Specialist water treatment services and Legionella risk assessments

Quality water softening treatments

Why install a Water Softener?

We call water “hard” when it contains a large quantity of calcium and magnesium particles dissolved in it. Hard water can be a problem in a household for two major reasons. Firstly, it can cause scale to form on the insides of pipes, water heaters, kettles and so on by precipitating from the water.

The scale doesn’t conduct heat very well and it also reduces the flow through pipes from scale build up. Eventually, pipes can become completely clogged. Secondly, hard water reacts with soap to form a sticky scum, and it also reduces the soap's ability to lather. Since most of us like to wash with soap, hard water makes a bath or shower less productive.

How does a Water Softener work?

The idea behind a water softener installation is simple. The calcium and magnesium ions in the water are replaced with sodium ions. Since sodium does not precipitate out into pipes or react badly with soap, both of the problems of hard water are eliminated.

For the ion replacement to take place, the water in the house runs through a vessel containing a bed of small beads, or a chemical matrix called zeolite. The beads or zeolite are covered with sodium ions and as the water passes through, the sodium ions swap places with the calcium and magnesium ions. Eventually the beads or zeolite contain no more sodium ions but calcium and magnesium ions instead. At this point the water softer must regenerate its beads/zeolite.



Regeneration is a process in which the water softener system flushes itself with a solution of water and sodium chloride (which is why you would load a water softener with salt). The strong brine displaces all of the calcium and magnesium that has built up on the beads/zeolite, and replaces them with sodium ions. The remaining brine with all of the magnesium and calcium are then flushed through a drainpipe. 

Where does a Water Softener go?

Water softener systems should ideally be installed near to the incoming mains water supply with access to a drain and electricity. 

What size Water Softener do I need?

One of the most important considerations when choosing water softener installation is making sure that it has been sized correctly. Under-sizing can lead to water passing over the resin too quickly and therefore not producing 100% soft water. Likewise, oversizing can lead to less than 100% soft water as this can result in the incoming water channelling through the resin.

Softeners will begin to produce softened water immediately, but if the plumbing system is one that has a cold water storage tank then it may take four or five days for 100% softened water to be coming through the system, but will be seen to be getting softer and softer as the new soft water mixes with the hard water