WATER SOFTENERS & PH CORRECTION
Softeners
If the water is to be used in heating systems for example, central heating or is going to be connected to a water heater, tap or shower head, a water softener is advisable to prevent lime scale build up. This is particularly necessary in hard water areas.
First a softener is just as it is called, it softens the water breaking down and removing magnesium, calcium and other ions commonly found in hard water places. It removes hard water salts too.
As we all know hard water is a real pain to all our appliances including washing machines, dishwashers and kettles. Not to mention all the other bits you do not see such as your plumbing, drainage & heating tanks.
Water softeners come in all shapes and sizes depending on your water hardness level from a tiny gadget in the cupboard to something larger for commercial or larger purposes.
Some water softeners use a brine solution & resin beads which collect the hard water salts. These must be regenerated which is where an automatic backwash system comes in, cleaning the resin beads and allowing them to regenerate and collect the hard water salts again softening the water.
PH Correction Units
The other side of things is PH correction, which if you have a low PH level under PH 7 then you have acidic water which can cause absolute chaos with humans, metals and anything which we need the water to come into contact with. It can damage a pump in quarter of the time it would take the pump to last normally. You will most commonly see it on copper or metal pipes which have turned a green colour.
PH correction units are specified based on water test results & the media inside of them which comes into contact with the acidic water and creates a small natural chemical reaction which boosts the PH to a neutral 7 – 7.2. The media continues to dissolve into the water until the PH level is achieved.
Maintenance
Water softeners need constant media top up, most commonly they will need to be topped up with salt and in some areas this could be every day or every week to every month.
PH correction should last in the region of 12 months to 2 years before the media needs to be refilled.
If you require spares, media or would like us to carry out maintenance or servicing of your system then please contact us.
