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Archive for the ‘Older’ Category

What Is a Water Filter?

Posted by Ken Christopher

What is a water filter? A water filter removes harmful contaminants from your water. To remove contaminants, there are different types of water filtration systems. These different types of filtration systems have advantages and drawbacks that make them suitable for removing certain contaminants but not others. Many people question do water filters work.  Let’s dig into what is in a water filter to really understand their importance.

Types of Water Filtration Systems

The three most common methods of filtering water within a residential setting are reverse osmosis, activated carbon, and ion-exchange. Each of these filtration methods has advantages and disadvantages that make them suitable for some applications and unsuitable for others. Understanding how do water filters work can help you gain a better sense of what are water filters and which type of system might be right for your needs.

Reverse Osmosis

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems use pressure to force contaminated water through a specialized membrane. The membrane in an RO system contains very small pores that allow water molecules through, but contaminants that are larger than the water molecule can not pass through.

One of the most visible uses of reverse osmosis technology is to remove salt from seawater to create freshwater known as desalination. The same technology is how a residential reverse osmosis system reduces the number of total dissolved solids (TDS) from contaminated water. 

Reverse osmosis systems have several advantages. They are extremely effective at removing most contaminants from water. This includes salt, nitrates, or mineral ions. Reverse osmosis systems for home use are also quite small, allowing them to conveniently be installed under a sink or in a tight space.

Reverse Osmosis Systems starting at only /mo. Try before you buy!

Activated Carbon 

Activated carbon filtration is the most common water filter that you’ll find in a residential setting. Activated carbon is a type of charcoal that has been treated with oxygen, making it more porous and more effective at trapping contaminants. Activated carbon filters trap contaminants through a process known as adsorption. 

Activated carbon filtration will remove contaminants that are attracted to carbon. This includes chlorine, pesticides, industrial solvents, and other carbon-based contaminants. Activated carbon filters won’t remove contaminants that aren’t attracted to carbon, which includes nitrates, sodium, and the heavy metals and minerals that contribute to water hardness.

The advantage of activated carbon filters is that they are widely available, effective at reducing carbon-based contaminants, and capable of removing bad odor and taste from water. The downside is that once the porous carbon in the filter becomes saturated with contaminants it must be replaced. Also, because these filters don’t remove the entire spectrum of contaminants and bacteria they must usually be used with another filtration system.

Ion-Exchange 

Ion-exchange filtration systems are used as softeners for hard water. These systems remove the mineral ions and heavy metals that increase water hardness through the process of ion exchange. These systems rely on a tank filled with porous resin beads that are negatively charged. When hard water enters the system, the resin attracts the mineral ions and extracts them from the water. The mineral ions are replaced with sodium ions, which allow the water to maintain a balanced electrical charge.

Ion-exchange filtration systems are highly effective at removing mineral ions and heavy metals, like lead and arsenic, from hard water. These systems aren’t effective at removing other contaminants. Ion-exchange systems also periodically need to be recharged. One further advantage of ion-exchange units is that they are water softeners for your entire house, which eliminates many of the most common problems associated with hard water.

Closing Thoughts

Filtration systems remove contaminants from water, but there are many different types of water filters available. Water filters in a residential setting typically use reverse osmosis, ion exchange, or an activated carbon filter. Each of these water purification processes has advantages and drawbacks that make them suitable for removing certain types of contaminants and less effective for other types of contaminants.

Many water filtration systems integrate multiple different types of filtration methods. For example, it is not uncommon for a reverse osmosis filtration system to also contain one or more in-line activated carbon filtration systems. With these types of hybrid multi-media systems, it becomes easier to remove a broad spectrum of contaminants while also improving the flavor and odor of your water.

To find out which type of water filtration system is right for you, you’ll want to have your water tested. A water test can let you know what types of contaminants you have. Then you can find the right type of water filtration system for your needs. To find out more about what water filtration options are available, please contact our water specialists at Rayne Water today. 

Sources

  1. Hamers, Laurel. “Drinkability.” Science News 194, no. 10 (November 24, 2018): 18.
  2. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/04/us/tapwater-drinking-water-study.html
  3. https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/27/us/pfas-california-contamination-trnd/index.html
  4. https://www.ewg.org/research/toxic-forever-chemicals-detected-drinking-water-supplies-across-california#table
  5. https://www.explainthatstuff.com/howwaterfilterswork.html
  6. https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/question209.htm  

How Do Water Filters Work?

Posted by Ken Christopher

Throughout your life, you probably have had filtered water. You may even be using a house water filter in your home right now. Many people living in the United States have turned to water filtration as a means of removing contaminants from their tap water. Despite the widespread use of water filtration, many of us can’t fully answer the question, “how do water filters work?”.

