with the remover in the concentration recommended for iron
stain removal. If you can control the spread of the solution, put a
drop of the solution on the edge of a seam allowance or the edge of
a hem (let out a short length of the hem) which would be hidden
inside the item. Let stand for one or two minutes, then blot dry. If
no color change occurs, the dye is probably colorfast to the iron
stain removal compound and it should be safe to use on that fabric.
(You may prefer to be safe and just snip off a small piece of the
fabric from the inside seam or hem allowance of a stained item for
testing fastness of the dye.)
Rinse clothes well
after treatment with iron stain removers!
Note:
Another iron stain situation unrelated to water quality occurs due
to deterioration of the washer inner basket. Small areas near basket
holes may show chipping of enamel, allowing the basket to rust.
During the spin cycle, clothing comes in direct contact with this
surface, and rust is deposited or transferred onto clothes. Stains
may not be noticeable until dried, or may even "mysteriously" appear
later in storage due to oxidation of the iron (rust). Stains may
appear as small pin-points scattered over a portion of the garment,
or as larger, stained areas about the size of a dime. In this case,
the source of the rust must be corrected through repair or
replacement of the washer basket. Stain removal procedures for
stained clothing are similar to those suggested for other iron
stains.
For those
interested in a more “Green” or “Natural” approach…
Soak fabric spotted
with brown rust stains in a solution of 1 part lemon juice and 1
part water for at least 30 minutes.
Re-wash and check for removal BEFORE drying.
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Why is soft water so slippery? |
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Many customers who have water softeners installed in their houses
notice that their skin feels "slippery" after a bath. Some customers
say, "My water is too soft! I can't rinse the soap off!" This
reaction is normal for new soft water customers.
What causes that slippery feeling? Clean skin!
Hard water leaves an insoluble soap-curd film on you, causing your
hair and skin to "squeak". Most of us grew up with hard water, so
"squeaky clean" was all we knew and what we grew to expect from our
bathing and shampooing. Some of the soap manufacturers even
perpetuated this misinformation with their commercials about
"squeaky clean". No wonder we all believed that we were our cleanest
when our skin and hair squeaked.
But, we know now that "squeaky clean" is not clean at all. It should
be called "squeaky dirty". The fact is that we "squeaked" with hard
water because there was an invisible hard water soap scum film on
our hair and skin, causing our skin, scalp and hair to really be
overly dry. This is bad for skin and hair. Soap scum film builds up
on hair, weighting it down and making it brittle and lifeless. Soap
scum film on skin makes our skin dry and itchy.
Here is one way you can prove this to yourself. Notice that hard
water leaves a bathtub ring and soft water does not. That hard water
bath tub ring is made of scummy, "gooky stuff" that sticks to the
tub. That same scum sticks to your skin, clogging your pores and
causing your skin to feel overly dry and "squeaky". On the other
hand, soft water leaves no bath tub ring. Soft water also does not
leave scum on your skin, scalp and hair. Soft water leaves your skin
and hair "hydrated and clean", not squeaky. Since water is wet and
there is not scummy film on your skin to cause friction, the water
feels "slippery". That slippery feeling is the indication of
healthy, clean skin and hair.
With soft water, you can rinse an extra 15 minutes but the slippery
feeling will not go away! The soap is long gone and your skin is
very clean. Within minutes of drying off, you will notice how soft
your skin feels—almost as if you applied skin lotion. Soft skin is
healthy and clean skin! Ladies, your hair will be easier to style,
keep its curl longer, be more bouncy and feel weightless.
Once you have experienced the wonderful clean feeling of soft water,
you'll never want to be without it again. And, your skin, hair,
appliances and plumbing will thank you.
If after a trial period (generally 2-3 weeks) you are
still noticing the slippery feeling, we can adjust the system to
eliminate the silky feeling.
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You can't drink water from a
water softener |
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Although many people believe that water from a water softener
contains too much sodium for consumption, most do not realize how
little sodium is in soft water. The average amount of sodium in a
quart of water from a properly working water softener is 75 to 100mg
as opposed to 120 mg in a slice of white bread. If this trace amount
of sodium is a concern, a Culligan water softener is capable of
using potassium chloride to regenerate the water softener. The
addition of a Reverse Osmosis drinking water system to your water
softener can be installed to give you sodium free drinking water
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Trouble Shooting Blue-Green
Staining and Copper Corrosion |
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The complex issue of corrosion of copper water pipes is a frequent
complaint. Primary
concerns include deterioration of metallic plumbing, potentially
harmful levels of copper in drinking water and aesthetic problems
such as blue green stains or bitter taste.
