5 Benefits of Filtering Hard Water

Posted April 21, 2022 by Rayne Water

Water hardness refers to the amount of magnesium and calcium solids in your water supply.¹ No matter where you live or work, where you get your water, or how satisfied you are with your overall water quality, home and business owners can all agree—hard water is a nuisance.

Luckily, there’s a solution to one of the peskiest problems in nationwide water supplies. While hard water cannot be filtered, it can be softened to significantly improve your water quality, protect your plumbing system, reduce your time spent cleaning, and more.

This article will break down everything you need to know about water softening (which is sometimes termed as filtering hard water). We’ll explore five benefits you can reap when you choose a water softening system and introduce you to a few potential solutions to your hard water woes.

#1 Meet Your Wellness Goals

If you’re new to the science of water softening, you might be worried that hard water could be a sign of a vulnerability in your plumbing system or an issue with your municipal water infrastructure, but hard water is normal and naturally occurring.

When groundwater—the source of most municipal and all well water—moves through rock underground, it dissolves loose solids that fall away from the rock as it erodes. While numerous compounds can dissolve into groundwater, hard water refers to the concentration of calcium and magnesium only.

Calcium and magnesium are essential nutrients that your body needs to survive:

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, making up most of your bones and teeth and helping keep your body’s tissues rigid and strong.²
Magnesium is crucial for a variety of body processes, including:³
- Protein synthesis
- Nerve and muscle function
- Blood sugar control
- Blood pressure regulation
- Energy production

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends daily intake values for both minerals—between 200 and 1,300 mg of calcium and between 30 and 420 mg of calcium, depending on your age, sex, and pregnancy status—but ingesting too much of either may lead to unwanted health effects.

Consuming too much magnesium doesn’t pose a fatal health risk—since the kidneys eliminate any excess via urine—but it can potentially cause nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.

However, overconsumption of calcium is more serious, potentially leading to:

Poor muscle tone
Weight loss
Digestive trouble
Stomach issues
Circulatory problems
Low energy levels

If you see visible signs of hard water in your home or business water supply, you should make efforts to resolve the problem to prevent overconsumption of both magnesium and calcium, since too much of either can make you sick.

How Hard is Your Water?

There are four classifications for water hardness, measured in grains per gallon or GPG ) of total dissolved solids (TDS):

Soft water contains less than 1 GPG
Moderately hard water contains between 1-3.5 GPG
Hard water contains between 7-10 GPG
Very hard water contains more than 10 GPG

To determine your water hardness and whether you’re in need of water treatment, you can learn how to test water quality at home or consult with your municipal water supplier. Keep these numbers in mind when assessing the potential health risk of your hard water.

#2 Prolong the Life of Your Plumbing System and Fixtures

Calcium and magnesium are dissolved solids. Like dust in your air vents, hard water solids in your drinking water can collect in your pipes, which can potentially lead to:

Clogs
Reduced water pressure
Excess weight and pressure, which can cause leaks and bursts

In addition, hard water solids can build up on the insides and outsides of your plumbing fixtures—for example, your kitchen faucet, shower head, and hose spigot.

Plumbing is a significant utility in your home, and it can be expensive to replace. Homeowners spent an average of $2,280 to $5,120 installing new plumbing systems in 2021.⁴ In addition, it can be difficult to diagnose internal plumbing system issues before it’s too late. You may not notice a gradual reduction in your water pressure until you have houseguests or a pipe cracks in your warehouse.

Resolving hard water issues before they become catastrophic can extend the life of the plumbing system and fixtures in your home or office, saving you money and protecting your hard-earned investment.

#3 Reduce Hard Water Stains—And Your Time Spent Cleaning

Calcium and magnesium solids are left behind when water evaporates. If you drip hard water onto the counter while cooking or washing dishes, you’ll likely find small rings of white, chalky residue when you return to the kitchen a few hours later.

Of all hard water ramifications, stains can be the most irritating. Even if you use chemical solutions instead of water for surface cleaning, spaces like the sink, kitchen countertops, and bathtub will inevitably keep gathering hard water buildup every time you use these high-traffic areas.

Hard water stains may also collect on dishes, giving your glasses, plates, and silverware an unpleasant, crusty coating and decreasing their shine.

Instead of succumbing to the endless cycle of hard water stain removal, opt for a permanent solution—softening your water. When you eliminate hard water from your home or business, you can save time scrubbing up calcium and magnesium residue and adopt a more relaxed cleaning schedule.

#4 Improve Qualitative Water Issues

In addition to its health, infrastructure, and visual impacts, hard water may also cause qualitative issues with your drinking and bathing water.

High levels of calcium and magnesium can impact your drinking water’s color, taste, and odor, which can also impact your cooking, laundry, and hygiene efforts. Why?

Hard water neutralizes soap.⁵

In fact, noticeably unpleasant effects while handwashing, bathing, or cleaning may be your first indication that you have a hard water problem. Be on the lookout for the following signs:

Low volume of soap suds while washing the dishes or your hands
This is the opposite. Hard water will create a rough dry feeling
Residue on your laundry after the wash cycle is complete

Using a water softening solution can improve the color, of your water, thus enhancing your overall drinking water quality. Resolving hard water issues may also improve the cleanliness of your laundry, dishes, and body. Plus, with calcium and magnesium out of the picture, you’ll find yourself using less soap to work up suds.

#5 Enjoy Secondary Softening Benefits

Depending on the water softening system you use, you could achieve other potential water softening benefits while removing magnesium and calcium from your home or business water supply.

For instance, if you employ a water purification system that uses a physical media to filter out solids, this system will also usually remove other particles, like:⁶

Organic solids (e.g., dirt and algae)
Synthetic organic chemicals
Microplastics
Radionuclides

Chemical water purification systems utilize chemical reactions to remove contaminants, and some systems may neutralize calcium and magnesium. They can also tackle some or all of the following:

Radium
Cyanide
Sulfate
Nitrate
Uranium

Even if you don’t know which contaminants could be plaguing your home or business water supply, opting to solve your hard water issues usually offers an attractive secondary improvement: reducing the overall total dissolved solids (TDS) in your drinking (and bathing) water. A lack of these components in softened and filtered water may also help keep your skin and hair soft.

What Technology is Available for Water Softening?

Softening hard water is potentially beneficial for your health, plumbing equipment, cleaning efforts, and overall water quality experience. So, what technologies are available for water softening, and what other benefits do these systems boast?

Some of the available technologies on the market include:

Reverse osmosis systems – Reverse osmosis systems push water through a semipermeable membrane for purification. A physical filtration method, reverse osmosis doesn’t rely upon chemical reactions or add any compounds to your water supply. It simply catches particles of a certain size, preventing them from flowing through the water filter. If you’re wondering, “is RO water good for you?”, you can learn more about this water filtration system to determine that for your water supply.
Ion exchange water filters – Ion exchange filters use resin beads to neutralize contaminant ions in the water supply (including calcium and magnesium ions). The resin beads are recyclable, and these systems don’t require any filter replacements.
Salt-free systems – While an ion exchange water filter provides a chemical reaction-based filtration solution, it usually includes a saltwater tank to wash and regenerate the resin beads used to capture contaminant ions. However, some municipalities don’t allow saltwater use in water filtration. Salt-free systems were created to neutralize hard water and other contaminant chemicals without the resin-washing component.

Rayne Water: Providing Clean, Delicious Water Since 1928

Softening hard water is a worthy pursuit. You may lessen the risk of magnesium and calcium overconsumption, reduce the damage of hard water minerals, and generally improve your home or business water experience with a water softener.

Finding the right water filtration system or water softener for you shouldn’t be a problem. At Rayne Water, we’ve been helping families and business owners choose ideal water purification solutions for nearly 100 years. From reverse osmosis systems to ion exchange filtration to salt-free systems and everything in between, we don’t just provide excellent service—we make every effort to bring the purest, tastiest water possible to your home or business.