Gaining a better understanding of do water filters work and how do water filters work can help you and your family make an informed decision about whether investing in a water filtration system is right for you. There are a variety of different water filtration systems on the market, each with its own separate advantages. What is a water filter and how will it remove those toxic, harmful substances  that may be in your drinking water? Taken as a whole, residential water filtration systems offer a cost-effective method of removing the potentially harmful contaminants that are in your tap water.

Reverse Osmosis Systems starting at only /mo. Try before you buy!

Why Filter Water?

Tap water undergoes a series of treatments before it arrives at your faucet at your house. However, that treatment doesn’t capture every contaminant that may be harmful. Even the chemicals used in the treatment itself, like chlorine and bromine, can react with other chemicals and form dangerous substances that are toxic to our organs and the central nervous system.

Although there are regulations dictating what constitutes safe drinking water, notably among these the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act, all too often the water coming out of our tap contains harmful levels of contaminants that violate those very standards. The challenge isn’t simply in understanding how to filter your water so that it is safe drinking water, it is also in understanding whether or not your water is actually contaminated with harmful bacteria. Inadequate reporting by water agencies can obscure the true level of contaminants that leave your tap water and enter your body.

Violations of tap water safety regulations abound in the news. Most people immediately think of Flint, Michigan which had dangerously high levels of harmful lead contamination in their tap water in 2015, but there are many other, smaller stories that continue to occur around the country. A report by the Environmental Working Group found that chemical contaminants were making it into the water supply for roughly 7.5 million Californians in 2019.

Here are a few of the most common contaminants found in tap water in the United States:

How Water Filters Work?

There are different types of water filtration systems. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Some systems combine multiple methods of water filtration, which are known as hybrid multi-media systems. For example, some reverse osmosis systems also use an activated carbon filter, combining two of the most popular filtration methods. Gaining a better sense of the most common water filtration methods will help you understand how does water filters work. 

Reverse Osmosis

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems are one of the most effective methods of reducing the amount of total dissolved solids (TDS) from drinking water. Reverse osmosis systems use pressure to force water molecules through a specialized membrane. The membrane in RO systems has very small pores that allow water molecules through, but not larger molecules. 

The advantage of an RO system is that it removes nearly all contaminants in water. They are great at removing nitrates, heavy metals such as copper, lead and arsenic, as well as some organic chemicals and fluoride, which is commonly added to water in municipal water supplies. RO systems also tend to be very small, so they can be easily installed under a sink to provide clean tap water.

Activated Carbon

Activated carbon systems are the most common house water filters available. Activated carbon systems utilize a form of charcoal that has been treated with oxygen. The carbon in the system is very porous, giving it a large internal surface area. As contaminated water moves through the activated carbon filter it attracts chemical impurities through the process of adsorption. 

On its own, activated carbon filters are great at removing the chemicals used in water purification, including chlorine and bromine, pesticides, and industrial solvents. Standard activated carbon filters won’t attract other chemicals like nitrates,fluoride and microbes. 

Ion-Exchange 

These systems use a process known as ion-exchange to remove mineral ions from hard water. Hard water is water with relatively high mineral content. Those minerals are left behind on surfaces that the water comes in contact with in the form of limescale. The minerals in hard water can also form soap scum, as well as dry out your skin and hair.

In an ion-exchange unit, water enters a tank that contains resin beads. These resin beads have a sodium ion attached to them. When hard water passes over the resin beads, the mineral ions separate from the water molecule and attach to the resin beads, displacing the sodium ion into the water. The resulting water is considered “soft” because it now has low mineral content.

Ion-exchange units are highly effective at removing mineral ions from water, as well as heavy metals like lead and arsenic. These systems are less effective at reducing other contaminants and bacteria that might be contained in water. This is why many people choose to use them in conjunction with an additional filtration system, such as an RO system installed under their sink to provide drinking water.

Closing Thoughts

Water filtration systems remove contaminants from water. There are three common methods through which residential water filters remove contaminants. The first is reverse-osmosis, a process that involves forcing contaminated water through a membrane containing very small pores under high pressure. As the water passes through the membrane, contaminants are left behind. Reverse osmosis systems are highly effective at removing contaminant existence, but they generally aren’t used for whole-house water filtration, and they may not be effective at removing certain types of impurities.

Activated carbon filters are the most common filtration method used in a residential setting. These filters contain a form of charcoal that has been treated with oxygen, giving the activated carbon a large surface area through which it can capture contaminants in a process known as adsorption. Activated carbon filters are great at removing carbon-based impurities, as well as things like chlorine and chloramine, which are used in water treatment facilities to address microbial contamination. However, activated carbon filters won’t remove everything, including nitrates, fluoride, and microbes.

The third filtration method is known as ion-exchange and is a process for removing the heavy metals and mineral ions that contribute to water hardness. Ion-exchange units contain resin beads that remove mineral ions from hard water and replace them with sodium. Periodically these systems must be refreshed. While ion-exchange systems are effective water softeners, they don’t necessarily address other contaminants that you may want to remove.

