A review of water softening systems that reduce limescale buildup

We recently did a post on limescale build up and some solutions to the problem. Limescale build up is often associated with hardened water. You may have noticed other solutions to water hardness out there either through media ads or on the Internet.

These other solutions are commonly referred to as water softening solutions. Here is a brief review of the main water softening solutions out there.

1. Salt Free Water Softeners.

These are also known as Catalytic Media. The atoms in the catalytic media break down and dissolve calcium carbonate into microscopic particles in effect softening the water. The resulting water is of a consistency that is free of any hardening or buildup causing material.

These Salt Free systems have the following advantages; low maintenance costs, no chemicals or electricity used, no wasted water, easy installation

Some disadvantages of such systems are; cost to implement and the fact they such systems are not effective in areas with extreme water hardness levels.

2. Salt Based Water Softeners.

These are also known as Ion Exchange systems. These devices use an ion exchange procedure to remove hardness from water. Here is a simplified description of how these systems work;
- Sodium ions are provided from dissolved salt (sodium chloride), creating a solution called brine
- The ions in the brine then coat an exchange medium, typically a synthetic resin material that looks like wet sand.
- As hard water passes over the exchange medium, the calcium and magnesium particles from the hard water are exchanged with the sodium ions effectively softening the water
- The exchange medium is recharged by back flashing it with the brine solution. The frequency of recharging depends on the hardness of the water.

Like all other water softening techniques, salt based water softeners lengthen the life of appliances and increases the effectiveness of soaps, detergents and shampoos by softening water.

A big disadvantage to such systems is their cost of operation. They require frequent maintenance in the form of adding salt. Additionally, the water softened as a result of this process often has higher sodium content. This water is not recommended for drinking by people on restrictive sodium diets or for plants.

3. Magnetic water softeners.

These systems are said to work by using magnets to cause scale-building elements to breakup into extremely small particles within the water. This prevents the scale building elements from accumulating and causing build up. A typical system consists of a magnets wrapped around an inlet pipe to a house.

There has been a lot of debate about the effectiveness of these products.

A noted disadvantage of this system is the fact that the scale building water elements can return to their previous scale building state should the treated water sit idle for 48 hours.

4. Reverse Osmosis.

This is a process whereby impurities are removed from water using a semi permeable membrane. The term reverse osmosis comes into play because the process involves the reversal of the flow through a membrane from a concentrated solution (with scale building elements) on one side of the membrane to pure solution on the other side of the membrane. This is a micro filtration process.

A main advantage to this process is that it removes salt, solids, scale building elements and some metals.

A significant disadvantage to this process is that reverse osmosis strips water of some essential minerals required for plants, animals and humans. The membrane, which is costly, also needs to be replaced frequently.

5. Electric Field Water Softeners

These products are said to work as follows;
- A device, which generates an electric field, is wrapped around an inlet pipe to a house
- The electric field causes seed crystals of the scale building elements to form in the water.
- Scale then grows on these seed crystals instead of in your pipes and devices.
- These crystals with scale buildup remain suspended in the water and do not settle in pipes or appliances effectively reducing any scale build up.

These devices are geared more towards preventing scale buildup as opposed to softening the water for use.

Feel free to share your experience with any of these water softening techniques.