Water Softening Filters Will Help You Save
Centrally supplied water in Lithuania contains dissolved calcium and magnesium salts. Because of this, the water reaching your home is hard. Such water poses no risk to human health, but it takes a toll on household appliances, plumbing fixtures, and your wallet. When water containing calcium and magnesium is heated, the solid particles crystallize, forming insoluble limescale deposits in pipes, on heating elements, or simply on surface walls.
If you have an electric water heater at home, you probably know that this appliance uses a fairly large amount of electricity. If the water in your home is hard, your electricity bill rises even further. Even the highest-quality water heater performs poorly when operating under unfavorable conditions. The main obstacle preventing you from cutting electricity consumption is hard water. Over time, up to 15 kg of limescale can build up inside water heaters – these are hard mineral deposits that can completely ruin the heating element and clog pipes, which then have to be replaced. As deposits accumulate, they make water heaters work harder, which can increase their electricity consumption by as much as 48 percent.
Hard water damages not only electric water heaters but also other kitchen and bathroom equipment: dishwashers, washing machines, showerheads, faucets, and electric kettles. The damage shows up not only as a higher electricity bill, but also as more frequently replaced parts ruined by scale buildup and a shorter lifespan for your appliances.
How can you tell if the water you use is hard? You've probably stayed in a hotel at least once in your life. Do you remember that feeling of luxury that washes over you when showering in a hotel bathroom? It leaves your hair full and shiny, and your skin looking healthier. These sensations aren't down to expensive soap and shampoo or especially soft towels. It's because good hotels always use soft water. This isn't just to give guests a sense of luxury — it also saves on plumbing equipment maintenance costs. A more obvious sign of hard water is limescale buildup on pipes, faucets, and other plumbing fixtures, as well as white deposits on the walls of pots, dishes, faucets, and electric kettles.
The benefits of soft water are felt very quickly in the kitchen and bathroom. Whatever dish soap you use in the kitchen, soft water helps you wash dirty dishes up to 12 times more effectively. Your washing machine will remove stains from laundry far better if you use soft water. Softening your water is a more effective way to remove stains than using more detergent or washing at a higher temperature. Washing in soft water can even cut your detergent costs in half.
Anyone can have soft water at home. A water softening filter is a unit that's quick and easy to install, letting you enjoy all the benefits of soft water. In its main working component, the filter medium, calcium and magnesium ions are removed from the water and replaced with harmless sodium ions – producing soft water.
Soft water not only tastes better, it also helps you save money, because:
- Your pipes and household appliances won't be coated in hard limescale deposits, so they'll run more efficiently, perform better, and last longer.
- Boilers won't develop limescale, which would otherwise strain the heating elements, clog narrow openings, and increase energy consumption.
- You'll use half as much laundry and dish detergent, since soft water removes stains and dirt more effectively. You'll also use less soap and shampoo, since they lather more generously in soft water.
- Clothes washed in soft water will keep their good looks far longer, since calcium and magnesium ions — which damage fabric and make it more prone to wear — won't build up on them.
- Your skin and hair will also feel the positive effects of soft water. Hard water gradually breaks down your skin's natural protective barrier, so you need creams and conditioners to restore it. With soft water, your hair will be full and shiny and your skin soft — even without these extra products.