01

MAGNETS ATTACHED TO YOUR PIPES:

Forget scientific sounding terms, common sense should tell you that this will not eliminate your hard water. If you don't believe it, buy some water treating magnets (costly) and a test kit or strips (inexpensive) and test your hard water before and after the magnets - "Voila!" We have replaced many of these units. If they did solve the hard water problem effectively and we could offer them with good conscious, we would carry them. We don't.

02

ELECTRIC WIRE GADGETS WARAPPED AROUND YOUR PIPES:

Some of these coil around the inlet pipe and have a box with an LED plug in. Some just clamp to the pipe. They suggest things like " it generates an optimal variable-modulated bibity bobity boo gama frequency which effectively controls a broader range of scale and hard water problems ". Wow! Where do I get one? ... Again, don't waste your time and money.

03

NO-SALT NATURAL SOFTENERS

These are expensive and do not remove damaging hard water minerals from your home. These companies tell you that the media in their systems form crystals that absorb calcium (only one of the hard water minerals) and deter scaling. Why slow down scaling, attack hard water. If you remove all the hard water minerals there will be no scale. Another hype these companies use is to suggest that they leave healthy minerals (hard water minerals) in the water for your benefit. Almost any nutritionist or doctor will agree that we derive very little daily required minerals from tap water. A recent customer bought one of these filters on line and paid a plumber to install it in his home - Frankfort, IL (average hardness of 35-40 gpg's). He called us to fix his water. The test results showed that the water was hard, even with the miracle no-salt filter. His pipes, fixtures, all water using appliances, dishware, laundry, tiles etc. were going to pot. He was mislead by the hard water scale hype and could not get his money back. He now has our ion exchange softener for a fraction of the cost, with real soft water and is delighted. Many ask about no-salt "softeners". We have not found one that gets rid of the hard water in the home. Usually people are tempted to purchase these units to avoid the cost of adding salt or non-salt products to a real softener (this can cost $50 to $150 per year) or save on electric (most people don't realize that most softeners only use about $10.00 of electric per year). People are willing to spend thousands of dollars thinking they will save money. How ridiculous - and they won't have soft water in the end. Some people don't like the slippery feeling of soft water. You could put a valve in the pipe and mix hard water with the soft water. It would feel less slippery just like these other filters but it too would prove ineffective at protecting your home.

FAQ: How do companies get around offering no-salt systems that don't produce? Well there are many ways to remove hard water minerals, slightly. If you can reduce hard water minerals or calcification even slightly, then by accepted definition you have lowered the hard count and softened or conditioned the water as promised, even though you didn't get rid of enough hard water minerals to keep your home from being damaged. Many chain stores offer softeners cheaper by building them smaller. The important question is how much water can you render completely soft and for how long. For instance! I could build a softener the size of a small thermos bottle that would use only a teaspoon of salt and it would remove 50 gpg's of hardness. I could build an iron filter even smaller that could remove over 20 ppm's of iron. I'm sure you'd love to buy one. Oh! Did I forget to mention that I'm softening only a few gallons of water or that I could only do this for a few minutes before I needed to regenerate or backwash them? You get the point. You need a proper sized, ion exchange softener that completely conditions hard water for an entire household 24/ 7 from a company that backs it.

04

ION EXCHANGE SOFTENERS (Now these are the "Real Deal"!)

These really work! Let's face it. It is not as easy to sell a real water softener through the mail where the customer has to do a little plumbing to install it. It is quicker profit and less involved to sell do-it- yourself, miracle machines on line, where you get it in the mail, tighten a screw or plug it in and forget it. Easy for the seller - low overhead and no responsibility. When the customer discovers that it doesn't work they may go through the arduous process of returning it in tme, but statistically most won't. Many web companies count on that. They try to discourage ion exchange softeners claiming that they leave too much sodium in the water after getting rid of the hard water minerals. Fact: If you use salt as your fuel, an ion exchange softener can leave a slight trace of sodium that you don't see or taste in the water - what they fail to mention is that softeners now use inexpensive, salt free (no salt) products as well. More important, a true ion exchange softener keeps all of the hard water out of your entire house around the clock - their's can't.

Another way to have the purest of drinking water is to add a Reverse Osmosis system. (R.O. Is better than bottled water quality) RO's can remove the finest of impurities and minerals including any sodium or salt.

Tip: One of those wire wrapping, magnet, crystal gizmo companies on the web, stated that; " Ion exchange softeners don't remove hardness! ". That is untrue but you can bet that wires, crystals and magnets don't.
The benefit of ion exchange softeners is that they achieve the most thorough and superior removal of damaging hard water minerals, on a constant demand basis - hands down. In other words, we have noted that they actually deliver better than any other water system available. Any expert will agree.

Remember! Hard water is harsh and scaly from the minerals that it picks up from under the ground. It leaves a film or scum on your skin when it mixes with soap and body oils. If you remove these damaging minerals the water is soft and your skin is soft and clean. It feels slippery when you bathe because the molecules of soap have no minerals to cling to but when you dry yourself there is no film left on your skin. Dermatologists attest to this. Hair dressers prefer soft water. Rain water is perfectly soft because it contains no ground minerals. It would feel silky if you bathed in it. Most large hotels soften their water even if they don't have to (low hard count) just to have that indulgent feeling for their guests. It is considered a luxury. The trick with soft water is to use a lot less soap in every application. Maybe a third of what you're use to. Especially with shampoos and detergents. You'll love it.

