All about water hardness

What is hard water?

The hardness of water indicates how much calcium and magnesium carbonate it contains. Hard water contains high levels of calcium and magnesium. These minerals come from the layers of soil from which the water is pumped to the surface. The levels of carbonate vary from region to region as the soil's composition tends to be different in each area.

The disadvantages of hard water

Lime in the pipes

Lime builds up in the pipes, which leads to pressure loss and limescale damage to your appliances. Limescale reduces the performance and life span of your appliances. Pipes need more time to warm up. This makes your bills unnecessarily high.

Limescale

These white patches are limescale. They are an indication of hard water. They are persistent stains that give your drinking water a foul taste.

Dry hair and dehydrated skin

Hard water causes dry hair and dehydrated skin and reduces the effect of soap, making it harder to work it into a lather.

What is a water softener?

A water softener system filters out the high concentrations of calcium and magnesium that cause hard water. The water softener removes these hard water minerals as the water flows through the system. The softened water that leaves the water softener system runs through your pipes to your tap.

So how does a water softener work?

A water softener acts like a filter. Its resin bed removes most of the calcium and magnesium (lime) from the water in exchange for sodium. The resin bed consists of many small resin beads. The resin beads bind with the lime and then release sodium. This softens the water. When the resin beads are saturated, they stop working and the filter must be flushed. This flushing, also known as regeneration, is an automatic process that is time or volume based. The softener must be filled with softener salt for regeneration. During regeneration, the calcium and magnesium ions that have saturated the beads are replaced with sodium ions, which flush out the resin bed.

Water softener benefits

No lime in the pipes

Soft water is clean, has a lovely taste and avoids pressure loss. Appliances such as your washing machine, coffee maker and kettle will last longer and use less water. Your wallet will thank you!

No limescale

Your water will no longer leave behind annoying limescale stains when it dries up. The paint on your car and the windows of your house will keep their sparkle.

No dehydrated skin

A water softener maximises the effectiveness of soap and prevents the skin from dehydrating.

Test it yourself