Hard
water is a problem in certain areas of the United Kingdom.
You may notice it when you look at your sinks, bath tub, or
even by the feel of your clothes. Hard water leaves deposits
behind, moments after you use the water source. Have you
ever cleaned the bathroom and noticed deposits are left behind
the next time you use the sink? It is a filmy substance
that can discolour your fixtures. The good news is you
have a few options when it comes to solving your hard water
problem. One option is the electronic water conditioner,
which we will be discussing here.
An electronic water conditioner in simple terms is powered by
electricity to remove calcium and magnesium ions from your pipes.
Both calcium and magnesium can lead to a problem called limescale
in which a build up of this property occurs over time.
As the build up occurs you receive less water pressure because
the water has more trouble moving through the pipes.
Imagine
for a moment a cylindrical tube in which you pour an adhesive
property like glue around the inside edges of the tube.
You are narrowing the diameter of this tube, so the next time
you place water or another liquid in the tube to move through
it you will not be able to get as much inside. This is
the same premise as the limescale problem.
Understanding what blocks the pipes and how will help you understand
how the electronic water conditioner will work. The electric
current renders calcium and magnesium ions binding property
ineffective. A quick chemistry lesson: each element like
calcium and magnesium has electrons which help them to bind
to other elements; in this case, calcium and magnesium like
to bind to the copper plumbing pipe. By giving it an electrical
charge it changes the electrons, where the calcium and magnesium
ions can no longer adhere to the pipe and simply flow through
the water.
An electric water conditioner has wire that wraps around the
outside of the copper piping. When it is turned on it
sends a current around the pipe, which begins to loosen the
calcium and magnesium from the inside of the pipe. Eventually
the limescale created will loosen all the way, leaving your
pipes clear. It will also keep any other magnesium or
calcium from binding again to the pipes.
It
can take a few weeks for the pipes to clear, but once they do
you will notice a change in your water. It is no longer
leaving behind mineral deposits. Hard water occurs when
an excess of minerals are found in the water like calcium and
magnesium. All water has these minerals; it will just
depend on the amount and how it affects your system. Electric
water conditioners are fairly inexpensive and effective.
They are not as effective as other solutions such as water descalers;
however, you will find they help the ions move through your
pipes easier so you can once again have clean water.
