Water is necessary in every aspect of human life. Water is a medium fluid that has the ability to carry things from one point to another through dissolution or suspension. Importantly, water absorbs minerals on the ground, which affect its composition. It absorbs calcium, magnesium and other minerals in the ground and it becomes hard water. In this regard, the hard water must go through a water softening process in order to become useful.
Effects of Hard Water
Ground minerals affect the water solubility and, therefore, soaps and detergents lose their effectiveness. Normally, soaps and detergents dissolve into the water effortlessly. However, when you use hard water, the minerals in the water combine with the soap to form a curd that reduces the amount of soap that dissolves into the water. Consequently, the thick curd settles on sink surfaces, washing machines and on clothes. The best method of improving hard water usability is through water softening process.
Furthermore, the dissolved minerals can form a precipitation that can settle on metal surfaces like water pipes, tea kettles, industrial machinery and water heaters. Consequently, this deposit can affect the flow of water because it is a poor heat conductor and eventually cause clogging. In this regard, water treatment companies treat the hard water first before distributing it to the users.
Water Softening Process
Softening of hard water involves the removal of calcium and magnesium minerals. Normally, the softening process involves replacement of the calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions. Sodium ions do not interfere with water usability, for instance in soap absorption and scale build up in water pipes. Consequently, sodium helps the soap and detergents dissolve into the water efficiently. One way of softening hard water is using a chemical softener.
Alternatively, you can opt for de-scaled water. Legionella Control in Sheffield applies the de-scaling process to reduce the damage cause by scale build-up in the water passage. The chemical softening process uses chemicals to remove the minerals in the water. On the other hand, de-scaling process does not produce salty water, which results from the chemical water treatment. The salty taste stems from the addition of sodium ions into the water. It is important to note that you can use chemicals to soften hard water for domestic use, or you can use de-scaled water.
Most importantly, hard water does not necessarily pose any health hazard because calcium and magnesium minerals are not harmful to the body. However, water can pick other contaminants that can make the water become a health hazard. It is important to note that sodium, which is the mineral present after the water softening process, can be a health hazard to people who have sodium restrictions.