With our team of industry professionals and a long-time reputation for quality, you can trust Rayne Water Conditioning to resolve any water quality issue that comes your way.

Sources:

US Department of the Interior. Hardness of Water. https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/hardness-water
National Institutes of Health. Calcium. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional/
National Institutes of Health. Magnesium. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
Home Guide. How Much Does It Cost to Install or Replace Plumbing? https://homeguide.com/costs/install-new-house-plumbing-pipes-cost
US Department of the Interior. Why Does It Take So Long to Rinse the Soap Off My Hands? https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/why-does-it-take-so-long-rinse-soap-my-hands-what-are-hard-water-and-soft-water
US Environmental Protection Agency. Overview of Drinking Water Treatment Technologies. https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/overview-drinking-water-treatment-technologies#RO

What Are Phoenix Water Hardness Levels?

Posted December 21, 2021 by Rayne Water

If you’ve noticed white stains on your glasses and silverware or a slimy feeling while washing your hands, there’s a good chance your water has excessive hardness levels, especially if you don’t have a water softener. While water hardness poses no threat to human health, its aesthetic impact and effect on the taste of your drinking water can be a source of annoyance in your daily life

If you live in Phoenix, you might already be intimately familiar with the issue of water hardness. According to the city’s Water Services Department, sampled hardness levels for 2020 ranged from 9.9-16.1 grains per gallon, meaning that Phoenix residents are faced with some of the hardest water in the country.¹

In this blog, we provide important insight on Phoenix water hardness and drinking water quality in Phoenix as well as information on how to purify the tap water you depend on every day.

What Is Water Hardness?

According to the United States Geological Survey, water hardness refers to the measurement of dissolved minerals, mostly calcium and magnesium, present in a source of water. The following guidelines provide classifications for water hardness:

0-60 mg/L – soft
61-120 mg/L – moderately hard
121-180 mg/L – hard
>180 mg/L – very hard

While hard water might not sound very appealing to the consumer, it actually contains some nutritional benefits. According to the World Health Organization, the added calcium and magnesium in hard water can actually be a healthy supplement for those whose diet is otherwise deficient in these necessary minerals.²

Water hardness most commonly affects groundwater due to the movement of water through mineral-rich soil and rock, but it also affects surface water sources such as lakes, streams, rivers, and ponds.

Although it is harmless to human health, hard water can damage water supply lines and kitchen equipment such as dishwashers and coffee makers due to the buildup known as scale. Additionally, hard water can shorten the lifespan of clothing and other washable items.

Last but not least, water hardness is often associated with an undesirable taste in people’s drinking water. For all of these reasons, many industrial and domestic water users choose to invest in filtration systems that purify their water of dissolved minerals while keeping it free of contaminants.

Water Hardness in Phoenix

For residents of Phoenix, Arizona, water hardness is a common cause of frustration. Using the city’s own numbers for the year 2020, hardness levels in sampled drinking water ranged between 9.9 and 16.1 grains per gallon. Converting that to the guidelines provided by the USGS, puts Phoenix’s water hardness levels between 169.5 and 275.6 mg/L.

In other words, Phoenix’s water ranges from hard at best to well over the standard for very hard at worst.

To mitigate water hardness, Phoenix’s water supply undergoes a water treatment process that removes large sediments and debris from the water using screens. Smaller sediments are then collected using a chemical coagulent that aggregates tiny particles so that they fall to the bottom of the basin.³

However, Phoenix provides some seriously hard water to its residents, despite its treatment processes and meeting EPA standards for levels of federally-regulated contaminants in its drinking water.

While only 2% of the city’s water is sourced from groundwater—where water hardness typically derives—it’s clear that the city’s surface water sources, which comprise 97-99% of Phoenix’s water supply, is particularly mineral-rich.

Somewhere along the journey from snowmelt to kitchen tap, these waters pick up enough magnesium and calcium to generate some of the highest water hardness levels in the country.

Now that we know Phoenix has some particularly hard water, what can be said for the safety of the city’s drinking water supply?

Can You Drink Tap Water in Phoenix?

You may be wondering, “Is Phoenix tap water safe to drink?” The short answer is yes. The city of Phoenix must comply with EPA regulations when it comes to monitoring federally-regulated contaminants within the drinking water supply, which are anything other than water molecules.⁴

Most contaminants in drinking water come from animal waste, agricultural and industrial runoff, and sometimes even household plumbing systems—particularly if they’re older or corroded. However, other contaminants occur naturally.

While the tap water in Phoenix is safe to drink, it still may contain some harmful contaminants. More specifically, Phoenix’s Water Services Department conducted a 2020 water quality report that found quantities of certain potentially harmful contaminants:⁵

Manganese
Germanium
HAA6Br
HAA9
Total Organic Carbon
Bromide

In addition to such potential risks as gas stations, landfills, dry cleaners, agricultural runoff, wastewater treatment, and mining, Phoenix’s drinking water is also threatened by climate change—particularly in relation to the region’s 22-year drought, which is draining significant resources from the Colorado River.

Overall, Phoenix provides dependable clean drinking water to a population of 1.6 million and counting. In terms of hardness, however, the city’s water can certainly be improved to ensure its residents peace of mind and fresh-tasting water when they turn on the tap.

How to Treat Phoenix Tap Water

To provide extra protection from potential contaminants and to reduce the hardness of their drinking water, many Phoenix residents invest in water filtration systems for their homes and businesses.

These systems, including water softeners, salt-free systems, and reverse osmosis systems, can filter out harmful contaminants and reduce water hardness to ensure your water remains healthy and tastes good to drink, all while reducing your dependence on environmentally-hazardous plastic water bottles.

To decrease the hardness of your water supply, you might want to invest in a water softener. These systems remove mineral ions from your water through a process known as ion exchange.

While a salt-based water softener uses chemicals to trap hard minerals in the system’s resin bed, a salt-free water softener is a chemical-free system that conditions water to prevent it from sticking to surfaces, thereby reducing stains and scaling.

Beyond improving the taste of your drinking water, water softening systems provide the following benefits to home and business owners:

Better plumbing – By removing hard minerals from your water, you prevent buildup in pipes and plumbing equipment that can lead to clogs, reduced flow rate, and even serious damage over time.
Reduced soap and detergent use – Softening your water can help you save money by reducing the amount of soap you need for washing dishes and clothes. Additionally, it can get rid of that dreaded slimy feeling you get while washing your hands in hard water.
Cleaner dishes – No one likes stains on clean dishes and cutlery. By softening your home’s water, you can eliminate those pesky chalk marks left behind by dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium.
Cleaner kitchen and bathroom appliances – The same goes for your sinks, tub, shower, and faucets. Hard water can make even the cleanest home look messy. If you use a water softening system, however, you can reduce these stains without having to spend endless hours scrubbing them clean.

Since water hardness is typically thought of as an aesthetic issue as opposed to a matter of personal health, it’s easy to dismiss water softeners as an extraneous addition to the many appliances and systems you rely on to keep your home or business functioning the way they should.

The truth is, however, that investing in a water filtration system can go a long way in preventing expenses down the road for costly repairs and even replacements to your plumbing system. Not only that, but water softeners and other filtration systems can provide peace of mind through their added protection to the water you depend on.

With so much uncertainty swirling around the effects of climate change and the environmental impact of potential contaminants, it’s important to weigh all of your options when it comes to purifying your water.

Better Water Quality with Rayne Water Conditioning

While the hardness levels of water in Phoenix are high, the city regularly monitors drinking water to ensure that it meets EPA standards and is safe for its 1.6 million residents. However, to mitigate mineral build-up in your morning coffee and evening tea, it’s beneficial to invest in a water softener system to remove any unwanted mineral ions.

At Rayne Water, we bring nearly a century of experience to the table to ensure the safety of your home’s drinking water. Contact us today to learn more about our water filtration systems and see if one of our water softeners could help you reduce water hardness levels to provide the purity you need.