Due to the limitations of each filtration method, many residential water filtration systems utilize more than one method to remove contaminants. For example, the Rayne Pure Plus system contains both a reverse-osmosis and activated carbon filter. This allows the reverse osmosis component to reduce the number of total dissolved solids in the drinking tap water, while the carbon filter removes chlorine, chloramines, as well as giving your drinking tap water a fresh taste.

To find the water filtration system that is right for your home and provides you with safe drinking water, contact our water specialists at Rayne Water today. Our knowledgeable staff can guide you through the many house water filters  available and find the water filtration system that is right for your home and needs.

Find a location near you!

Sources

  1. Hamers, Laurel. “Drinkability.” Science News 194, no. 10 (November 24, 2018): 18.
  2. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/04/us/tapwater-drinking-water-study.html
  3. https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/27/us/pfas-california-contamination-trnd/index.html
  4. https://www.ewg.org/research/toxic-forever-chemicals-detected-drinking-water-supplies-across-california#table
  5. https://www.explainthatstuff.com/howwaterfilterswork.html
  6. https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/question209.htm  

Home Improvements Ideas

Posted by Ken Christopher

If you’re looking for inspiration for home improvement ideas, we can help! Home improvement remodeling projects can be used to increase curb appeal, increase efficiency, and renovate dated appliances or looks. 

Whether you are looking for which home improvements add value to your home, or you are looking to overhaul major mechanical appliances for long-term occupancy, home improvement projects are a great way to breathe new life into your home.

Increase Your Efficiency

Today’s appliances are more efficient than ever. If you are looking to renovate your house, one of the first places to focus your efforts can be replacing older appliances with newer, energy-efficient appliances.

Replacing an aging water heater or heating or air-conditioning unit can result in a big boost to efficiency. Water heating represents an average of 16% of a home’s energy costs, so updating an older unit with a newer, energy-efficient model can result in reduced energy costs on your utility bill. Not only that, but you’ll likely see an improvement in performance when you make an investment in a newer model.

If you are replacing systems like your heating or air-conditioning unit, you might also want to explore swapping out your windows for more energy-efficient windows. Replacing your current windows with poor insulation with Energy Star rated windows can reduce your electricity bill by up to 15%. One thing to note is that this is a fairly large, costly project that is often a better investment if you plan on living in the house for a long period of time.

Reverse Osmosis Systems starting at only /mo. Try before you buy!

Refresh Your Landscaping

One of the most effective maintenance projects to give your home a totally new look is by redoing your landscaping. Landscaping is one of the areas that homeowners look to when they want to boost the value of their home prior to selling. 

While you can always get your landscaping done professionally, you should consider doing it yourself. As far as DIY home improvement ideas, few are as accessible as landscaping and most won’t have as big of an impact on your home’s resale value.

If you are planning on reselling your house soon, consider transitioning to vegetation that is hardy and low-maintenance. If you live in an arid region, drought-tolerant landscaping can be attractive to ecologically conscious homebuyers. Don’t forget to also update your irrigation and sprinkler systems. Integrating smart technology into your irrigation system can be beneficial, not only because it gives greater control over how you water your plants, but also because it is an attractive option for younger technologically-integrated prospective buyers. With a modern irrigation system, you’ll lose less water to evaporation, reducing your monthly water bill.

Make it Easier to Maintain

Whether you are planning on selling or living in your home, making it easier to maintain can be beneficial. Potential homebuyers are less likely to shy away from a purchase if their fears about the failure of a major mechanical system or structural component of a house are alleviated. If you are planning on living in your home for a few years, upgrades that address high-maintenance issues around your house will give you more free time and reduce expenses over time.

Replacing your carpeting with wood flooring can be a great way to reduce your cleaning time throughout the week and improve your home’s resale value. Hardwood floors are more resilient and easier to clean than carpeting. Hardwood floors offer a clean, classic look to a living space that is in high demand among today’s prospective buyers.

You can also consider reducing your normal maintenance costs by transitioning to soft water throughout your house. Water softening appliances  for your whole house are a great way to reduce maintenance and increase the value of your home. Water softening systems are installed at the water line coming into your house, and soften the water before it is piped throughout your home. 

If you aren’t familiar with the impacts of hard water,  you may be surprised by how much time is spent combating its effects. The minerals in hard water are deposited on the surfaces and fixtures they come into contact with in the form of limescale. When hard water comes into contact with soap it forms soap scum, an insoluble precipitate that is difficult to clean and will quickly return.

An added benefit of a water softening system is that it will improve the longevity of your appliances. In particular, your water heater, dishwasher, and washing machine won’t be subject to the impact of mineral deposits which can reduce their efficiency and lifespan.  Adding a water softening system is one of many examples of what home improvements are tax deductible.

Improve Your Quality of Life

Internet-connected devices are all around us, and our home is no different. There has been an explosion of smart devices for your home that can be used to reduce your utility bills and give you greater control over your home’s systems.

