There are 2 immediate answers you need to know:

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1. Many dealers will advertise a no salt water conditioner in a misleading way. Any brand of water conditioner can be operated without using salt. This is done by using a salt substitute, potassium chloride. It is generally more expensive compared to regular salt (sodium chloride), and can be difficult to find in some areas. Also, it is generally recommended you increase the salt setting on your control valve by about 10%, when using a salt substitute. This is usaully not the method being referred to as a 'No Salt' water softener today, but be sure!

2. NEW TECHNOLOGY SALT FREE WATER SOFTENERS are a recent and reliable alternative that make perfect sense in most applications. There are multiple methods (many products & claims are hype & a waste of money) however, the only reliable one is a process called template assisted crystallization (TAC).

TAC is a process in which calcium ions in the water are converted to calcium crystals. These crystals now lose any binding, or scaling ability and are washed down the drain w/ the rest of the water. Any residential, industrial, or commercial setting will benefit substantially with one of these systems.

They stop scale build up in the water system and appliances. These systems also eliminate any salt costs and save a considerable amount of space. Additionally, they do not require a control valve and because of this there is no wasted backwash water, and there is very little maintenance.

We specialize in this new technology. Be sure to check our water softener sale page for more info.

Fouling refers to the accumulation of unwanted material on solid surfaces, most often in an aquatic environment. The fouling material can consists of either living organisms (biofouling) or be a non-living substance (inorganic or organic).

Other terms used in the literature to describe fouling include: deposit formation, encrustation, scaling, scale formation, crudding, and deposition. The last four terms are less inclusive than fouling; therefore, they should be used with caution.

Fouling phenomena are common and diverse, ranging from fouling of ships, natural surfaces in the marine environment (marine fouling), fouling of heat-transferring components through ingredients contained in the cooling water or gases, and even the development of plaque or calculus on teeth, or deposits on solar panels on Mars, among other examples.

This article is mostly devoted to the fouling of industrial heat exchanger systems, although the same theory is generally applicable to other varieties of fouling. In the cooling technology and other technical fields, a distinction is made between macro fouling and micro fouling. Of the two, micro fouling is the one which is usually more difficult to prevent and therefore more important.
Components subject to fouling
The following lists examples of components that may be subject of fouling and the direct effects of fouling:

• heat exchanger surfaces ' reduces thermal efficiency, increases temperature, creates corrosion, increases use of cooling water
• piping, flow channels ' reduces flow, increases pressure drop, increases energy expenditure, may create flow oscillations
• ship hulls ' increases fuel usage, reduces maximum speed
• turbines ' reduces efficiency, increases probability of failure
• solar panels ' decreases the electrical power generated
• reverse osmosis membranes ' reduces efficiency of water purification, increases pressure drop, increases energy expenditure
• electrical heating elements ' increases temperature of the element, increases corrosion, reduces lifespan
• nuclear fuel in pressurized water reactors ' axial offset anomaly
• injection/spray nozzles (e.g., a nozzle spraying a fuel into a furnace) ' incorrect amount injected, malformed jet, component inefficiency, component failure
• venturi tubes, orifice plates ' inaccurate or incorrect measurement of flow rate
• pitot tubes in airplanes ' inaccurate or incorrect indication of airplane speed
• teeth ' promotes tooth disease, decreases aesthetics

Macro fouling
Macro fouling is caused by coarse matter of either biological or inorganic origin, for example industrially produced refuse. Such matter enters into the cooling water circuit through the cooling water pumps from sources like the open sea, rivers or lakes. In closed circuits, like cooling towers, the ingress of macro fouling into the cooling tower basin is possible through open canals or by the wind. Sometimes, parts of the cooling tower internals detach themselves and are carried into the cooling water circuit. Such substances can foul the surfaces of heat exchangers and may cause deterioration of the relevant heat transfer coefficient. They may also create flow blockages, redistribute the flow inside the components, or cause fretting damage.
Examples

• Manmade refuse
• Detached internal parts of components
• Algae
• Mussels
• Leaves, parts of plants up to entire trunks

Micro fouling
As to micro fouling, distinctions are made between:

• Scaling or precipitation fouling, as crystallization of solid salts, oxides and hydroxides from water solutions, for example calcium carbonate or calcium sulfate.
• Particulate fouling, i.e., accumulation of particles, typically colloidal particles, on a surface
• Corrosion fouling, i.e., in-situ growth of corrosion deposits, for example magnetite on carbon steel surfaces
• Chemical reaction fouling, for example decomposition or polymerization of organic matter on heating surfaces
• Solidification fouling ' when components of the flowing fluid with high-melting point freeze onto a subcooled surface
• Biofouling, like settlements of bacteria and algae
• Composite fouling, whereby fouling involves more than one foulant or fouling mechanism.

