Water softeners

Hard water can cause a multitude of problems in your home, from deposits in your kettle to literally furring up the pipes supplying your appliances. Hard water will require you to use more shampoo to wash your hair, more detergent to wash your clothes and it can play havoc for people with skin conditions like excema. One option is to move to an area with softer water. Clearly this isn't going to be possible for most of us. But it is possible to alter the composition of the water in your home to achieve water which is better for you and for your appliances.

There are several different types of water softeners available at the moment. Most work on the water before it reaches your taps. For nicer drinking water a simple filter jug kept in the fridge is the best and cheapest option. But for the whole house the following will give a run down on the best option for you.

Salt Free

• These are the most popular choice for most people. The work by removing existing lime-scale from the pipes and preventing it from reforming.
• They use a catalytic filter
• No salt is needed and no chemicals are added. This does not affect the quality of the water or change the taste.
• No aste water is produced
• Only works on water which has a hardness of less than 25 grains per gallon.

Ion Exchange

• Replaces the calcium and magnesium in the water with sodium or potassium. The former minerals cause the hardness.
• Will improve the life of appliances and reduce the need for detergents.
• Will not be good to drink the water produced, so an alternative for drinking water will be required.

Magnetic

• Magnets are placed either inside or outside pipework so that the molecular structure of the water is altered as it flows through the magnetic filed.
• Criticised by the scientific world, these systems do receives a good rating from customers.
• No chemicals are used so the water remains of good quality.
• Only works close to the magnetic field, so standing water will revert to its usual hardness after around 48 hours.

Reverse Osmosis

• Water pressure is used to force the water through a filter membrane. The unwanted minerals are swept away, leaving water which is 98% mineral free.
• There is a high degree of water wasted and the resulting water does not have some of the essential minerals required for health.
• Alternative drinking water should be used to replace these lost minerals.

Water filtration systems

• These will remove the minerals deposits and small particles before it reaches your taps
• A whole house system can filter anything up to 100,000 gallons before it needs changing.
• Filters will last for a shorter time span if your water is harder than average.
• Water is filtered on the main line so that all water in the home is treated.