If you want to bring your home’s systems online, you’ll most likely want to start with your thermostats and lighting. Transitioning to smart systems in these two areas can give you granular control over your home’s heating and lighting, while also reducing your energy bill. Other popular areas for smart technology include doorbells, security cameras, locks, and fire and carbon monoxide alarms. 

With all of those connected devices, you’ll also want to beef up your home’s wireless internet system. If you’re still relying on a single wireless router placed somewhere near your cable modem, you might want to explore installing a wireless mesh network throughout your house. Mesh networks, such as Google Wifi or Netgear Orbi, utilize multiple access points throughout your house to give you full-field wireless coverage. You’ll no longer have dead zones without internet access. With wireless mesh technology, you can even push your wireless network outside of your home, which can be beneficial if you find yourself hosting parties in your backyard. 

If you are looking for home improvement ideas DIY, one of the easiest places to start is by replacing legacy technology with smart devices. Most of these projects, including updating your wireless network, can be done yourself with minimal tools or technical knowledge. These types of upgrades will also boost the appeal of your home to technologically savvy home buyers if you are planning to sell.

Remodel Your Bathroom or Kitchen

Bathroom or kitchen remodels are one of the best ways to refresh the look and feel of your home. An added benefit of these projects is that they are also one of the best ways to boost the value of your home.

Many first-time homebuyers find themselves in older homes that require a refresh but aren’t sure where to start. Replacing outdated fixtures and appliances can improve your efficiency and give you a clean, modern look. It’s a good idea to get matching appliances for your kitchen, as this will improve the value of your home. Modern appliances are also more efficient and effective than the older appliances they replace, so you’ll likely see a reduction in your utility expenses.

An easy way to improve your quality of life, boost your home’s appeal to buyers, and reduce your monthly expenses is to install a reverse osmosis system under your sink. If you drink bottled water or have a water delivery service, filtering your water can be much more cost-effective. Reverse-osmosis systems are small in size, making them ideal for installation under a kitchen sink. At the same time, these systems are capable of filtering out harmful substances and unwanted solids from your drinking water.

Dated bathrooms are also a great area for home improvement. Replacing your toilet, showerheads, faucets, and sinks can refresh the look of your house even if you don’t do a full bathroom remodel. For example, adding a soft water system to your home can greatly increase the feel of the water coming from your faucets. Additionally, If you are getting older or have aging in-laws living with you, swapping to a walk-in shower with handrails can provide a big boost to the safety and accessibility of your bathroom for years to come.

Closing Thoughts

There are a variety of ways to improve your home, and our home improvement ideas 2019 demonstrate that no matter what your budget is there are projects you can take on that improve your quality of life, reduce maintenance, and increase the efficiency of your home. Large projects, such as renovating your kitchen or bathroom can breathe new life into a dated look and boost the resale value of your home. If your kitchen and bathroom are up-to-date, turn your attention outward and consider refreshing your landscaping. Transitioning to drought-tolerant plants and modern irrigation systems can reduce maintenance and water costs, while also boosting curb appeal and attracting environmentally-conscious home buyers.

Smaller projects, such as installing smart integrated technology throughout your house can often be accomplished alone without any specialized technical knowledge. Smart thermostats and lighting will give you greater control over your home and improve your home’s efficiency. Installing a wireless mesh network in your house can reduce gaps in your wireless coverage and push your wireless network outward to accommodate smart devices such as security cameras.

If you are looking to boost your home’s efficiency, you’ll want to consider swapping to Energy-Star rated windows and updating dated systems such as your heating or air-conditioning. These projects can represent a large investment, but they can reduce your ongoing expenses substantially. This usually makes them a better investment for homeowners who plan to stay in their home for years to come. 

Lastly, if you are looking to improve your quality of life, transitioning to soft water or installing a water filtration system can be an excellent way to boost your home’s value, reduce ongoing maintenance, and make your home more energy-efficient. Water softening systems reduce the impact caused by hard water around the interior of your house, including on fixtures and surfaces in your bathroom and kitchen. Installing a reverse-osmosis system under your sink can be a smart way to reduce monthly expenses on drinking water and boost your home’s appeal to prospective buyers down the road.

To learn more about the benefits of water filtration and softening systems, please contact Rayne Water today.

Find a location near you!

Sources

  1. https://www.consumerreports.org/home-improvement/8-ways-to-boost-your-home-value/
  2. https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/mortgages/how-to-increase-home-value/
  3. https://www.forbes.com/sites/juliadellitt/2018/06/29/3-ways-to-increase-your-home-value-in-the-first-year/#3d9dc4d24bf7

Are Home Improvements Tax Deductible?

Posted by Ken Christopher

If you are considering doing some home improvement projects, you might be wondering whether those projects are tax-deductible. Tax deductions can have a big impact on your overall tax burden, so gaining a firm understanding of what home improvements are tax deductible is sensible for all homeowners.

