Water is water, isn't it? One often assumes that the water they use for cleaning, drinking, and bathing is similar to that of their neighbours. However, there's more to it. There are two distinct types of water—hard and soft. Hard water contains minerals like calcium and magnesium, while soft water often contains sodium. While the taste or feel may differ slightly, it's essential to understand the disparities between these two types of water. In this article, we will understand the difference between hard and soft water.
What is Hard Water?
The water that most Indian houses get is rainwater. When the rainwater passes through different layers of rock and soil it picks up minerals like calcium and magnesium. The amount of calcium and magnesium content in water is dependent on the area’s geology. The higher the concentration, the harder the water will be.
Hard water is nothing but water that has high dissolved minerals like calcium, magnesium, and a variety of minerals.
What are the Effects of Hard Water?
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A major problem with hard water is inefficient home appliances. Your washing machine will need more soap to do the same job and your heater will take longer to heat up as the limescale buildup inside the system will act as a layer of insulation.1
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Hard water can remove natural oils from your body, making skin dry and rough.
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Hard water leaves behind stains on utensils, and scale formation on surfaces, tiles, ceramics, and bathroom fixtures.
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Hard water usage can lead to discolouration of clothes. The hardness-causing minerals can build up on your clothes, causing them to lose their brilliance and appear dull and lifeless over time.1
What is Soft Water?
The hardness of water depends on its mineral content, especially the amount of magnesium and calcium ions in it. If your water has lower concentrations of these minerals, it will be categorised as soft water.
What are the Effects of Soft Water?
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Soft water is devoid of minerals like magnesium, calcium, and iron, which slows down the corrosion of home appliances and, in turn, extends their lifespan.
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Soft water promotes skin and overall health. It hydrates your skin cells, flushes out toxins, and regulates oil production.
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Soft water prevents discolouration of your clothes as they are devoid of hardness-causing minerals.
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Soft water leads to cleaner utensils.
What is the Difference between Hard Water and Soft Water?
The amount of calcium and magnesium minerals in water determines how soft or hard it is2
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Less than 17 parts per million minerals are found in soft water
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There are 17 to 60 parts per million minerals in slightly hard water
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There are 60 to 120 parts per million minerals in moderately hard water
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There are 120 to 180 parts per million minerals in hard water
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There are more than 180 parts per million minerals in hard water
Here’s how hard water and soft water are different from one another:
| Hard Water | Soft Water |
|---|---|
| Hard water tends to have an excess amount of minerals, increasing the water’s alkalinity. | Soft water is more acidic and has lower levels of minerals. |
| The hard water can taste slightly salty. | Soft water has a neutral taste. |
| Hard water may affect your health negatively, especially your skin and hair. | Soft Water has a positive impact on your health. Soft water improves your skin and hair health. |
| Groundwater like deep wells is an example of hard water. | Distilled water is an example of soft water. |
What are Water Softeners?
Water softeners are devices designed to make water softer by eliminating minerals like calcium and magnesium from water. They use an ion exchange process that replaces the calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions.
Here are some of the benefits of water softeners-
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Water softeners reduce stains on bathroom fixtures or scale formation on tiles caused due to hard water.
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Water softeners give you access to water which is softer on the skin and hair, helping you get rid of itchiness caused by dry skin and hair loss.
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Water softeners can tackle hard water corrosion which increases the lifespan of home appliances like water heaters and dishwashers.
How Does a Water Softener Work?
1. Resin Beads
Resin Beads play a crucial role in converting hard water into soft water. These beads are charged with sodium ions. As hard water enters the water softener tank, the resin beads attract and bind with the calcium and magnesium ions, replacing them with sodium ions.
2. Regeneration
With time, resin beads become saturated with the hardness of minerals and they need to undergo a regeneration cycle. A brine solution (salt water solution) is introduced into the water softener tank, which allows the resin beads to release the captured minerals and reabsorb sodium ions. This process ensures the proper functioning of the water softener system.
3. Flushing
The water softener system flushes the softened water through your plumbing, leaving you with soft water for use in your home.
Aquaguard Select Water Softeners
If you are planning to get a water softener for your home, opt for Aquaguard Select as it offers a wide range of water softener systems that come with auto-generation technology, which ensures regeneration occurs precisely when needed. This eliminates the need for manual regeneration.
1. Aquaguard Select AWS C-2500 Water Softener
If you need a water softener that works well at home, Aquaguard Select AWS C-2500 Water Softener is a complete package as it uses innovative ion-exchange technology to soften water with hardness levels of up to 1850 ppm. It is a fully automated regeneration device that starts working once set. With LCD Display Panel, the current settings make it easy to read. The auto-setting lock ensures that if the softener’s control is lost, internal memory will maintain its previous setting.
2. Aquaguard Select AWS C-3500 DX Water Softener
If you want a softener for multi-story buildings- Aquaguard Select AWS C-3500 DX Water Softener is a completely automatic water softening machine for multi-story buildings that uses innovative ion-exchange technology to soften water with hardness levels of up to 2050 ppm. You can remove hard water, which can cause hair loss, dry itchy skin, and stains on sinks, bathroom fixtures, and appliances. It is an excellent choice when selecting a water softener for a building.
Buying a water softener is completely a choice but having clean and safe water to drink is a need for all. Always do your research for what is the need and then go for the best. The water softeners by Aquaguard Select are good solutions for any hard water problems.
References
1. Sekhri, S., & Gupta, N. (2016). Water quality considerations for better laundry. ResearchGate.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354583257_Water_quality_considerations_for_better_laundry/ Accessed on 15/02/2024.
WebMD. (n.d.). The difference between hard and soft water. Retrieved from
https://www.webmd.com/diet/difference-between-hard-soft-water/2.Accessed on 21/03/2024
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