Just because Phoenix offers some of the hardest water in the country doesn’t mean you can’t take steps to protect the taste of your tap and the integrity of your plumbing appliances. Find a Phoenix water softener or any water solution with Rayne Water today.

Sources:

City of Phoenix. 2020 Water Report. https://www.phoenix.gov/waterservicessite/documents/wsdprimarywqr.pdf
World Health Organization. Hardness in Drinking-water. https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/hardness.pdf
City of Phoenix. Understanding Phoenix’s Water Quality. https://www.phoenix.gov/waterservices/waterquality
United States Environmental Protection Agency. Types of Drinking Water Contaminants. https://www.epa.gov/ccl/types-drinking-water-contaminants
Buzzfeed News. People In Arizona Are About To Face The West’s First Major Water Crisis. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/caitochs/colorado-river-shortage-arizona-drought

What is the Irvine Water Hardness Level?

Posted November 15, 2021 by Rayne Water

Have you been noticing that it’s hard to clean things lately? Maybe your hands feel filmy no matter how hard you scrub them, you’ve been using more detergent in your laundry than you used to, or you’re going through shampoo quicker than you ever had before.

These signs are evidence that you have a hard water problem in your house. Though they may be more subtle than the more obvious giveaway of seeing spots on your silverware or glasses when you empty the dishwasher, they’re no less telling.

But if you live in Irvine, how do you know if your water is hard or soft? Is Irvine tap water safe to drink? In this article, we’ll discuss everything you might be wondering about Irvine water hardness. From its safety to the severity of the problem, we’ve got you covered.

What Is Water Hardness?

When you call water “hard” or “soft,” it has nothing to do with the actual texture of the water. Hard water is just water with a high concentration of minerals and chemicals dissolved in it. The two most commonly found in hard water are calcium and magnesium.

The extra amounts of these in your tap water can cause more severe issues than your laundry needing extra detergent. These issues include:¹

Buildup – This can be a real killer for appliances you run lots of water through, such as a coffee pot. Additionally, you’ll have to spend extra time cleaning them and dissolving the minerals to take care of this issue or risk shortening the life span of your appliances.
Calcium carbonate deposits – These form anywhere you heat hard water. Calcium carbonate deposits can be very problematic for your home water heater and your pipes, which can become clogged if deposits get too large. You might also notice your heater becoming less effective and running a bigger bill as deposits grow.

The potential consequences of ignoring water are no joke and could cost you in terms of repairs or new appliances if you don’t deal with the issue.

Is the Water in Irvine Hard or Soft?

Now that you know what hard water is, you’re probably wondering if Irvine has a hard water problem. The short answer is yes. Hard water is classified on a sliding scale. This scale measures the concentration of dissolved minerals and chemicals in the water in terms of milligrams per liter. If water has dissolved minerals in the amount of:²

0-60 PPM, it’s soft water
61 to 120 PPM, it’s moderately hard water
121-180 PPM, it’s hard water
181 PPM or greater, it’s very hard water

According to the 2021 water quality report, Irvine’s water qualifies as hard. Its average local treated groundwater has a PPM of 119, its average local treated surface water has a PPM of 308, and its average imported treated water from the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) has a PPM of 265.³

This hardness is due to the water source, as Irvine imports its water supply from the Colorado River and Northern California. Since both places tend to have naturally hard water, the water Irvine residents get is also hard, although the level of hardness changes depending on the time of year or your specific location.³

Is Hard Water Safe to Drink?

Since hard water can make it more difficult for cleaning products to do their job and causes harmful buildup and deposits, does that make it inherently unsafe to drink? The answer to that is no.

Hard water is still safe drinking water, though doing so comes with its list of pros and cons.

The positives include a boost in your mineral intake. If you have type two diabetes, you’re probably naturally low in magnesium. As a result, drinking some hard water could improve your levels and provide some benefits. Those low in calcium would also experience a similar effect.

However, there are also drawbacks to drinking hard water. It can have an off taste when the calcium in it gets above a certain level. This means it can also give any drinks you make with it or food you cook in it an odd flavor as well. Hard water can also seem cloudy, which can make it very visually off-putting to consume.

Tackle Your Hard Water Issues With Rayne Water

Why wait for your appliances or pipes to become casualties of hard water? Save time and money by using one of our Water Softener Systems to eliminate hard water in your home.

We have a variety of top-notch Water Softening Systems to address whatever hard water problems you have. Whether you have a large home that needs more capacity, or a smaller place where space is a premium, Rayne Water has got you covered.

So don’t wait for your pipes to get clogged or for the dishwasher to start staining your plates. Instead, try one of our Water Softening Systems today, and get six months for free.

Sources:

USGS. Hardness of Water. https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/hardness-water?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects
IRWD. 2021 Water Quality Report. https://www.irwd.com/images/pdf/services/irwd_2021_wqr_fini.pdf
IRWD. Water Quality Information. https://www.irwd.com/services/water-quality-report

What are Hard Water Stains?

Posted June 20, 2021 by Rayne Water

*Reviewed by Ken Christopher, Senior Vice President at Rayne Dealership Corporation

No matter how many times you scrub your shower, you notice rings around the drain. Your faucets are caked in white splotches that come back again and again. What gives?

Stains don’t only come from dirt. They can come from water, too—specifically hard water. Hard water contains insoluble mineral deposits such as magnesium and calcium that can leave behind a stain on surfaces. The two main kinds of hard water stains are:

Soap scum
Limescale

Before you ask “is hard water bad for you,” let’s find out what hard water stains are and what they look like. This article will discuss both kinds of hard water stains as well as methods for eliminating and preventing them.

What Is Hard Water?

Generally, magnesium and calcium account for the minerals in hard water. These deposits are imparted from rocks and soils to rain and groundwater that eventually enter your municipal water supply.

Hard water is called “hard” because it’s difficult to form lather with.¹ But not all hard water is the same; hardness varies by the grains per gallon (GPG) of minerals it contains:

Here is how hardness in water is typically measured:

Soft – Containing less than 1 GPG of dissolved minerals
Moderately hard – Containing 1 – 7 GPG of dissolved minerals
Hard – Containing 7 – 10 GPG of dissolved minerals
Very hard – Containing more than 10 GPG of dissolved minerals

What Do Hard Water Stains Look Like?

Unsightly chalky residue. Disgusting off-white solids. Film. Crust.

These are some of the ways you’re likely to hear people describe hard water stains.

We’ve already noted there are two kinds of stains. These differ slightly in appearance.

Soap scum – Hard water doesn’t mix well with soap. That’s because of an interaction between the minerals of the water and fatty acids of the soap. It’s a common nuisance you’re likely to find in showers and sinks or on bathroom tiles. It’s typically a filmy, off-white substance, though it can also be grey. More than cosmetically undesirable, soap scum is also an invitation for mold and mildew, which appear in other unsightly colors²
Limescale – Also known as calcium carbonate, limescale comes from the heat-related breakdown of bicarbonate ions. That’s why you’re likely to find it wherever hard water and heat mix. If not addressed in time, limescale can build up, resulting in clogged and damaged pipes.³ Limescale appears as a white, powdery residue, especially on metal faucets.

It’s important to know what hard water stains look like. Once you know what you’re dealing with, it’s that much easier to take appropriate action.

How to Get Rid of Hard Water Stains

When hard water evaporates, a mineral residue is left behind, causing a stain. While these stains can require a considerable amount of elbow grease, they’re not permanent. In fact, there are several methods for removing them.

Next, we’ll look at a few homemade cleaning solutions that can remove these stains throughout the house.

Target Most Stains with White Vinegar and Water Spray

You don’t need a special cleaning product to start tackling your unwanted mineral deposits. White vinegar is easy to find and inexpensive—chances are you already have some on hand. Likewise, this spray is gentle on surfaces, so you don’t have to worry about making the problem worse.