05

HOW A WATER SOFTENER WORKS

Ion exchange units are known primarily as water softeners. But they can also remove nitrates, sulfates and various toxic metals from water.

The most common and dependable water softening method called "ion exchange," is a reversible chemical process of exchanging hard water ions for soft water ions.

Calcium, Lime and magnesium are the hardness ions and are exchanged with the soft water ions to create soft water. Ion exchange takes place in a "resin bed" made up of tiny bead-like resins. The beads, having a negative charge, attract and hold positively charged ions but will exchange them whenever the beads encounter another positively charged ion, such as calcium or magnesium minerals. This ion exchange happens very easily since the soft water ions have a positive charge of only one, while magnesium and calcium have a more powerful positive charge of two. The end result is beautiful, silky soft water.

06

WHY SOFTEN YOUR HARD WATER:

Most families can't afford to waste money. A quarter wasted here or a dollar wasted there can add up to hundreds of wasted dollars during the course of a year. Most of us don't realize how much money is wasted with hard water. Hard water often is not an obvious problem to people who have had no opportunity to compare it with soft water. It is usually difficult to see or taste any difference between hard and soft water. The minerals that make water hard (calcium and magnesium) are usually tasteless and completely dissolved.

The differences between hard and soft water become obvious in bathing and cleaning chores. Hard water leaves a residue that combines with soap to produce a "soap curd" that must itself be cleaned off. Hard water also leaves soap curd on laundry.

Hardness minerals affect laundry gradually. People accustomed to washing in hard water may not notice the quicker fading of colors and yellowing of whites; shortened fabric life; increased wear on the washing machine; and extra detergent, hot water, and rinse and wash cycles it takes to get laundry clean. Yet the waste is there, working away at the family budget. Fortunately, hard water can be softened, and soft water virtually eliminates these problems and their financial impacts. Hard water is generally not harmful to your health although it can cause skin rash. It is usually caused by the presence of calcium and magnesium sulfates and/or chlorides in the water, which become more soluble as the temperature rises. Despite the name, permanent hardness can be removed using a water softener or conditioner or ion exchange column, where the calcium and magnesium ions are exchanged with the ions in the column.

Hard water leaves mineral deposits that are formed after the hard water had evaporated. These deposits clog and ruin pipes, water heaters, dishwashers, laundry washers, dishware, glassware, pans, plumbing fixtures and decrease the life of toilet flushing units and even coat tiles and can cause skin rash. Similarly, hard water residues that remain in hair after shampooing with hard water tend to leave hair rougher and harder to untangle and can cause itching and rash on the skin. In industrial settings, water hardness must be constantly monitored to avoid costly breakdowns in boilers and cooling towers and other equipment that comes in contact with water. Hardness is best controlled by softening with zeolite and ion exchange resins. The right softener can last a lifetime. Do it right.

Hard water interferes with almost every cleaning task from laundering and dishwashing to bathing and personal grooming. Clothes laundered in hard water may look dingy and feel harsh and scratchy. Dishes and glasses may be spotted when dry. Hard water may cause a film on glass shower doors, shower walls, bathtubs, sinks, faucets, etc. Hair washed in hard water may feel sticky and look dull. Water flow may be reduced by deposits in pipes.

Dealing with hard water problems in the home can be a nuisance. The amount of hardness minerals in water affects the amount of soap and detergent necessary for cleaning. Soap used in hard water combines with the minerals to form a sticky soap curd. Some synthetic detergents are less effective in hard water because the active ingredient is partially inactivated by hardness, even though it stays dissolved. Bathing with soap in hard water leaves a film of sticky soap curd on the skin. The film may prevent removal of soil and bacteria. Soap curd interferes with the return of skin to its normal, slightly acid condition, and may lead to irritation. Soap curd on hair may make it dull, lifeless and difficult to manage.

When doing laundry in hard water, soap curds lodge in fabric during washing to make fabric stiff and rough. Incomplete soil removal from laundry causes graying of white fabric and the loss of brightness in colors. A sour odor can develop in clothes. Continuous laundering in hard water can shorten the life of clothes. In addition, soap curds can deposit on dishes, bathtubs and showers, and all water fixtures.

Hard water also contributes to inefficient and costly operation of water-using appliances. Heated hard water forms a scale of calcium and magnesium minerals that can contribute to the inefficient operation or failure of water-using appliances. Pipes can become clogged with scale that reduces water flow and ultimately requires pipe replacement. Remember -Hard water is harsh and scaly from the minerals that it picks up from under the ground. It leaves a film or scum on your skin when it mixes with soap and body oils. If you remove these damaging minerals the water is soft. It feels slippery when you bathe because the molecules of soap have no minerals to cling to but when you dry yourself there is no film left on your skin. Dermatologists attest to this. Hair dressers prefer soft water. Rain water is perfectly soft because it contains no ground minerals. It would feel silky if you bathed in it. Most large hotels soften their water even if they don't have to (low hard count) just to have that indulgent feeling for their guests. It is considered a luxury. The trick with soft water is to use a lot less soap in every application. Maybe a third of what you're use to. Especially with shampoos and detergents. You'll love it.