How Do Tax Deductions for Home Improvements Work?

Are home improvements tax deductible? Unfortunately, expenses made making home improvements aren’t deductible because they are considered personal expenses. This doesn’t mean that making improvements to your home can’t bring tax benefits. The tax benefits of home improvements are gained when you sell your home, rather than in the year that you spent money on the project.

To understand how this system works, you’ll need to understand the terminology used by the IRS to classify different types of home projects, as well as gain a sense of what your tax and cost basis is.

Improvement Versus Repair

One thing that gets confusing is whether a project around your house is an improvement or a repair. While these two terms have a similar meaning in an everyday sense, there are big differences when it comes to reaping your tax benefits.

Improvements can be primarily thought of as projects that add value to your home, although it can also be a project that adapts your primary residence to a new use or improves the life span of your home. Which home improvements add value to your home ? Kitchen, plumbing, or bathroom upgrades are all considered home improvements because they increase the selling price of your home.

In contrast, a repair is something that may be necessary but doesn’t add value to your home with no profit as a result. There’s no comprehensive list of what qualifies as a repair, but some easy examples are replacing a drafty window, fixing a broken water heater, or repainting a room.

What is Your Tax Basis?

An important concept to understand regarding tax deductions for home improvements is your tax basis. Your tax basis is the amount of money that you subtract from your sale price to determine your profit.

Each home improvement you make as a homeowner can be added to the tax basis of your home. Let’s look at an example of how this works in action:

Weighing the Tax Benefit of Home Improvements

In the past, raising your tax basis through home improvements was one of the most effective ways to reduce your tax rate from selling your home. Recent changes to the law made this less necessary in some situations.

The current tax law stipulates that if you lived in your home for two of the five years before the real estate is sold, you won’t have to pay taxes on the first $250,000 of profit for single filers and $500,000 for married-filing jointly filers.

So, if you are a single filer and anticipate receiving less than $250,000 in profit off of your home sale, you likely won’t see a benefit from including expenses from home improvements in your tax basis. The same can be said for married filers if their profit from the sale is less than $500,000.

The tax benefits of home improvements are much more likely to be a factor if you have lived in your residence for a long time and home real estate sales have steadily risen in your area. In this case, it is conceivable that some portion of your profit would be subject to taxes and understanding if are home improvements tax deductible becomes much more important.

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What Home Improvements Are Tax-Deductible When Selling?

Here we’ll provide a list of what home improvements are tax deductible when selling. There is no comprehensive list available, so it is important to remember that in order to be considered an improvement, the project must add value to the home and ultimately increase the profit of the sale. Here are a few of the most common home improvements ideas :

The list of projects that can increase the selling price of your home is fairly extensive. One thing to keep in mind is that the improvement you make must still be present when you sell your house to be valid. For example, if you upgrade your air-conditioning unit, that same unit needs to be present when you sell the house in order to be added to your tax basis.

Prioritizing Improvements That Add Value

Due to the recent changes in how homeowners’ sale profits are taxed, it can be a good idea to prioritize improvements that increase the selling price of your home. Unless you anticipate a profit exceeding the tax exemption threshold of $250,000 for single filers or $500,000 for married filers, your focus will probably be on improvements that add value rather than the tax benefit those improvements provide. 

Final Thoughts

Most homeowners are curious about whether their home improvements are tax-deductible. While home improvements aren’t tax-deductible in the year that they are done, they can be added to the value of your primary residence to raise your tax basis. Your tax basis is subtracted from your final selling price to determine your profit.

Although it was incredibly important to track your home improvement expenses in the past, recent changes to the tax law made it less of a priority. If the profit from your home sale is less than $250,000 for single filers or $500,000 for married filing jointly filers, you won’t face a tax penalty on your profits. If your profit exceeds those thresholds then including your home improvements in your tax basis makes sense. 

Under the current law, it makes sense to prioritize home improvements that increase the selling price of your home. These include improving the size of the living space in your home through an addition or basement or renovating your bathroom or kitchen. Improvements that add to the quality-of-life of the occupant, such as a water softening system for your whole house attract potential homeowners by reducing maintenance requirements and ongoing costs. 

To learn more about the benefits of water softening and filtration systems, contact Rayne Water today.

Find a location near you!

Sources:

  1. https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/home-ownership/home-improvements-and-your-taxes/L6IwHGrx6
  2. https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/home-ownership/tax-aspects-of-home-ownership-selling-a-home/L6tbMe3Dy
  3. https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/what-home-improvements-tax-deductible.html
  4. https://www.hrblock.com/tax-center/filing/credits/home-renovation-tax-credit/  

How Does a Water Softener Work?

Posted by Ken Christopher

If you are considering transitioning to soft water throughout your house, you are probably wondering “how does a water softener system work?”. Water softening systems are an effective method of producing soft water for your entire house, but most people aren’t clear on the various types of water softeners , as well as how they function exactly.