While you can use it straight from the bottle, a spray bottle will make the application easier.

To assemble your cleaning spray:

Pour vinegar into a spray bottle.
Dilute the vinegar by half with distilled water.
Spray the hard water stain with the mixture.
Give the vinegar at least fifteen minutes to sit and break down the minerals.
Take a small brush or scrub pad and gently brush the stain.

Not getting the results you want? Repeat the above process, slightly increasing the ratio of vinegar to water.

You can use this spray on just about anything, from kitchen surfaces to your glass shower door. It’s a useful thing to have around the house for cleaning.

Tackle Hard-to-Reach places with White Vinegar and Paper Towels

What about those tricky, hard-to-reach surfaces, like the nooks and crannies of your bathroom, shower head, and sink knobs?

Once again, vinegar is your best friend, although you’ll need to use a slightly different application method.

Dilute vinegar with distilled water.
Soak paper towels in vinegar, allowing them to absorb fully.
Ring out paper towels to keep them from dripping too much.
Set, tie, or snake paper towels on or through the awkward area.
Leave paper towels for at least fifteen minutes to saturate the stained area.

Use Baking Soda to Tackle Tough Stains

While vinegar is ideal for visible, high-traffic surfaces, you don’t need to be as precious with your toilet bowl and sink. Baking soda paste can up the ante for hard water spot-cleaning bathtubs, tiling, and sinks.

Assemble your paste as follows:

In a small container, add ⅓ cup of baking soda.
Sprinkle water slowly over the baking soda, stirring until a paste is formed.
Ensure the paste is sturdy enough to stick to vertical spaces without sliding.
Apply the paste and allow it to sit for at least fifteen minutes.
Thoroughly rinse.

With any luck, your surfaces will be restored to their original hue.

How to Prevent Hard Water Stains in the First Place

These methods are tried and true, but they’re not ideal—not everyone wants to spend their free time making sprays and pastes. And hard water stains are usually not one-time visitors. If yours persist, you may find you’re permanently adding extra vinegar and baking soda to your grocery list!

So what’s the alternative?

Prevention is the best way to ensure you aren’t losing too much time to hard water stains.

Water softeners and conditioners are ideal in that they prevent hard water stains at the source by removing hard water deposits. That way, calcium, magnesium, and other minerals never have a chance to wreak havoc on your sink and shower in the first place.

Stop Scrubbing, Start Softening With Rayne Water

While it’s possible to remove the stains caused by hard water, the only long-term remedy is removing the mineral culprits from your water supply.

There are several ways to remove mineral and other hard water deposits from water. If water hardness is your only concern, a salt-free water conditioner can be ideal. Want to filter out viruses, bacteria, lead, and other particles, too? Reverse osmosis does it all.

Rayne Water offers a range of solutions to meet all of your home water needs. Call us today. We’re happy to answer any questions you have about hard water and the products we offer to treat it.

Sources:

Water Quality Association. Scale Deposits. https://www.wqa.org/learn-about-water/perceptible-issues/scale-deposits#:~:text=Hard%20water%20(or%20water%20hardness,wasting%20properties%20of%20hard%20water/
Florida State College at Jacksonville. Saponification: The Preparation of Soap. https://web.fscj.edu/Milczanowski/eleven/Soap.pdf
Compound Interest. The Chemistry of Limescale https://www.compoundchem.com/2016/03/02/limescale/

Is Hard Water Bad for You?

Posted June 15, 2021 by Rayne Water

People all over the US use hard water every day. It goes into bagel dough and comes out of showerheads—in short, it’s everywhere.

If you’ve heard your local water supply is “hard,” you might find yourself wondering, is hard water safe to drink?

Using hard water does not pose a direct health risk, nor is drinking hard water bad for you.¹ Even so, hard water causes several inconveniences and hygiene concerns worth considering.

This article will explain the ins and outs of hard water, from its characteristics to its effects to the ways to correct hardness for an upgraded drinking and showering experience.

What is Hard Water?

Water is considered “hard” when it contains high amounts of calcium ions and magnesium ions. As groundwater travels through mineral-rich soil, it picks these ions up along the way.

Water hardness exists on a scale and can range from moderately hard to very hard. The level of hardness corresponds to the grains per gallon (GPG) of minerals that are present in a given sample. On this scale,

Soft water is defined as having less than 1 GBG

Moderately hard water has 1 to 7 GBG
Water with more minerals is defined as very hard

Hard water is common to the US though more prevalent in certain parts of the country than others.² You can also find it on supermarket shelves in the form of mineral water.³ Consult your county’s water report to find out your hardness level.

Hard Water and Health

Calcium is an important nutrient in the human diet—so, could hard water be a good thing?

Not really.

The amount of calcium in hard water is small compared to other calcium-rich foods. A glass of milk, for example, contains around 300 mg of calcium, while a liter of hard water has 80 to 120 mg.
Some studies have suggested that the high mineral content of hard water could be beneficial to heart health.⁴ These studies, however, are inconclusive.

At the same time, drinking hard water isn’t bad for you in any medical or nutritional sense.

However, it can make life difficult in other ways. The mineral deposits of hard water cause a range of problems, from clogging pipes and wearing out appliances to irritating skin and ruining clothes. Next, we’ll explore these issues.

What is the Impact of Hard Water?

Despite what its name suggests, hard water is not actually hard. Rather, the “term hardness was originally applied to waters that were hard to wash in.”⁵

This difficulty is typically manifested in one of the following forms:

Soap scum
Limescale

Next, we’ll take a deeper look at each issue.

The Connection Between Soap Scum and Hard Water

Though clean enough to drink, hard water is less than ideal for cleaning. That’s because hard water and soap do not mix. When a soap’s fatty acids react with the minerals in hard water, unpleasant coagulation occurs.

Here’s what you might expect to experience when combining soap with hard water:

Lower quality of lather – Rather than a light and cleansing lather, hard water and soap produce a filmy, less soluble admixture. As a result, washing with hard water typically requires more soap, as well as more water to rinse it off. As is often the case with hard water, the extra work and waste do not lead to better results. Your skin may not feel as clean after showering with hard water as it does with soft.
Irritated skin (dermatitis) – While hard water does not cause eczema, it can worsen eczema symptoms. The filmy byproduct of hard water and soap tends to stay on the skin even after the shower is over. This clogs pores and can cause acne.⁶
Damaged hair – The mineral deposits of hard water make extra work for your hair. They add weight and block shampoo and conditioner from reaching the hair follicles. The result is weaker, duller hair.
Wasted soap – Hard water reduces the quality as well as the quantity of lather. To get a good lather going, hard water requires extra soap.
Stains – What are hard water stains? That same film left on the skin is often also found in and around your tub or shower head. Soap scum, while sometimes slimy, can also grow hard and stubborn. Besides being a pain to remove, it has the potential to stain the walls and surfaces of your bathroom.
Hygiene concerns – More than a disgusting mess, soap scum is also a welcome invitation for bacteria, mildew, and mold.

Limescale’s Impact on Appliances and Plumbing

Hard water isn’t just bad for your skin and surfaces. It can also affect the more functional parts of your house, such as:

Hot water boiler
Dishwasher
Washing machine
Tea kettle
Plumbing

These sites are most affected by limescale buildup.

Similar to soap scum, limescale is an unappealing byproduct of mineral deposits. Instead of soap, however, limescale forms when mineral-rich water is heated. These insoluble deposits build up over time, clogging pipes, depreciating appliances, and staining surfaces.

What Hard Water Does to Your Clothes

Ever spend an afternoon washing your clothes only to find you need to wash them more? Limescale and soap scum may have joined forces to conquer your best efforts.

Here’s why your clothes don’t get clean:

The water can’t dissolve the detergent – As with soap, insoluble mineral deposits make water a less effective solvent. This results in detergent that water can’t break down.
Mineral-rich water is harder on appliances – Because of limescale, hard water makes washing machines less efficient.

