What You Should Know About Your Water Softener
Water softeners are commonly found in homes across the country, especially those that rely on well water. Hard water reduces efficiency and can cause additional wear on tear on appliances. This can cost homeowners hundreds of dollars a year in extra utility costs and thousands in appliance replacement costs. The extra expense of adding a water softening unit is often offset by the additional savings. There are many things that people should know about water softening units, especially the most popular salt water softeners.
Reduce Costs by Reducing Use
Some home owners make a serious mistake by having a water softener installed to the main water line coming into the house. Not all appliances and water fixtures require water softeners and leads to depleting softening salts and wearing out the water softener. Having the water softener properly installed to only supply water where needed reduces the wear and upkeep. It also saves money on the installation, because there smaller water softeners can be installed.
What Outlets Should Have Softened Water
Soft water has calcium and other minerals removed from the water. The water heaters should have softened water. This prevents the buildup of mineral deposits that can cause premature failure of water heaters and reduced efficiency. Dishwashers and cold water lines to detergent using appliances also benefit from having soft water. Soft water allows for cleaning appliances to better utilize cleaning solutions. Showers and baths also benefit from soft water use. Avoid having soft water run to water taps or to sprinkler systems. The lack of minerals could cause health problems in some individuals, and the high-sodium content can harm plants or result in high blood pressure.
Routine Maintenance Required
The most common type of water softener uses softening salts to remove the minerals that cause hard water. As the water softener removes the hard water, the sodium medium that removes the minerals is depleted. If proper maintenance is not done on a routine basis, it can lead to reduced efficiency. Making sure that the softening salts are changed according to the manufacturing guidelines ensures long life span of your unit.
Special Dumping Precautions
Part of the maintenance requires the water tank to be emptied. Because of the high salt content, dumping the tanks should not be done in areas where plants grow. The high sodium content can kill plants and contaminate drinking water. There are companies that will come to drain tanks and properly dispose of the waste water. Dumping close to wells is also not recommended because the brackish water can then seep into the well water and contaminate it.
Peter Wendt is a writer and researcher specializing best water treatment Marble Falls. For readers who are interested in learning more about this subject, Peter recommends they check out KineticoTX.com.