Water softening systems transform hard water into softened water through a process known as “ion exchange”. Ion exchange is a gentle, yet highly effective method of removing the mineral ions that lend to the level of hardness found in some water. To understand how these systems function , you’ll first have to understand exactly what soft water is, and how water becomes hard in the first place. By gaining a full understanding of this process, you’ll have a better grasp of how water softening systems function and whether installing a water softener is the right choice for you and your home.

What is Water Hardness?

Don’t know the difference between hard water vs. soft water ? Water is often referred to as either “soft” or “hard”, but the meaning of these terms isn’t intuitive. Both of these terms are tied to the concept of water hardness, which is used to communicate the mineral content of a sample of water. Regardless, the benefits of soft water most definitely differentiate it from hard water.

Water hardness exists on a spectrum, from “soft” water which has a very low concentration of hard water minerals, to “very hard” water which can have a relatively high concentration of hard water minerals. This spectrum is better understood by looking at the water hardness scale. The water hardness scale is used to quantify exactly how hard or soft a sample of your water supply is. The most common scale in use measures the mineral content of water in terms of the number of grains-per-gallon (GPG) of dissolved calcium carbonate that a sample of water contains. Grain capacity can be broken down into several tiers based on calcium content.

Here are the thresholds for water hardness as defined by the most commonly used water hardness scale:

What is notable about the water hardness scale is that water can exist with varying degrees of hardness. It is also important to understand that the water hardness scale measures the amount of calcium carbonate that a sample of water contains because it is the most common mineral contained in hard water, but water hardness can be affected by many types of minerals and metals. Other common dissolved minerals found in hard water include magnesium, iron, manganese, zinc, aluminum, barium, and others.

How Does Water Become Hard?

The process through which water hardens is important to understand because it directly informs an understanding of how these systems work to soften water. Starting at the beginning of the water cycle, precipitation falls to the surface of the Earth as soft water or water with relatively low mineral content. Water begins to harden as it flows over and seeps through mineral-rich ground and soil.

Surface water, or water flowing through rivers and streams, tend to have a lower content of hard minerals. Groundwater tends to have a much higher content of hard minerals, as it moves through soil and stone rich in minerals. This groundwater eventually ends up in the aquifers that supply water to our homes.

As water percolates through soil and stone it picks up positively charged mineral ions. These ions become bound to the water molecule and typically aren’t separated from the water molecule until the water evaporates and leaves the mineral ions behind as deposits. As we will see, this process is important for understanding a water softener system and how does it work.

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How Water Softening Systems Work

If you have ever wondered, “how does a water softener work?”, the answer is that water softening systems remove mineral ions in hard water through the process of ion exchange. This process requires exchanging positively charged mineral ions in the hard water with positively charged sodium ions, leaving the water coming out of the system free of mineral ions.

Water softening systems contain two tanks: a brine tank and a resin tank. Let’s break down the function of each of these.

Resin Tank

When water enters the water softening system it enters the resin tank. This tank holds a fairly sizable amount of plastic resin, usually a few cubic feet. This resin is porous and is usually covered in positively charged sodium ions.

As hard water moves through the resin tank the mineral ions that are bound to the water molecule are attracted to the negatively charged resin. The positively charged sodium ions that coat the resin are released into the water as the mineral ions take their place on the resin. This allows the resin to maintain a balanced electrical charge.

The water exiting the system contains a small number of sodium ions as the result of the process, but importantly no longer contains high levels of hard mineral ions. This process of ion exchange is a highly effective, yet gentle method of achieving softened water. To get a sense of how effective it is, each foot of resin in the system can soften approximately 3,200 gallons of water before it needs to be recharged. Now that would require an ample amount of water usage to go through that many gallons in a short period of time.

Brine Tank

The resin contained in the resin tank of a water softening system needs to be recharged periodically in order to continue removing dissolved minerals from hard water. As minerals are removed from hard water they bind, through an electrical charge, to the negatively charged resin. These mineral ions take up space on the resin, and periodically need to be flushed from the resin to allow other mineral ions to occupy that space. If not done periodically, the flow rate may be impacted.

The second tank in a water softening system is known as a brine solution tank and contains a concentrated solution of saltwater. During the flushing process, the resin tank is rinsed with the saltwater from the brine tank. The saltwater saturates the resin, forcing the positively-charged mineral ions to become removed and replaced by positively charged sodium ions. The remaining water in the resin tank, containing the loose mineral ions, is then flushed and the system is ready to soften water again.

Do Water Softening Systems Require Maintenance?

Water softening systems do require some maintenance to function at peak performance. Specifically, the user is usually required to add additional salt, or sodium chloride, to the brine solution tank periodically.

The process of flushing the resin tank may be automated depending on the specific system you are using. Many systems perform the flushing process in the middle of the night when the system is less likely to be in use.

What About Salt?