Addressing the concerns is often difficult due to the variety of
corrosion mechanisms and the limited data on evaluating remediation
techniques. The following list provides a simple approach to some of
the reasons corrosion occurs.
1). How old is the copper plumbing? Sometimes, new copper pipes
leach copper into water, resulting in blue-green stains until an
oxidized coating builds up inside of the pipe. The problem usually
takes care of itself in 6 months or less.
If unsafe copper levels are a concern, consider alternative
water source such as bottled water or reverse osmosis to reduce high
copper levels in drinking water supply during this time. Flushing
stagnant water from pipes prior to drinking may result in lower
copper levels also.
2). Is there a circulating hot water pump?
Continuously flowing hot water leaches copper into water just
by virtue of higher temperatures accelerating natural corrosion
reactions. Is it on a
timer? A timer can
reduce and limit hot water circulation by circulating on at times of
high use. This may
minimize the blue green staining associated with copper pipes.
Is pipe size consistent throughout circulating loop,
occasionally smaller return lines are used and a pressure
differential allows dissolved gas to come out of solution and
contribute to staining?
3). Water supplies with a pH of 6-7 and lower are considered acidic
and known to be corrosive to metals used in plumbing systems.
Culligan can provide treatment options to adjust the pH to a
protective level, including neutralizing filters and injection
systems. All options are
available for rent or purchase.
The health limit for copper in drinking water is 1.30mg/L.
“First draw” water samples can be analyzed to determine the
extent of the problem and identify water quality issues that may
contribute to corrosion.
4). Has there ever been
pinhole leaks in plumbing?
Look at the holes, are they near joints?
Work quality such as unreamed pipe ends or burs that result
in turbulent flow can contribute to corrosion.
Flux-induced pitting can be expected to occur at or near
soldered connections, but have been known to occur as much as eight
feet from fittings.
5). What are the size of
pipe and peak flow rates of the application?
If the flow is greater than recommended for the size of pipe,
erosion corrosion can occur.
Most experts agree to keep flow velocities less than 5
ft./sec in hot water lines and less than 8 ft/sec in cold water
lines. Excessive flow
rates can be diagnosed by the bright shiny internal surface of the
pipe with characteristic U-shaped pits, similar to horseshoes.
6). Microbial-induced
corrosion is the result of bacteria slime forming inside pipes,
creating an environment capable of corroding copper.
Shock chlorination of the water supply and distribution
plumbing can help control this form of corrosion.
7). Is there potential
for water to sit stagnant in pipes for long periods of time?
Water being the “universal solvent” can leach copper with
long contact time alone.
Modify the plumbing design to eliminate the “seldom used” branches.
8). Is there blue-green
staining? Is it limited
to one location or throughout the house?
Cleaning or soap products containing blue green dyes can be
the source of staining, switching to products without dyes may
resolve the problem.
Clean stains prior to changing products to evaluate.
9). Look for any
dissimilar metals in contact in the plumbing system, especially
where plumbing comes into building or connections at he hot water
heater. “Galvanic
corrosion” occurs with dissimilar metals when an electric current
allows the less noble metal to dissolve into water.
Small-localized areas where the copper alloy isn’t continuous
can allow this reaction to occur.
Electrochemical reactions may occur even if ductwork or gas
lines are near or touching copper plumbing.
Wrapping pipes with electrical tape will prevent static
electricity effects.
Dielectric unions can separate metals so this galvanic reaction is
eliminated but disruptions of copper plumbing such as hot water
heaters of plastic sediment filters may benefit from ground wires
between connections to maintain metallic continuity.
If cathodic protection is required, contact a qualified
electrician.
10). Have neighbors
complained of similar problems?
There may be a localized grounding issue that is affecting
more than just one household.
Contact the municipal water supply to inquire about this
concern.
11). Make sure any
ground clamps on the water main are tight.
Grounding cable TV or phone lines to the main can be
problematic if the clamps are loose or if the copper is connected to
plastic lateral pipe from well.
An electrical inspector can evaluate grounding to verify if
the grounds are tied together at the electrical box and connected to
a remote ground.
Please contact Culligan Water if you have any question.
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