Softening Water
Hard water can be a real problem. It furs up pipes, coats heating elements with scale and leaves ugly marks and stains on taps, sinks showers and other areas. The efficiency of heating elements is reduced resulting in extra fuel bills and servicing costs.
Soft water will not cause any of these problems and has many other advantages too. Soft water takes much less detergent or soap to produce a lather, makes towels and clothes feel softer, is kinder on the skin and washes things cleaner and brighter.
There are several ways of enjoying softened water. The most common method used in the home is to install a salt based water softener. This is usually located under the kitchen sink and will soften the water for the whole house. The troublesome calcium and magnesium ions are exchanged for sodium ones in the softener leaving the water soft. Once per day, usually at night, the unit will recharge itself from a salt solution replenishing the used sodium ions with a fresh supply ready for the following day.
Commercial water softeners work in the same way, but use larger capacity units. Commercial softeners often have two regeneration chambers that allow continual use. When the second cylinder exhausts the first cylinder comes back on line, thus ensuring a continuous supply of softened water. These type of softeners are used to feed dishwashers, glasswashers, laundry equipment and other equipment not used for food use.
Where the treated water is to be consumed directly or used in the production of beverages or used in food preparation different methods of water softening are employed. A simple in-line water cartridge filter can be used for relatively low water usage. The cartridge water filters remove the calcium ions as well as removing other impurities that genuinely improve the taste of the final beverage.
Caterers using combi ovens, pasta cookers, bratt pans or boilers will find that a calcium treatment unit is the best solution for their water treatment needs. As water is passed through the unit, temporary hardness salts - calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate - and heavy metals are attracted to food grade resin beads and thus removed from the water supply. After softening, water exits via a silver-impregnated carbon filter further removing any impurities.
Demineralisation units are used to dramatically improve the results from commercial glasswashers and dishwashers. Demin units use a different resin to calcium treatment units but otherwise work in a very similar way. They produce particularly clear water that is ideal for sparkling glassware.
A totally different method for producing soft and purified water is from a process called reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis units are particularly cost-effective for caterers with extremely hard or variable water quality, who need high volumes of treated water. The process is complicated but basically is a filtration method that removes calcium ions from the water supply by applying pressure to the solution when it is on one side of a selective membrane. The treated water is very pure and gives spectacular results. This is the only water softening method that does not involve the regeneration of exhausted units or filter changes. Regular servicing by a qualified engineer is all that is required.
Depending on the amount of softened water required and the equipment being used you are now aware of the different techniques used to soften water. A consultation with an independent adviser is recommended to discuss your water treatment requirments or get a free quoatation from a reputable company.
About the Author
Find out all you need to know about cartridge water filters, water softeners, calcium treatment units and reverse osmosis units at our new website: http://www.watercare.co.uk
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