Make Entry -- Become an Editor -- Most Popular: (10, 25, 50, 75, 100)

   Help

Water Softening

Water softening is the process through which the hardening mineral ions in hard water are removed or reacted with something else to make them innocuous. Hard water is especially rich in minerals like calcium and magnesium, which are positive ions and will over time cause deposits on pipes. In addition, detergents are also positive ions; but since hard water is already full of positive ions, they will not dissolve as readily as they would in soft water. And lime deposits caused by hard water can block pipes to hot water tanks, increasing the cost of water heating by as much as 20%.

Water softening refers to a variety of techniques that remove these hardening ions, or that bind with them to make them innocuous. In most water softening, a water softener unit is connected directly to the water supply. These water softening devices exchange ions, typically removing positively-charged calcium and magnesium, and sometimes also remove iron. Minerals removed are held in a conditioning tank, and periodically flushed away. The most common water softening agent used by these units is rock salt, solar salt, or evaporated salt; the best is probably evaporated salt.

Web Resources On Water Softening

Water Softeners Overview
Popular Mechanics: How Water Softeners Work

Book Resources On Water Softening

Water softening and purification: The softening and clarification of hard and dirty waters by Harold Collet
Hard water and water softening by E. F Badger

Site Maps: Most Recent | Clusters | Browse
New: Graduate Student Job Opportunity