Due to these issues, laundry detergent is likely to stick around even after the wash is over. For people with sensitive skin, this can cause problems. Irritants in detergents are known to cause contact dermatitis, irritation, and rash.⁷

Additionally, hard water renders fabrics dull and unusable at a faster rate than soft water does. You may notice a brittle quality to towels and wash rags when using hard water.

Is it Possible to Soften Water?

While synthetic products and plumbing services exist, hard water can be treated at the source. Water softening systems ensure top performance and lifespan for plumbing and appliances.

There are several methods to consider:

Water softener – This system uses an ion exchange system. It utilizes negatively charged resin beads to attract undesirable ions.
Salt-free water system – This system is technically not a softener. That’s because it doesn’t actually remove calcium buildup or magnesium deposits. Rather, it minimizes the size of the limescale buildup and makes it harmless.
Reverse osmosis system – Also called RO, reverse osmosis pushes water through a semipermeable membrane to filter out particles including minerals.

Water Softeners

Water-softening systems use a method called ion exchange. This method trades disagreeable calcium and magnesium ions for more easy-going sodium ions.

In short, negatively charged resin beads are housed in this tank. Hard water passes through the tank before entering the plumbing.

These beads are coated with sodium ions. The magnesium and calcium have positively charged. This attracts them to the resin-like magnets. The stickiness of the resin holds the ions in place when they get there. The presence of magnesium and calcium knocks the sodium ions out into the stream of water.⁸

Minerals are then disposed of in a “brine.”

Salt-Free Water Systems

Aside from health concerns around sodium intake, some parts of the US have brine laws. These laws prohibit dumping brine, a common function of most water softeners.⁹ You might also be unable to connect your system to an electrical source or to provide a drain for dumping.

If any of these situations apply to you, then a salt-free water system is worth considering.

Salt-free water systems don’t eject unwanted hardness minerals the way that water softeners do. Instead they use a method called template-assisted crystallization (TAC).

Here’s a glimpse at how it works:

Seed crystals – A catalyst generates seed crystals that attract limescale. This arrangement happens at the point of the limescale’s formation, when it is still microscopic.
Microscopic rafts – These seed crystals work like microscopic rafts. Limescale attaches to them. Since the crystals don’t grow, neither does the limescale. Instead, it peacefully floats down the drain before it can ever develop into a problem.
Continuous production – In a salt-free water system, limescale continuously forms, but so do the seed crystals. This means there is never a shortage of seeds for suspending the limescale away from surfaces.
Having it both ways – The result of this process is pipe-safe, appliance-friendly water that is also rich with minerals. Scale is still present, but at a size that is inconsequential.¹⁰

Reverse Osmosis

If you are on a salt-restricted diet, a reverse osmosis system could also come in handy.

RO systems are able to filter a wide range of particles, including:

Minerals
Nitrates
Viruses
Bacteria
Arsenic
Leads

Reverse osmosis systems filter water to be sodium-free.

Stop Flushing Money Down the Drain Thanks to Rayne Water

When hard water mineral deposits are present, your time and money are likely going down the drain as you struggle to get clothing and surfaces clean.

The cost of repairs and the time it takes for daily upkeep are unsustainable. The good news is that these workarounds are also unnecessary.

With Rayne Water, you can avoid hard water altogether. To learn more about tap water conditioners for your home or business, contact Rayne Water today.

Sources:

USGS. Do you have information about water hardness in the United States? https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/do-you-have-information-about-water-hardness-united-states?qt-news_science_products=0#qt-news_science_products
USGS. Map of water hardness in the United States. https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/map-water-hardness-united-states/
Pocono Record. What’s in Your Water? https://www.poconorecord.com/article/20090730/Features/907300322#:~:text=Both%20Fiji%20and%20DASANI%20measured,of%20calcium%20and%20magnesium%20ions.
National Center for Biotechnology Information. Potential Health Impacts of Hard Water. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3775162/
Water Quality Association. Scale Deposits. https://www.wqa.org/learn-about-water/perceptible-issues/scale-deposits#:~:text=Hard%20water%20(or%20water%20hardness,wasting%20properties%20of%20hard%20water.
Real Simple. How Bad Is Hard Water for Your Skin? We Asked Derms. https://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/skincare/hard-water-skin
Healthline. How to Identify and Treat a Laundry Detergent Rash. https://www.healthline.com/health/rashes-from-detergent/
Chemistry Libre Texts. Hard Water. https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Inorganic_Chemistry/Supplemental_Modules_and_Websites_(Inorganic_Chemistry)/Descriptive_Chemistry/Main_Group_Reactions/Hard_Water
Water Technology Online. The Battle Over Brine. https://www.watertechonline.com/home/article/15548321/the-battle-over-brine/
Continuing Education Center. Template Assisted Crystallization. https://continuingeducation.bnpmedia.com/courses/multi-aia/the-intelligent-scale-solution–template-assisted-crystallization/2/

What is the Water Hardness Level In Scottsdale?

Posted May 5, 2021 by Rayne Water

Scottsdale City, Arizona is home to more than 250,000 people who get their drinking supplies from a combination of surface water, groundwater, and recycled water.

In this desert city, it varies depending on where you live, but water is typically classified as very hard according to the measurements of the US Department of Interior. That is why you see plenty of types of water softener filtration systems.

Water hardness level is defined by how much calcium carbonate (a mineral) is in the water content. The higher the calcium carbonate amount, the harder the water. Anything higher than 7 grains per gallon is classified as “very hard.”

Specifically, these areas of Scottsdale, Arizona have the following hardness levels:

South of Indian School Road – 370-430 mg/L or ppm
Indian School Road to Chaparral Road – 340-370 mg/L or ppm
North of Chaparral Road – 275-300 mg/L or ppm

While water hardness isn’t regarded as a health concern, some people prefer to drink and use water that does not contain large amounts of dissolved calcium and magnesium. Finding a water softener system in Scottsdale can help.

In this brief guide we’ll detail Scottsdale water hardness, explain what water hardness is, outline tips and tricks for dealing with hard water, and look into how you can soften your home drinking water with water softeners. Read on.

Scottsdale Water Hardness

Scottsdale does not treat its public water supply for hardness. This is because, according to the City of Scottsdale, being able to provide the cleanest, safest—and most affordable—water to Scottsdale citizens is possible without adding water hardness treatment processes to their current treatment plan. If water hardness treatments were added, water access would not be as cost-effective.

So, why is their tap water hard in the first place and is Scottsdale water safe to drink?

What is Water Hardness?

Water hardness is simply the amount of dissolved minerals present in your water—hard water is high in dissolved minerals.

Hard water can leave a film of residue on your hands or body after washing, and when washing clothes, dishes, and even your hair with hard water, you may need more soap or detergent to get things clean. Minerals that you can find in hard water originate from the soils that source water (most often groundwater) comes into contact with as it travels through watersheds and into water treatment plants.

According to the City of Scottsdale, approximately 80 percent of the U.S. has hard water, and high hard water levels are extremely prevalent in the southwest. This is due to low rainfall, hot weather, and high mineral content in the soil.

Is Hard Water Safe?

Drinking hard water will not affect your health in any way, it’s more of a nuisance than anything. In fact, the same minerals, calcium and magnesium, that leave a filmy residue on your dishes are minerals that are crucial nutrients for human health.

Calcium helps to build strong bones and teeth while magnesium is absorbed through the stomach and helps in the maintenance of blood pressure and metabolism.

How to Treat Hard Water

Scottsdale City has a few low-cost tips to help you deal with the aesthetic issues caused by your hard water supply.

These include:

Run a cup of white vinegar through the coffee maker and dishwasher every few months.
Use a rinse aid in your dishwasher.
Set your water heater to 120-125 degrees.
Soak showerheads and faucet aerators in white vinegar to loosen mineral deposit buildup.
Spray fixtures that are commonly exposed to water with lemon juice and wipe with a soft cloth

Maybe these tips sound like too much work and you want to permanently eradicate your hard water issues. Or, perhaps you’re getting plenty of calcium and magnesium from other sources and want to filter out some of the minerals that are causing your water to be hard.

