Hard water is probably the most common water problem found in the home. Hard water spots your glasses and dishes, makes laundry dull, and causes soap scum and scale to build-up, making cleaning a chore. Calcium and Magnesium, the most common minerals that cause hardness, are dissolved in a water supply.

Filtering water involves separating mineral particles, like particulates, iron, hydrogen sulphide or other organic matter, from water. Be it through a "filter bed," or "media bed," these undesirable particles are trapped - and the cleaned water passes on through the bed.

Softening water involves something called "ion exchange" to remove dissolved minerals - like calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese - that can't be trapped in a filter bed. Softeners use fresh resin beads with sodium attached to the resin. As water enters the tank, dissolved calcium and magnesium are attracted to the resin. The resin passes up the sodium in exchange for the dissolved chemicals, leaving the water clear of these elements.

Water filtration is a multi-billion dollar industry, providing millions of consumers with point-of-entry (POE) products – which are typically installed to treat the water used within a single building – and point-of-use (POU) water filtration products – which treat only the water intended for direct consumption.

Using too much soap is a hard habit to break. When first using softened water for household cleaning, a good way to adjust to the difference in cleaning efficiency is to use as little soap as possible. Try using a quarter cup rather than the cup or more that may have been necessary prior to the installation of a water softener. If necessary, gradually increase the quantity used to produce the desired results.

The most common water softening method is called "ion exchange.” Put simply, this type of softening is a process where calcium and magnesium (the minerals that make water hard) ions are exchanged for sodium ions.

This exchange takes place in a "resin bed" made up of a tiny bead-like material. The beads have a negative charge and attract and hold positively charged ions such as sodium. The beads will exchange the sodium ion for a calcium or magnesium ion since they both have a more powerful positive change.

The differences that separate one softener from another are features such as flow rates, salt capacity and regeneration type.

Regeneration is the process of “recharging” the resin beads when they are “full” of nothing but calcium and magnesium. The type of system a softener uses to regenerate is a very important part of the process and can mean the difference between having enough soft water available or not.

Regeneration “triggered” by a specific time of day is called time clock regeneration, whilst regeneration triggered by water usage is called Meter Regeneration.

No. Most water softeners have been designed to give you many years of satisfactory service and only require periodically topping up the salt about two or three times a month.

However, like any household appliance, they will last longer and work more efficiently with regular servicing. This is not like a motor vehicle service and can be carried out in the home cost effectively and with no disruption to your water supply.

Click here for details of our service plan or call 01376 334200 if you need to book a breakdown or regular service visit.

For outside use on lawns or gardens, using softened water is wasteful. Where the concentration of hardness minerals is high, the sodium content after softening may be high enough to retard plant growth and harm grass. This is especially true in climates where rainfall is scarce. Areas that receive regular rain are not as sensitive to sodium accumulation because the rain "rinses" the earth.

According to the American Water Quality Association (WQA), water softener regeneration discharges do not pose a problem to septic systems or to the leach field. Studies have shown that water softener regeneration wastes does not only not interfere with the septic tank system drain field soil percolation, but actually could improve soil percolation, particularly in fine-textured soils.

Soft water provides for easier maintenance of a humidifier. When hard water evaporates, a hard scale forms that normally requires some drastic removal techniques. When softened water is used, the residue is commonly called “soft” and can usually be removed by flushing the unit with water or going over the surface with a brush.

Remember, softening water does not reduce the total amount of minerals present; ion exchange softening exchanges the calcium and magnesium hardness causing minerals with sodium minerals. The most common humidifier in homes has an open pan, a small tube connected to a water source, and float valve. When water evaporates, the float valve opens to permit make-up water to flow into the pan. Eventually this type of unit fills with minerals deposited by the water.

Using softened water will keep the mineral build-up down and the humidifier functioning properly.

Two of the most cost effective ways to enjoy great tasting water in your home are with a bottled water cooler or with a home reverse osmosis (RO) system.

In simple terms, reverse osmosis is the process by which water molecules are forced through a semi-permeable membrane under pressure. Reverse osmosis systems provide filtered water everywhere, from homes and commercial applications like restaurants and hotels, to breweries and car washes, and even the space shuttle!

Household RO systems typically filter water using the following steps:

1. Raw tap water first flows through a sediment filter to remove dirt, rust and other solid objects.

2. The water then flows into a carbon filter that takes out 98% of the chlorine and organic chemicals.

3. The next stage is the reverse osmosis membrane, which separates 70-99% of the dissolved contaminants from the water molecules. These removed impurities are rinsed down the drain, producing the final product, “pure water”.

4. This water is stored in a reservoir tank typically located underneath the kitchen sink and is accessed with a separate or special three way tap.

5. When you open the valve, the water is filtered one last time with a carbon block “polishing filter” right before it reaches your glass.

Using a quality RO membrane as a strainer is typically much better than a under sink mounted filter alone. Under magnification the pores of a RO membrane are undetectable, while the pores of a pleated filter are easily seen. Reverse osmosis treatment generally removes a more diverse list of undesirable elements than other systems. RO can remove nitrates, sodium, and other dissolved inorganic and organic compounds.

Water is critical in regulating all body organs and temperature, and dissolving solids and moving nutrients throughout the body. Because water is naturally low in sodium, has no fat, cholesterol or caffeine and isn't flushed straight through the body like many other beverages, it's the natural solution to help reach your body’s daily fluid quota.

How much water should you consume? Most adults need eight to twelve 8-ounce glasses of water or fluids daily, but needs vary by activity level, health circumstances (including pregnancy) and even by age. For example, a 28 Kilo child would need at least three to four glasses per day. But a man weighing 80 kilos would need about 11-12 glasses per day. And people may need more water as they age, since thirst signals may become dull, activity levels decline and prescription drugs may dehydrate their bodies further.

Here are some tips to help you get serious about water while keeping your hydration habits fresh and tasty at the same time:

• Pour the water into an attractive glass or easy-to-use water bottle
• Add ice, and a slice of lemon or lime
• Chill your water
• Drink moderate-size portions spread over the course of a day, rather than trying to drink it all at one time
• Make drinking water a habit — drinking water at the same time each day will make it much easier to remember

A water softener removes the hardness minerals from the water that causes Limescale. A physical water conditioner however, does not remove these minerals but instead alters the characteristics of the way these minerals behave when heated, helping to prevent the build up of scale on items such as heat exchangers.

For details of how each device works, please visit water solutions

Yes. Polyphosphate is classed as a food grade material, which means it is perfectly safe to drink within the limits set. It should be noted however, that people with a sensitive palate may be able to detect a slight change in taste in the product water. Products like the Aqua-Dial Combi–Care and the Liff Combi–Flo are best installed on the cold water feed pipe to appliances such as combination boilers, hot water cylinders and showers units. Whilst scale reducing filter cartridges should be used to treat drinking water supplies. Polyphosphate will go cloudy when boiled.

Model selection depends on whether the unit is to be used for whole house or single appliance protection and the amount of water to be treated. Details on sizing and performance can normally be found in the manufacturer's literature, but this should only be used as a guide. Detailed advice can normally be acquired from your independent water treatment specialist or by phoning 01376 334200 and speaking to one of our trained advisors.