The Ever-changing Landscape of Water Hardness
Contrary to popular belief, the hardness levels in your water are not set in stone. Indeed, these levels fluctuate frequently, often ranging from half to twice the hardness level preset in your salt softener. Let's take Brentwood, CA, as an example. The city's 2015 Annual Water Quality Report indicated a hardness variance from 14 to 27 grains per gallon.
Why Do Hardness Levels Change?
Cities often have to alternate their water sources due to seasonal variations in surface water flows, such as rivers and lakes. During the summer and fall, when the water levels in these sources are low, cities often resort to groundwater obtained from wells. Interestingly, groundwater typically presents higher hardness levels than surface water. Therefore, your water hardness levels inevitably change in tandem with these water supply shifts.
The Problem with Fluctuating Hardness Levels
The primary issue with changing hardness levels lies in the inability of automatic salt softeners to adapt. These devices are programmed for a specific hardness (measured in grains per gallon) and function based on system capacity and gallons. Given their "set and forget" nature, they simply abide by the preset program.
The lack of automatic adjustment for varying hardness levels often results in over or under-treatment of water hardness. When actual hardness levels fall below the preset level, your softener's program remains the same, leading to unnecessary salt, water, and money wastage. Conversely, when the actual hardness levels exceed the programmed level, your home could be exposed to untreated hard water. This predicament illustrates how your salt softener may struggle to keep pace with ever-changing hardness levels.
The Inefficiency of the "Safety Factor"
Some manufacturers incorporate a "safety factor" into their salt softener programs. This factor reserves a portion of the softener's capacity for unexpected variations in water hardness levels and usage. While a well-set safety factor can minimize the risk of untreated hard water, it also escalates the wastage of salt, water, and money, regardless of the hardness level. The most viable solution seems to be periodically measuring the hardness and adjusting the salt softener program. However, even with this approach, salt-based softeners rarely deliver flawless results—they either waste resources or allow hard water to pass through.
The Game-changing Cascadian PolyHalt® Saltless Water Softeners
Now, let's shift our attention to Cascadian PolyHalt® saltless water softeners. These advanced softener offer a unique method of water softening that outperforms traditional salt-based softeners. PolyHalt® establishes an ion bond with hardness minerals, softening the water by preventing these minerals from causing issues.
What sets PolyHalt® apart is its capacity to automatically adjust to changing hardness levels, eliminating the need for manual programming. This automatic adjustment means no waste and no untreated water to cause problems. The end result? You enjoy consistently soft water flowing through every tap in your home, regardless of the ever-changing water hardness levels and you don’t waste resources or harm our environment while enjoying your clean soft water.
Join Forces with Cascadian in the Battle against Poor Water Quality
For most city water applications Cascadian recommends the ICS-TP or ICS-STP treatment systems. Cascadian provides solutions to a range of water quality issues that you can learn about here. For more detailed insights into our cutting-edge ICS systems and the diverse water treatment solutions we offer, please visit this page. Embark on a journey towards cleaner water solutions with Cascadian today. Take the Filter Finder quiz to find you perfect water treatment solution.