Lucky for you, there’s an easy, affordable way to soften your at-home water supply with the installation of a home water softener system or drinking water systems.

Install a Water Softener From Rayne Water Today

Soft water has a low concentration of hard minerals. To turn your hard water soft, consider investing in a home water softening system, which removes the mineral ions through a process called ion exchange.

This process involves exchanging positively charged mineral ions (found in hard water) with positively charged ions, leaving your soft water free of minerals.

Rayne Water Conditioning specializes in different types of water softener systems and other types of water treatment systems, like the reverse osmosis system. We have been servicing the denizens of California, Arizona, and Nevada since 1928. Rayne has 24/hour on-call veteran technicians available to address any water softener issues you have at any time.

Our team of water care professionals offer extensive expertise as well as six different water softener systems to choose from. When you can select from a variety of water softener systems and filtration systems, (including everything from a basic model to a Guardian Elite model specifically designed for larger homes) you can find the solution that’s best for you.

Ready to soften your hard water supply? Whether you need Phoenix water softener solutions or treatment system installation in Scottsdale, we got you covered. Call your local Rayne Water office today.

Sources:

City of Scottsdale. Drinking Water. https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/water/drinking-water

City of Scottsdale. Hard Water Facts. https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/Assets/ScottsdaleAZ/Water/Water+Quality/hard-water-fact-sheet.pdf

Rayne Water. Residential Whole House Water Softener Systems. https://www.raynewater.com/residential-category/water-softeners/

Scottsdale Water. 2019 Water Quality Report. https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/Assets/ScottsdaleAZ/Water/Water+Quality/2019+Water+Quality+Report.pdf

U.S. Geological Survey. Hardness of Water. https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/hardness-water?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects

What is the Water Hardness Level in Ventura, CA?

Posted April 30, 2021 by Rayne Water

Ventura County boasts a high quality of life, including sunny days and easy access to the shoreline. But beyond the beachy lifestyle, it’s also with considering the quality of the water that comes out of your tap.

Like other counties, Ventura conducts regular surveys to make sure its water meets safety and aesthetic standards. The most recent studies reveal that Ventura water has 20-50 grains of minerals per gallon—more than twice the amount needed to be classified as “very hard” water.

In this short guide, we’ll do a deep dive into Ventura’s hard water and the steps you can take to improve your home’s H2O or if you need to install a water softener.

The Hard Facts Behind Hard Water

Hard water is measured based on the concentration of two main minerals:

Calcium
Magnesium

What’s wrong with these minerals in your water supply? In your diet, they can help build bone and preserve heart health. But in your water, they can have several unwanted effects.¹

These include:

Bad taste – Some people think hard water tastes just fine straight out of the tap. But many others find it chalky, minerally, or even salty. Beyond drinking water, the minerals present in hard water can also affect the taste of your ice cubes, coffee, tea, and soups.
Destructive effects on plumbing and appliances – Your hard water flows through your piping to your sink, hot water heater, dishwasher, laundry machine, and other appliances. Over time, mineral buildup from hard water can degrade them all. You may need to service or replace household plumbing and fixtures more often than people in areas with soft water.
Other minor annoyances – Hard water can leave spots on your glasses, dishware, and flatware. These aren’t at all dangerous, but they can be embarrassing if you’re serving guests. Likewise, hard water can strip hair color and fade garments over time.

Ventura County Water Safety

As we’ve noted, hard water isn’t a health hazard. It’s more of a concern for your wallet and comfort level.

However, it’s worth considering other aspects of water quality, too.

As your water supply makes its long journey along the California Aqueduct to Ventura County, it flows overground and underground, collecting everything from rainwater to minerals in the soil to chemical runoff. Of course, it’s processed before it makes its way to your tap, but trace levels of pollutants can remain.

Beyond hardness, Ventura County conducts testing to monitor levels of potential contaminants including:

Viruses
Bacteria
Lead
Herbicides
Pesticides
Industrial runoff
Radioactive contaminants

The good news? Ventura County water quality fell within a safe range for all the above contaminants.

But some people want to make sure to filter out as much of these substances as possible. In that case, you’ll have to take matters into your own hands.

Correcting Hard Water

So, what can you do to improve your water’s taste, get a better-feeling shower, and prolong the life of your pipes?

There are several options.

Water softeners – Softeners use a system of ionic exchange, removing calcium and magnesium ions from your water and replacing them with sodium ions. Since the minerals are physically removed from your water, you should no longer have problems with your plumbing and appliances, nor with the feel of your shower.
Water conditioners – Water conditioning occurs in salt-free water systems, which don’t remove minerals. Instead, it changes their chemical composition so that they no longer adhere to the surfaces of pipes and appliances.
Reverse osmosis systems – Want to filter out every possible contaminant? A reverse osmosis system pushes water through a membrane to filter out compounds like fluoride, arsenic, mercury, and sodium.

Whether you own or rent your home, there’s a solution that suits your needs. Only care about the taste of your tap water and drinking water? You could focus on adding a reverse osmosis system to your kitchen sink. Want to preserve the pipes throughout your home? Opt for a whole-house solution.

Rayne Water Solutions for Ventura County Hard Water

The water hardness level Ventura CA advertises isn’t set in stone.

Custom home solutions make it possible to create your own private water oasis in Ventura County. Whether you’re interested in reverse osmosis, salt-free water conditioning, or a hybrid solution, we’re ready to work with your budget.

Get in touch today to learn how you can enjoy softer water with a Ventura water softener.

Sources:

USGS. Hardness of water. https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/hardness-water?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects

Why Your Office Needs a Commercial Water Filter System

Posted December 5, 2019 by Rayne Water

There are many must-have office amenities, especially if you are looking for ways to improve your working environment. You might want to consider investing in commercial water filtration for your office. Office water purification systems offer a cost-effective means of providing a nearly unlimited supply of clean drinking water to your office staff.

There are several different commercial water treatment systems available, including bottle-less water coolers and commercial reverse osmosis systems. Understanding the advantages of these systems, as well as how they stack up against alternatives like bottled water delivery, can help your organization find the filtered water solution that is right for you.

Why Invest in a Commercial Water Filter System?

Executives and consultants have worked hard over the years to create the image of the modern office as an extension of one’s own home. With things like flexible furniture, open designs, and seamless technological integration, the office is increasingly a collaborative space where creativity and productivity are enhanced by the environment itself. So, it is a no brainer that there are added benefits of an office water cooler and incorporating other filtration options into the office.

This effort extends to the food we eat and the water we drink. Tap water from a faucet can be full of contaminants, chemicals, and other products that aren’t the best to ingest. Companies that are looking for ways to improve their work environment have cast an eye towards building a collection of healthy and convenient food choices and ensuring that their employees have easy access to clean, filtered water.

Offering clean, filtered water is an effective way for employers to fulfill a straightforward need for their staff. By proactively making clean drinking water available, you’ll improve the health of your staff. Dehydration can reduce a person’s ability to concentrate and think clearly. By ensuring that your staff has convenient access to clean water, you’ll also improve productivity.

Lastly, investing in a commercial water filter system is an environmentally friendly and cost-effective solution for providing clean drinking water to your staff. You’ll reduce waste stemming from bottled water, while also saving your organization money in the long run.

Options for Providing Clean Drinking Water

Providing clean drinking water to your entire office isn’t necessarily difficult, but it is important to understand what your options are so that you can find the appropriate solution for your needs. The two most common methods for providing drinking water to your office are by installing a commercial water filter system or using a bottled water delivery service.

Let’s take a look at the core benefits and drawbacks of these solutions.