Precipitation fouling

Temperature dependence of the solubility of calcium sulfate (3 phases) in pure water.

Scaling or precipitation fouling involves crystallization of solid salts, oxides and hydroxides from solutions. These are most often water solutions, but non-aqueous precipitation fouling is also known.

Through changes in temperature, or solvent evaporation or degasification, the concentration of salts may exceed the saturation, leading to a precipitation of salt crystals. Precipitation fouling is a very common problem in boilers and heat exchangers operating with hard water and often results in limescale.

The calcium carbonate that has formed through this reaction precipitates. Due to the temperature dependence of the reaction, and increasing volatility of CO2 with increasing temperature, the scaling is higher at the hotter outlet of the heat exchanger than at the cooler inlet. In general, the dependence of the salt solubility on temperature or presence of evaporation will often be the driving force for precipitation fouling. The important distinction is between salts with 'normal' or 'retrograde' dependence of solubility on temperature. The salts with the 'normal' solubility increase their solubility with increasing temperature and thus will foul the cooling surfaces. The salts with 'inverse' or 'retrograde' solubility will foul the heating surfaces. An example dependence of the solubility on temperature is shown in the figure. Calcium sulfate is a common precipitation foulant of heating surfaces due to its retrograde solubility.

Precipitation fouling can also occur in absence of heating or vaporization. For example, calcium sulfate decreases it solubility with decreasing pressure. This can lead to precipitation fouling of reservoirs and wells in oil fields, decreasing their productivity with time.[1] Similarly, precipitation fouling can occur on mixing of incompatible fluid streams.

The following lists some of the industrially most common phases of precipitation fouling deposits observed in practice to form from aqeous solutions:

• Calcium carbonate (calcite, aragonite usually at t > ~50 °C, or rarely vaterite);
• Calcium sulfate (anhydrite, hemihydrate, gypsum);
• Calcium oxalate (e.g., beerstone)
• Barium sulfate;
• Magnesium hydroxide (brucite);
• Silicates (serpentine, acmite, gyrolite, gehlenite, amorphous silica, quartz, cristobalite, pectolite, xonotlite);
• Aluminium oxide hydroxides (boehmite, gibbsite, diaspore, corundum);
• Aluminosilicates (analcite, cancrinite, noselite);
• Copper (metallic copper, cuprite);
• Phosphates (hydroxyapatite);
• Magnetite from extremely low-iron water.

Particulate fouling
Fouling by particles suspended in water ('crud') or in gas progresses by a mechanism different than precipitation fouling. This process is usually most important for colloidal particles, i.e., particles smaller than about 1 μm in at least one dimension (but which are much larger than atomic dimensions). Particles are transported to the surface by a number of mechanisms and there they can attach themselves, e.g., by flocculation or coagulation. Note that the attachment of colloidal particles typically involves electrical forces and thus the particle behaviour defies the experience from the macroscopic world. The probability of attachment is sometimes referred to as 'sticking probability', which for colloidal particles is a function of both the surface chemistry and the local thermohydraulic conditions. Being essentially a surface chemistry phenomenon, this fouling mechanism can be very sensitive to factors that affect colloidal stability, e.g., zeta potential. A maximum fouling rate is usually observed when the fouling particles and the substrate exhibit opposite electrical charge, or near the point of zero charge of either of them. With time, the resulting surface deposit may harden through processes collectively known as 'deposit consolidation' or, colloquially, 'aging'.
The common particulate fouling deposits formed from aqueous suspensions include:

• iron oxides and iron oxyhydroxides (magnetite, hematite, lepidocrocite, maghemite, goethite);
• Sedimentation fouling by silt and other relatively coarse suspended matter.

Corrosion fouling

Corrosion deposits are created in-situ by the corrosion of the substrate. They are distinguished from fouling deposits, which form from material originating ex-situ. Corrosion deposits should not be confused with fouling deposits formed by ex-situ generated corrosion products. Corrosion deposits will normally have composition related to the composition of the substrate. Also, the geometry of the metal-oxide and oxide-fluid interfaces may allow practical distinction between the corrosion and fouling deposits. An example of corrosion fouling can be formation of an iron oxide or oxyhydroxide deposit from corrosion of the carbon steel underneath.

Chemical reaction fouling

Chemical reactions may occur on contact of the chemical species in the process fluid with heat transfer surfaces. In such cases, the metallic surface sometimes acts as a catalyst. For example, corrosion and polymerization occurs in cooling water for the chemical industry which has a minor content of hydrocarbons. Systems in petroleum processing are prone to polymerization of olefins or deposition of heavy fractions (asphaltenes, waxes, etc). High tube wall temperatures may lead to carbonizing of organic matter. Food industry, for example milk processing, also experiences fouling problems by chemical reactions.