Sodium ions serve an important function in water softening systems, but many people are curious about whether the soft water produced by a water softening system is salty. A typical water softening system will add roughly 750 milligrams of sodium for each gallon of water produced. To put this number in perspective, an 8-ounce glass of tomato juice has approximately 875 milligrams of sodium.

With that being said, if you are concerned about the sodium content of soft water there are a couple of treatment options for you. 

First, some types of water softeners utilize a resin that releases potassium into the water rather than sodium. The downside of these types of systems is that the potassium chloride salt used in them is more expensive than the salt used to refresh a typical water softening system.

Second, many people choose to install a reverse osmosis system under their sink to provide water for drinking and cooking. Reverse osmosis (RO) systems are small, making them easy to install in tight places, and they can remove any remaining sodium in the water along with other dissolved solids that your water may contain. It is basically a water conditioning system made to provide fresh drinking water.

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Closing Thoughts

Water softening systems are a highly effective and efficient method of removing hard minerals from hard water that could be affecting your health and house appliances. Water softening systems utilize a process known as ion exchange to remove minerals from hard water. This process reverses the natural processes through which water becomes hard in the first place.

When water percolates through soil and stone it picks up positively charged mineral ions, which are then bound to the water molecule and make it hard. Hard water enters the water softening system through the resin tank, which is a tank filled with a negatively charged porous plastic resin coated in positively charged sodium ions. As the hard water moves through this tank, the hard mineral ions in the hard water are attracted to the negatively charged resin. The water exiting the system has had the hard minerals removed, and is ready to be piped throughout your house.

Water softening systems remove hard minerals through a gentle, largely passive process. Periodically the resin’s negative charge needs to be refreshed by removing the mineral ions that have become attached to it during the water softening process. This is accomplished by filling the resin tank with a saltwater brine, which displaces the mineral ions with sodium ions. Those mineral ions are then flushed from the system and the water softening system is ready to soften more water.

Water softening systems are low-maintenance and are the most efficient method of removing hard minerals – calcium chloride, magnesium, iron – from hard water and avoiding the negative impact of hard water throughout your house. Rayne Water is proud to serve California and Arizona. So if you need a water softener in Phoenix or a reverse osmosis system in San Diego… we’ve got you covered! To learn more about what water softening systems are available for your residence or business or how to get a purified water system , please contact Rayne today.

location

Sources

  1. Ungvarsky, Janine. 2018. “Hard Water.” Salem Press Encyclopedia of Science.
  2. https://extension.psu.edu/hard-water-and-water-softening
  3. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-do-water-softeners-wo/
  4. https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/tools/a28280250/water-softener/
  5. https://extension.psu.edu/water-softening

How Can Water Improve My Life?

Posted by Ken Christopher

With the New Year comes resolutions. People begin finding ways to improve their lives- their health, their finances, their habits. Traditionally, many Americans will make weight loss and getting healthy their resolution for the New Year. As part of this healthier lifestyle, many Americans will try to eat better and exercise more. As you improve your diet and burn more calories, remember to drink plenty of water to keep you feeling and looking better. Besides from keeping you hydrated, there are additional health benefits of drinking water.

Drinking plenty of water before each meal has actually been proven to help you lose more weight. It has been hailed as a secret weapon in weight loss and is such an easy change you can do within your diet plans. Brenda Davy, PhD, an associate professor of nutrition at Virginia Tech and senior author of a 2010 study, says that drinking just two 8-ounce glasses of water before meals helps people melt pounds away and lose weight. She tells WebMD that many people substitute sweet-tasting calorie-containing beverages for water. Choosing water has so many benefits. You will feel fuller, look younger, and consume fewer calories. Why would you choose a resolution that will lead to failure? Drinking lots of water is easy and you will reap the health benefits of drinking water quickly, keeping you motivated for sure. After all, success is the best motivator.

Get started today! We specialize in providing the purest water possible!

Drinking plenty of safe water is a doable resolution for sure. Most resolutions come with an average failure rate of about 78%, say experts. Our drinking water systems make it easy to complete your goals of being healthier. Reverse osmosis will turn your tap water into safe, healthy filtered water by eliminating harmful contaminants in a cost-effective manner. Making a resolution doesn’t have to mean spending too much money. In fact, bottled water costs more financially and environmentally. A drinking water filter will simply turn tap water into healthier water. This is the perfect way to support such an important resolution. With so many unhealthy people in this country, increasing the amount of water we drink is the perfect start to the New Year. Your resolution may also have a positive impact on those around you. You will be modeling healthy habits for your children and promoting a healthier lifestyle without “failing” at a resolution. Will you improve your life, ditch the sugary beverages, and make drinking more (safe) water your New Year’s resolution too?