Water Purification Systems

Commercial water purification systems are the most comprehensive and cost-effective solution for providing clean drinking water to your employees. There are many different types of commercial water filter systems. The two most popular options are bottle-less water coolers and reverse osmosis systems. Each of these systems has advantages that make them appropriate for different applications.

When taken together, commercial water purification systems represent more of an initial investment than alternatives like bottled water delivery services. But, that investment results in lower ongoing costs over time. Some water purification systems do require some degree of maintenance, which may be provided by a service provider like Rayne. Typically this involves changing filtration media, but certain solutions like bottle-less water coolers don’t require this.

Bottled Water Delivery Service

Many offices rely on a bottled water delivery service for drinking water. These services involve a contract with a water provider who delivers bottled water at regular, agreed-upon intervals. The amount of water delivered usually depends on your specific needs and is typically delivered in 5-gallon bottles.

The systems used by bottled water delivery services are either bottom-loading or top-loading, meaning the bottle of water is either loaded into the bottom or top of the system. This brings us to the first disadvantage of these systems, which is that the 5-gallon bottle of water weighs around 42 lbs, which makes loading the system difficult for many people.

Storage is also a concern, particularly in small offices or in work environments with many employees. If you have 50 gallons, or ten bottles, delivered every week, you’ll have to have a place to store those ten bottles.

The biggest disadvantage of bottled water delivery services is that they are relatively expensive when compared to using a commercial water filtration system. Using one of these services will result in costs for water, deposits for the bottles themselves, and a rental fee for the cooler.

What Types of Commercial Water Filter Systems Are There?

Understanding what types of commercial water filter systems can help you get a sense of what type of system might work best for you. There are different types of water filtration systems, each using one or more filtration methods. The three most common filtration methods are reverse osmosis, filtration through charcoal media, or ion exchange systems.

The two most common types of commercial water filtration systems are bottle-less coolers and commercial reverse osmosis systems. Which system is right for you will depend largely upon your needs.

Bottle-less Coolers

Bottle-less coolers come in a familiar form-factor that is similar to the types of coolers that provide water from a 5-gallon bottle. Unlike those systems, bottle-less coolers provide filtration on the spot. The standard bottle-less cooler can provide both hot and cold water, while tri-temp coolers can provide hot, cold, and room temperature water.

Bottle-less coolers utilize both reverse osmosis filtration and multi-stage carbon filtration. Reverse osmosis captures almost all of the dissolved solids in the water, while the multi-stage carbon filter captures the chemicals that are used to treat water, such as chlorine, as well as the odors that give tap water a bad taste.

The combination of both filtration methods ensures that the water coming out of your bottle-less cooler is always clean and fresh tasting. At the same time, bottle-less coolers can provide a nearly limitless supply of filtered water. This makes them ideal for busy office spaces.

When compared to bottled water delivery service, a bottle-less cooler takes up much less space. With a bottle-less cooler, you won’t have to worry about where to store your many full bottles, and where to stage your empty bottles until they can be picked up. Lastly, with a bottle-less cooler system, you won’t have to worry about loading heavy water bottles into the system, making on-demand drinking water easier to access for everyone in your office.

Commercial Reverse Osmosis Solutions

Commercial reverse osmosis filtration systems offer an alternative to bottle-less coolers. While bottle-less coolers are great for fitting into a small area and providing easy access to hot or cold water, they aren’t ideal for providing large quantities of filtered water to multiple delivery points. For that type of application, you will probably want to look towards a point-of-entry (POE) solution that filters water as it comes into your building like a commercial reverse osmosis system.

Commercial reverse osmosis systems can vary in size and how much water they deliver. Smaller point-of-use (POU) systems that fit under a single sink can deliver anywhere up to 75 gallons-per-day (GPD) of filtered water. An example of this would be our Rayne Eradicator RO System, which is used to provide 36, 50 or 75 GPD of drinking water and is small enough to be installed under a sink.

The next step up would be a system like our Rayne Compact RO, which is capable of providing between 150 – 800 GPD of drinking water. For even larger applications, the Rayne Frame Mount Verticle RO is a POE solution capable of providing up to 10,800 GPD in certain configurations.

Some of these larger commercial reverse osmosis systems are better suited for commercial applications like foodservice, a car wash, or an agricultural setting than your typical office building. However, they may be right for you depending on what contaminants are in your water and how much filtered water you need each day.

Final Thoughts

Your office needs a commercial water filter system because it is the most cost-effective, long-term solution for providing clean, filtered water to your employees. Access to clean, filtered water is a top amenity that today’s businesses can offer their employees that is both cost-effective and beneficial for health and productivity.

When compared to other options for providing clean drinking water for your employees, office water purification systems can do so at less cost and with less hassle. Compared to water delivery services, filtration systems provide clean drinking water that is cheaper and without the need to load heavy 5-gallon water bottles.

Other drinking water solutions, like bottled water delivery, take up more space. You’ll need to store your full bottles near your dispenser, and store empty bottles until they can be picked up and replaced. In contrast, filtration systems like the Rayne Tri-Temp Bottle-less Cooler take up less room, can provide hot, cold, or room-temperature water, and can provide a nearly limitless supply of filtered drinking water.

If a bottle-less cooler doesn’t suit your needs, you might consider a commercial reverse osmosis system. Reverse osmosis systems vary in size depending on their application and your needs. Smaller systems can be installed under your sink and provide up to 75 gallons of drinking water each day, while larger systems are available that can provide up to 10,800 gallons of filtered water every day.

The first step to determining which type of system is right for you is to contact our water specialists at Rayne. For instance, we can determine if offices needs a commercial water softener or cooler. Our helpful staff can outline the options available to you, help you weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each, and guide you towards the solution that is ideal for your needs. To learn more about commercial water filter systems, please contact Rayne today.

Sources:

The Best Home Water Filtration Systems

Posted December 8, 2019 by Rayne Water

There are many benefits of a water filter at home. Choosing the best home filtration system can ensure your water is clean, tastes fresh, and is free of most contaminants. Let’s explore the best home water filter systems and their benefits.

#1 Clean Taste

For many people, how their water tastes and smells can have a big impact on how much they enjoy their water. Many of the odors and smells that lead to poor taste are contaminants. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are chemicals that are in many of the products we use daily and have found their way into our water supply. It is estimated that roughly 20% of water supplies in the United States contain VOCs.

One of the most common VOCs is chloroform, which forms when the chlorine used to disinfect your water comes into contact with organic material. Chloroform and other VOCs not only affect the flavor of your water but may also be carcinogenic.

To remove VOCs and give your water a fresh and clean taste, you’ll want to use an activated carbon filter. Activated carbon filters utilize porous charcoal that captures chemical contaminants like VOCs through a process known as adsorption.

#2 Microbe Free

Did you know that waterborne pathogens in community water supplies are responsible for over 16 million cases of gastroenteritis every year in the United States? Although community water suppliers use chemicals like chlorine and bromine to disinfect their water, sometimes pathogens slip through.

The most effective method of removing pathogens from your drinking water is a reverse osmosis water filtration system. Reverse osmosis filtration systems force water through a membrane with very tiny pores. Those pores allow water molecules through, but not much else. Having a house filtration system, like reverse osmosis, will allow for your regular faucet water to have a serious upgrade in taste and quality.

With a reverse osmosis drinking system, bacteria like E. Coli and Legionella, viruses like rotavirus, and protozoans like Giardia can’t reach you.

#3 Save Money

Adding a house water filtration system can even be an amazing way for you to not only have healthier drinking water free of chemicals, but to also save some serious cash. Believe it or not, when you purchase a water purification system for your home, you’ll be able to cut costs. Even if you invest in the best and most expensive water filtration system offered, filtered water is less expensive than alternatives like bottled water delivery services. While a water filtration system represents a higher initial investment, you’ll spend less on the drinking water you use every day. Plus, there’s no equipment to rent or bottles to leave out, just clean filtered water on-demand at any time.