Fouling through an ionic reaction with an evolution of an inorganic solid is commonly classified as precipitation fouling (not chemical reaction fouling).
Solidification fouling
Solidification fouling occurs when a component of the flowing fluid 'freezes' onto a surface forming a solid fouling deposit. Examples may include solidification of wax (with a high melting point) from a hydrocarbon solution, or of molten ash (carried in a furnace exhaust gas) onto a heat exchanger surface. The surface needs to have a temperature below a certain threshold; therefore, it is said to be subcooled in respect to the solidification point of the foulant.
Biofouling or biological fouling is the undesirable accumulation of micro-organisms, algae and diatoms, plants, and animals on surfaces, for example ships' hulls, or piping and reservoirs with untreated water. This can be accompanied by microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC).
Bacteria can form biofilms or slimes. Thus the organisms can aggregate on surfaces using colloidal hydrogels of water and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) (polysaccharides, lipids, nucleic acids, etc). The biofilm structure is usually complex.

Bacterial fouling can occur under either aerobic (with oxygen dissolved in water) or anaerobic (no oxygen) conditions. In practice, aerobic bacteria prefer open systems, when both oxygen and nutrients are constantly delivered, often in warm and sunlit environments. Anaerobic fouling more often occurs in closed systems when sufficient nutrients are present. Examples may include sulfate-reducing bacteria (or sulfur-reducing bacteria), which produce sulfide and often cause corrosion of ferrous metals (and other alloys). Sulfide-oxidizing bacteria (e.g., Acidithiobacillus), on the other hand, can produce sulfuric acid, and can be involved in corrosion of concrete.
Composite fouling
Composite fouling is common. This type of fouling involves more than one foulant or more than one fouling mechanism working simultaneously. The multiple foulants or mechanisms may interact with each other resulting in a synergistic fouling which is not a simple arithmetic sum of the individual components.

Ion exchange is an exchange of ions between two electrolytes or between an electrolyte solution and a complex. In most cases the term is used to denote the processes of purification, separation, and decontamination of aqueous and other ion-containing solutions with solid polymeric or mineralic 'ion exchangers'.
Typical ion exchangers are ion exchange resins (functionalized porous or gel polymer), zeolites, montmorillonite, clay, and soil humus. Ion exchangers are either cation exchangers that exchange positively charged ions (cations) or anion exchangers that exchange negatively charged ions (anions). There are also amphoteric exchangers that are able to exchange both cations and anions simultaneously. However, the simultaneous exchange of cations and anions can be more efficiently performed in mixed beds that contain a mixture of anion and cation exchange resins, or passing the treated solution through several different ion exchange materials.

Ion exchangers can be unselective or have binding preferences for certain ions or classes of ions, depending on their chemical structure. This can be dependent on the size of the ions, their charge, or their structure. Typical examples of ions that can bind to ion exchangers are:

' H+ (proton) and OH' (hydroxide)

' Single charged monoatomic ions like Na+, K+, or Cl'

' Double charged monoatomic ions like Ca2+ or Mg2+

For more Home Water Softenerinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

' Polyatomic inorganic ions like SO42' or PO43'

' Organic bases, usually molecules containing the amino functional group -NR2H+

' Organic acids, often molecules containing -COO' (carboxylic acid) functional groups

' Biomolecules which can be ionized: amino acids, peptides, proteins, etc.

Ion exchange is a reversible process and the ion exchanger can be regenerated or loaded with desirable ions by washing with an excess of these ions.

Applications

Ion exchange is widely used in the food & beverage, hydrometallurgical, metals finishing, chemical & petrochemical, pharmaceutical, sugar & sweeteners, ground & potable water, nuclear, softening & industrial water, semiconductor, power, and a host of other industries.

Most typical example of application is preparation of high purity water for power engineering, electronic and nuclear industries; i.e. polymeric or mineralic insoluble ion exchangers are widely used for water softening, water purification, water decontamination, etc.

Ion exchange is a method widely used in household (laundry detergents and water filters) to produce soft water. This is accomplished by exchanging calcium Ca2+ and magnesium Mg2+ cations against Na+ or H+ cations (see water softening).

Industrial and analytical ion exchange chromatography is another area to be mentioned. Ion exchange chromatography is a chromatographical method that is widely used for chemical analysis and separation of ions. For example, in biochemistry it is widely used to separate charged molecules such as proteins. An important area of the application is extraction and purification of biologically produced substances such as amino acids and proteins.

Ion-exchange processes are used to separate and purify metals, including separating uranium from plutonium and other actinides, including thorium, and lanthanum,neodymium, ytterbium, samarium, lutetium, from each other and the other lanthanides. There are two series of rare earth metals, the lanthanides and the actinides, both of which families all have very similar chemical and physical properties. Ion-exchange is the only practical way to separate them in large quantities.

