Hard Water Treatment Methods

Hard water, though not much harmful to humans, can have adverse effects on clothes, pipelines, appliances and other machinery that use water. So, it becomes necessary to treat hard water especially in an industrial scenario. There are numerous industries which use water as a raw material in cooling towers, boilers etc. The water used in such projects has to be soft to be of use and to prevent any damage to the equipment.

Some Of The Ways By Which Hard Water Is Treated:

• Physical Water Softening Treatment
• Chemical Water Softening Treatment
• Mechanical Water Softening Treatment
• Water Filters

Physical Water Conditioners alter the basic composition of water so as to reduce or limit the growth of scale which is a common in hard water. One of the most common kinds of Physical Water Conditioner is Anti-Scale Magnetic Conditioner. In this case, a Magnetic Conditioner fitted onto the plumbing releases a magnetic field which inhibits the formation of scale. This conditioner basically makes the scale lose their property to attach to each other. But recent scientific studies have refuted the claims made by the promoters of this method.

Mechanical Water Treatment System is the most effective of all Water Treatment Systems. Mechanical Water Softener Systems actually remove the minerals that make the water hard. This is done by the Electro-Deionization method. In this method, there is an electrode and cathode in the water system and a permeable membrane in between the two. Ion exchange resin is provided as the base material to remove any dissolved impurities. The resin allows the ions to pass through the membrane, where the positive ions are attracted to the cathode while the negative ions move towards the anode. This results in effective purification of water. This method is greatly in demand nowadays as the operation is a simple one, is easily maintained and an economical process. This technique is commonly used in medical laboratories, power and engineering industries.

Chemical Water Conditioners refer to use of chemicals like phosphates, washing soda, borax etc to purify the water. This kind of water is only used for laundry purposes and is unfit for drinking purposes.

Lastly, Water Filters are most commonly found technique of water treatment, easily found in most of the households. Water Filters use processes like reverse osmosis, distillation etc to purify water.

The kind of technique to use basically depends on the application. Water Filters are typically used in households or in offices, while Mechanical Water Filters for industrial applications.