There is another house water filter that you can invest in if you have hard water. Not necessarily a water filter, but more of a water softening system. A water softener can help you save money by increasing the longevity of your home’s plumbing and systems. Appliances like water heaters and dishwashers can have a reduced operational lifespan because of mineral deposits left behind by hard water. Mineral deposits will also affect your plumbing over time, wearing down seals leading to leaks, and slowly reducing the flow of water through your pipes. With a water softening system in place, you’ll eliminate sediment buildup and the other harmful impacts of hard water.

#4 Capture Heavy Metals

After the water crisis in 2015 in Flint, Michigan, many Americans became concerned about elevated levels of heavy metals in the water they are drinking. Lead can leach into your faucet water through the pipes used to transport water to your home. Other heavy metals, like zinc, can be picked up as water moves through soil and stone. These metals not only pose a health risk, but they also contribute to water hardness.

The best house filtration systems will capture and remove contaminants from heavy metals in your drinking water. Heavy metals can be removed with a water softener system, through a process known as ion-exchange, or by a filtration system utilizing reverse osmosis.

#5 Flexibility

Aren’t sure if you want to invest in a whole house water filter? Or even where to start when it comes to picking which home filtration system to get? The good thing is that there are many water filter systems available from Rayne that are suitable for just about every situation. To start your search for the perfect house filter, its important to know the different types. Water filtration systems break down into two different categories; point-of-entry (POE) and point-of-use (POU).

POE systems are installed where your water line comes into your house. These systems are used to provide a clean water source to your entire house. If you are just looking to soften hard water, chances are you’ll choose a POE water softening system. However, if you want to filter out a wider range of contaminants, there are also POE reverse osmosis systems available.

In contrast, POU systems are used to provide drinking water at a specific tap. These systems tend to be small, allowing them to be installed under your kitchen faucet or in other tight places. With a POU system, you’ll still get great tasting water that can be conveniently placed where you want it.

Regardless, there are plenty of options to fit your needs. Whether you want a sink water filter placed in your kitchen or a filtration system to go through your entire home, the choice is yours.

Final Thoughts

Asking, do you need a water filtration home system? is a big step. However, water filtration systems for your home are a cost-effective method of getting clean, filtered water. Residential filtration systems provide on-demand water that has a clean taste and is microbe, chemical, and heavy-metal free.

There are water filtration systems that can filter all of the water throughout your house, or provide filtered water at the tap of your choosing. To find the best water filtration systems for your needs, please contact our specialists at Rayne. We’ll schedule a water test so that you can understand exactly what contaminants are in your water, and then help guide you towards the system that is right for your needs.

Sources:

Do You Need a Water Filtration Home System?

Posted December 5, 2019 by Rayne Water

If you are asking yourself, should I be filtering my home water source? The answer is yes. Filtering the water coming into your home is important if your water is contaminated or if you are concerned about exposure to certain types of contaminants. If you are considering installing a water filtration home system, you’ll want to start by understanding what contaminants are in your water and what types of filtration systems are available. Once you have the basics understood, you can focus on how to get great tasting, filtered drinking water into your home.

Do I Need a Water Filtration System?

If you are scratching your head and wondering if you should invest in water treatment systems, that is the first step towards having healthier drinking water. However, only you can answer whether you need an in-house water filtration system, but there are some very good reasons why you might consider ditching your regular faucet water and install one. The importance of water purification cannot be understated if you are concerned about exposure to potentially harmful contaminants. Although the water provided by community water systems has undergone some form of treatment, violations of water quality standards occur every day.

To illustrate this point, a 2015 study of nearly 18,000 community water systems from the period between 1982 – 2015 found that between 9 – 45 million people were affected by violations of drinking water standards. If you are concerned about bacteria, chemicals, and other contaminants while asking yourself, “should I filter my tap water?” The answer is that filtering your tap water provides the greatest assurance that the water in your house is clean and free of contaminants.

For you to be completely sure that a house water filter is the right thing for you to invest in, its best to understand what substances are in the water from your plumbing.

What Types of Contaminants can be Found in Tap Water?

There is a wide range of contaminants that can be found in tap water. Here are some of the most common and problematic:

Disinfectant By-Products (DBPs) – Most community water suppliers treat their water with chemicals to kill waterborne pathogens. The most common chemicals used are chlorine and bromine. When added to water, these chemicals react with organic material in the water to form DBPs. DBPs like chloroform are considered possibly carcinogenic.
Microbes – The water that is piped into your house may contain waterborne pathogens. Although most water suppliers treat their water with chemicals to kill microbes, over 16 million people in the United States each year suffer from acute gastroenteritis from waterborne pathogens. These include bacteria like E. Coli, Salmonella, and Legionella, viruses like rotavirus and Norwalk virus, and protozoans like Giardia.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) – VOCs are chemicals that are used in a variety of products like gasoline, solvents, paints, and pesticides. According to the EPA, VOCs are present in about 1/5th of water supplies in the United States. Exposure to high concentrations of VOCs has been linked to increased risk of cancers, liver problems, and damage to reproductive systems.

Heavy Metals – Heavy metals like lead and zinc can make their way into the water supply. Lead is often leached from the pipes bringing water to your house, while other metals like zinc can be picked up by water as it moves through the soil. These metals contribute to water hardness and can be detrimental to your health.

Arsenic – Arsenic is a naturally occurring compound that is most often found in water coming from a private well. Arsenic doesn’t produce a specific smell or taste in water, so you would have to test your water to know if it is contaminated with arsenic. Long-term exposure to arsenic can result in an increased risk of developing certain types of cancers.
Nitrates – Nitrates enter the water supply through runoff from fertilizers, sewage, and livestock manure. This makes water supplies close to agricultural centers particularly vulnerable to nitrate contamination.

What Type of Filtration System Should I Get?

Finding the right filtration system can make a big difference in which contaminants get removed. Different filtration methods remove different contaminants. Although many water filtration systems will combine multiple filtration methods, it is important to start with getting your water professionally tested.

Starting with a professional water test will tell you exactly what contaminants are in your water. From there, you can more accurately narrow down which filtration methods are appropriate for the water in your house.

Here are the three most common types of filtration methods and what types of contaminants they are effective at removing:

Reverse Osmosis (RO) – Reverse osmosis involves forcing contaminated water at high pressure through a membrane containing very small pores. The osmosis filter’s membrane captures contaminants while the water molecules can pass through to the other side. Reverse osmosis systems are great at capturing sediment, silt, heavy metals, nitrates, and microbes. They are less effective at removing disinfection chemicals, DBPs, and VOCs.
Activated Carbon – Activated carbon filters contain porous charcoal that captures certain molecules that pass through it. Activated carbon filters are excellent at removing chemicals used to treat water, such as chlorine and bromine, DBPs, VOCs, and fluorine. These filters are also great for removing the bad odors and tastes in tap water.
Ion Exchange – Ion exchange systems contain a negatively charged resin that is used to attract the minerals and metals that contribute to water hardness. These systems are excellent at removing hardness from water and are typically installed as a point-of-entry (POE) system where the water enters your home. This ensures that all of the water in your house is soft. Ion exchange systems are not effective at removing microbes, chemicals, DBPs, VOCs, and nitrates.

Closing Thoughts

There are many benefits to home water filtration systems. That is why there is no single best water filter at home, but rather there are water filtration systems that are more appropriate for the type of contaminants found in your water. That is why it’s important to conduct a professional water test before investing in a water filtration system for your home.

Everyone deserves to have great tasting, filtered water. What is great about all these water purification systems is that you can combine multiple filtration methods, so that they can capture the most contaminants. Each filtration method has advantages and disadvantages, so systems that combine filtration methods typically minimize the disadvantages of specific filtration methods. Thus, optimizing your chances of providing healthy, purified water for your home.

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Do I Need a Water Filtration System?

What Types of Contaminants can be Found in Tap Water?

What Type of Filtration System Should I Get?

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