A very important case is the PUREX process (plutonium-uranium extraction process) which is used to separate the plutonium and the uranium from the spent fuel products from a nuclear reactor, and to be able to dispose of the waste products. Then, the plutonium and uranium are available for making nuclear-energy materials, such as new reactor fuel and nuclear weapons.

The ion-exchange process is also used to separate other sets of very similar chemical elements, such as zirconium and hafnium, which incidentally is also very important for the nuclear industry. Zirconium is practically transparent to free neutrons, used in building reactors, but hafnium is a very strong absorber of neutrons, used in reactor control rods.

Ion exchangers are used in nuclear reprocessing and the treatment of radioactive waste.

Ion exchange resins in the form of thin membranes are used in chloralkali process, fuel cells and vanadium redox batteries.

Others
In soil science, cation exchange capacity is the ion exchange capacity of soil for positively charged ions. Soils can be considered as natural weak cation exchangers.
In planar waveguide manufacturing ion exchange is used to create the guiding layer with higher index of refraction.

10 Common Misconceptions About Water Softeners

Water is essential for not only health and wellness, but also the proper functioning of a home and its appliances. When water is compromised, whether it's water from a well, or treated city water, it can have a negative impact on the beneficial role water plays in our health and daily living.

Water softeners provide an effective and convenient way to supply your home with fresh, quality water. However, if you are like many people who have considered getting a water softener, you may have heard some common misconceptions about water softeners that are preventing you from making a purchase.

Below we clarify 10 of the most common misconceptions that keep people from enjoying the home protection and health benefits provided by water softeners.

Top 10 Water Softener 'Problems' Clarified

1. Water softeners make water taste salty.

Many people believe that water softeners make water taste salty because they use salt. However, the salt used in water softeners is only necessary for the ion exchange process. The amount of sodium actually added to the water is minimal and unnoticeable for most people. In fact, soft water is low enough in salt content to be safe for daily consumption, even for those on sodium restricted diets.

2. Softened water removes essential minerals from the diet.

Some people have health concerns that water softeners remove essential minerals like calcium and magnesium from the water. Although water softeners do remove these minerals, the water we drink is not our primary source of these minerals. Your family can still enjoy better tasting water while getting essential minerals from a balanced diet.

3. Water softeners waste water in the softening process.

While older water softener designs use a lot of water for the regeneration process, many newer water softeners are much more efficient. Today's innovative models feature greener designs that minimize water usage and provide energy savings. Additionally, the benefits of softened water, such as reduced scale build-up in pipes and extended appliance life, provide cost savings for your household budget now, and in the future.

4. Water softeners are expensive and burdensome to maintain.

In reality, the cost of maintaining a water softener is relatively low compared to the savings from avoiding plumbing repairs and replacing damaged appliances. Today's water softener features also make them much easier to maintain.

The primary cost with water softener maintenance is purchasing salt. There are water softener designs that offer greater efficiency and are much less expensive to maintain. For example, WaterBoss® saves operating expenses by using up to 50% less salt and up to 80% less water per regeneration than conventional softeners.

5. Water softeners take up too much space.

Compact water softener designs are gaining popularity as a solution to the problem of limited space. Offering efficiency and space-saving features, compact water softeners are designed to deliver the water softening that a larger model would, but in a smaller footprint appliance.

6. Water softeners offer limited benefits, like improving the taste of drinking water.

Hard water problems affect more than just the smell and taste of drinking water. Hard water minerals cause scale deposits in pipes, reduce the efficiency of water using appliances, and leave stains on dishes and clothing. Hard water can also cause dryness and irritation problems with skin and hair. Softened water used throughout the home can lead to noticeable benefits far beyond pure, fresh-tasting water.

7. Water softeners take care of all water problems.

Water softeners are designed to remove hard minerals like calcium and magnesium. Contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, or chemicals typically require a water filtration system or a combination of filtration and softening is required.

8. All water softeners are basically the same.

A water softener is a water softener, right? Actually, there are a variety of water softener types to choose from, including salt-based, salt-free, dual-tank, and magnetic systems. Each has its own approach to dealing with hard water and each varies in terms of efficiency, maintenance, and suitability for specific water issues. It's essential to choose the right type for your specific needs.

9. Installing a water softener Is complicated and expensive.

While DIY installation may require some plumbing knowledge, many modern water softeners are designed for easy installation, with detailed instructions provided. If you are not comfortable with doing the installation, professional installation services are readily available.

The cost of installing a water softener can be surprisingly affordable. It is important to research the right size and model for your home.

10. Buying a water softener is too complicated.

Today, buying a water softener can be as simple as shopping at your favorite local retailer, as you would with most other home appliances. Do a little online research ahead of time, including things like looking up frequently asked questions and learning about water treatment options to make your buying process quick and easy.

For more information, please visit Wholesale Water Softeners.