Water Softeners

Water Softeners Buyers Guide

Water softeners come in various shapes and sizes depending on whether you require softened water for domestic or commercial use. On this page we will address:

• Sizing my water softener
• Do I need a water softener?
• Benefits of softened water?
• How does a water softener system work?
• Installation and maintenance
• What protection and warranty will I get?

Sizing a water softener

Choosing the right size softener depends on a number of things. Every softener has a set capacity of water it can soften before the resin needs refreshing. Our metered water softeners are pre-set to refresh at 02:00 am but only after their intended softening capacity has been reached. This combines the benefits of a traditional timed water softener that has been set to regenerate at a set time every night and does not take into account if regeneration is required. Our metered softeners will refresh only when the capacity limit has been reached and at a set time to keep daily interactions to a minimum and to keep waste down. 

 Working out daily usage can be tricky so to make it simple we have categorised our domestic softener range into the following options depending on average water usage for how many people live in the household.

• Plumbsoft 11L Water Softener (1-4 Person Household)
• Plumbsoft 14L Water Softener (4-5 Person Household)
• Plumbsoft 23L Water Softener (6+ Person Household)

If you live in an area where the mains water supply provides hard or medium hard water then a water softener could benefit you. Not sure if you live in a hard water area then use our postcode checker here to see how hard your water really is.

Issues relating to hard water:

Millions of people in the UK receive hard water in their supply with London and Ipswich having particularly large areas with very hard water. When hard water molecules are warmed up in dishwashers and other home appliances the hardness can precipitate as scale. Scale is not something you want in your home for numerous reasons. It can block and damage pipes, reduce the efficiency of heating elements and even cause household appliances (including central heating boilers) to break down.

Common hard water and Limescale issues are:

• Boiler breakdown
• Blocked valves
• Less efficient appliances
• Higher electricity and gas bills
• Limescale build-up
• Longer cleaning times
• Poor surface appearance (chrome work)
• Reduced bores in pipe work
•  

Benefits of softened water:

Soft water reacts differently to hard water when heat is applied and is much more effective when it comes into contact with the cleaning chemicals present in dishwashers and washing machines. Washing with softened water results in cleaner and brighter glassware, silverware and mirrors. Laundered clothes are softer and last longer with whites staying brighter when soft water is used. Cleaning with soft water even saves time as it reduces the appearance of streaks or spots on hard surfaces.

Softer water helps prevent limescale forming that can cause inefficiency and breakdowns in appliances such as boilers, dishwashers, and washing machines. Softer, water saves you money on energy bills by reducing scale build-up on heating elements as well as costly repairs and component replacements. In addition to this, soft water lathers much better with soaps and shampoos leaving skin and hair soft to the touch. Hard water does not wash away soap as effectively as soft water and therefore does not remove dirt or irritants from your skin as easily which can lead to dry or irritated skin and damaged hair.

All benefits of softened water:

• Savings on energy bills
• Extends the lifespan of appliances such as dishwashers, boilers and washing machines
• Saves time when cleaning
• Softer laundered clothes
• Hair and skin is softer to the touch
• Brighter glassware and silverware

How does a water softener work?

A water softener is a device which reduces the hard minerals dissolved in water passing through it. Water softeners work by passing incoming feed water through the internal cylinder, stripping the dissolved hard water minerals from the water. Softeners attach directly to the mains water supply and feed the water back into the water supply to supply all appliances and equipment with softened water.

Incoming hard water is taken into the cylinder inside the water softener. It passes through a resin inside the water softener containing ion exchange beads. The resin beads are packed with sodium ions (Na) which hard water minerals such as magnesium (Mg) and Calcium (Ca) are attracted to, react with and (crucially) exchange places with. The water is then pushed out of the water softener back into the ongoing water supply leaving the treated water with harmless sodium ions in it instead of hard, scale causing minerals.

A certain amount of water can be softened before the system reaches its maximum capacity and no longer has any sodium ions to exchange. After the maximum litre capacity has been reached (each softener is different) a salty brine solution will wash over the ion exchange resin to regenerate the Sodium ions (Na) and removes the hardness minerals such as Magnesium (Mg) and Calcium (Ca). The water softening process is now reset and is again ready to start the exchange process with the incoming feed water all over again

Types of Water Softener:

We offer both domestic and commercial water softeners. The compact range is designed specifically to fit in very small spaces, with smaller sized water softeners also designed to fit snugly under the kitchen sink or in a cupboard hidden from view at home. The larger sized capacity water softeners are bigger in size and perfect for large homes or commercial settings where a lot of softened water is required.

Softeners regenerate their internal resin beds automatically, based on a pre-set meter and a timer:

Metered regeneration:

All of our water softeners are metered regeneration systems. We have chosen this so that the softeners can be pre-programmed at the time of manufacture to make it simple and easy to use. Metered regeneration occurs after a pre-set amount of water has passed through the resin. The benefit of a metered water softener is that it will regenerate once the capacity usage is reached. We have also pre-programmed our water softeners to regenerate at 02:00 am in the morning after the capacity has been reached meaning it utilises both metered and timed technologies.

Timed regeneration:

A traditional timed water softener system would be set to regenerate at a set time whether it's needed or not. There is more guesswork involved and could lead to more waste. We have pre-programmed our water softeners to regenerate at 02:00 am in the morning after the capacity has been reached meaning it utilises both metered and timed features. 

Maintenance & Installation

Maintenance:

All water softeners require water softener salt to regenerate the resin as salt is made up of sodium ions (Na). Salt types vary depending on your softener system. All of our systems require tablet salt to refresh the resin and a bag is included free with any water softener. The water softeners need access to an electrical socket which needs to be considered when selecting a place to install, this also means no replacement batteries are required. All machine functions are taken care of automatically by a pre-set sophisticated metered controlled valve. Superior performance is achieved by the more expensive, finer and more efficient resin contained within the vessels, which results in more softened water for every kilogram of salt.

Installation

Full installation instructions are included inside all of our water softeners.

All of our water softeners come with the following:

4 x 24.6mm fibre washers
1 x Total Hardness test kit
1 x Drain hose
1 x 10kg bag of tablet salt

Bypass Valve Pack and Braided Hoses are available seperately.

Warranty

All our metered water softeners come with a 12 month warranty and guarantee from date of purchase. Within the pack there is a service card that can be completed and sent to our service partners for extra piece of mind.

We offer a range of meter controlled water softeners which are suited to both domestic and commercial applications, view our range here. Not sure if you need a water softener for your home or building, you can check your water hardness with our water hardness checker. If you're unsure on which system is best for your requirements, please contact us and talk to our expert team. Softened water is not for human consumption.