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What You Should Know About Common Well Water Contaminants

Posted by Ken Christopher

Regular testing and timely maintenance of your private well can help ensure your family’s drinking water is healthy and safe. Private well water is susceptible to many different environmental conditions affecting the water supply in the locality. From bacterial contamination, to off putting smells and taste once it’s in its storage tank, well water can be less than ideal for daily consumption. Well water is NOT treated like that of public drinking water, and there are a number of naturally occurring minerals and contaminants that will be in that water if it’s not filtered. However, don’t let this alarm you. It’s easier than you think to set up a proper water filtration system and avoid any common well water contaminants. It’s time to make a drinking water system in your home a priority by educating yourself on contaminants and health risks and treating your water today!

According to one study from The University of Minnesota, clear, clean well water can still carry large amounts of naturally occurring bacteria which can cause a very bad smell, even if the water looks okay to drink. This bacteria can be very hard to eliminate with certain kinds of drinking water filters. You’ll need to make sure that the filtration product you choose is right for the type of water contamination you have since not all water filters on the market can handle multiple types of contamination. It’s important for your health, your time and your wallet to learn about common well water contaminants in your area and determine which water filter would serve best for filtration. If you choose to invest in a home water filtration system, you’ll save time because the right systems will function properly and efficiently. You can also save money from buying bottled water, since the filtered water will be free of high levels of contaminants and more clean for your health.

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One of our most popular drinking water systems is our reverse osmosis drinking water system. It is equipped with a post-carbon water filter for great fresh taste, and effectively reduces 95-97% of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and other contaminant concentrations that may be harmful to your health. This is especially important for well-owners, so you can ensure that your private well water is safe from sources of contamination. On top of the effectiveness, our water filter systems also have the added advantage of being incredibly eco-friendly!

Water wells can be unpredictable when it comes to drinking water contamination. Conducting a proper water test is essential for maintaining potable water for your home. However, even that isn’t always foolproof, and you’ll still need to take action should you find bacteria or contaminants at or above safe levels. When you have a home drinking water system to filter your water, your family will feel better knowing that the water they’re drinking or using is safe for their health and free of any undesired sources of contamination. Drinking water contamination doesn’t have to be hard for those with wells when you have our drinking water filters on your side!

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How to Filter Water: Which Method is Best for Your Home?

Posted by Ken Christopher

Water quality in the U.S. has been making national headlines, which may have you exploring filtration options to take precautions. Your family’s health decisions lie in your hands, and choosing the right water filtration equipment is important – especially if you have young children.

From filtration pitchers to faucet heads and water coolers, there are many ways to remove harmful contaminants from your tap. But which option is worth your investment in water quality? Which method is best for your home? Here, we lay out how to filter water, and the pros and cons of the most popular water purification methods available.

Let’s explore.

Reverse Osmosis System

Reverse osmosis systems help eliminate contaminants other types of filtration tend to miss to make water safer and better tasting – all for just pennies a glass. Great for those using a well, these technologically advanced and innovative filters use the reverse osmosis process to significantly reduce contaminants such as lead, arsenic, chloride, fluoride, radium and other harmful bacteria in water.

Reverse osmosis is the process of pushing water through a semi-permeable membrane to remove impurities and harmful contaminants, thereby resulting in safe, great-tasting filtered water!

Reverse Osmosis Systems starting at only /mo. Try before you buy!

Water Cooler

When it comes to water coolers, there are a couple of options: the classic bottled water cooler, or the newer, more environmentally friendly bottle-free water cooler. Both offer various water temperature settings, potentially free up kitchen counter space and are low-maintenance.

Bottle-free coolers attach to your water supply and run tap water through advanced filters to remove impurities and contaminants. The filtered water is stored in an internal storage tank, so you’ll have plenty of clean water on hand to drink when you need it. There are no replacement filters to change or bottles to replace.

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Water Testing – Your Water’s Report Card

Posted by Ken Christopher

If you have children in school, you’re likely familiar with the periodic report card coming home. Sometimes, this is the only way you know how your child is performing in school. It’s helpful in showing what your child does well, what she does poorly, and what improvements need to be made. A water test is like a report card for your water supply and can give you important insights into the safety and quality of your drinking water.

What is a water test?

Very simply, a water test measures the types and amounts of certain contaminates existing in your water supply. The various contaminants measured are determined by the type of test, who is doing the testing, and where your water supply is.

Why do I need a water test?

If you live in a community where the water is provided via municipal sources, you may wonder why it’s necessary to have your water tested. Don’t governmental agencies do their own testing to ensure that they’re meeting standards and avoiding any health risks to provide safe water to the public? The short answer is yes, they do. However, the required testing is not always done on time, and officials aren’t always quick to release the results, especially if they result in unsatisfactory levels of water quality. Play it safe, avoid the risk, and get your own water tested regularly.

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How often should I get a water test?

According to the National Ground Water Association, individuals with wells should get their water tested at least once a year. The test should look for bacteria, nitrates, or any other contaminant that is a health concern in your location. For example, if E. coli was found in your neighbors’ wells, you might want to have your water tested for the same.

While local agencies do undergo periodic testing of their water supplies, it certainly doesn’t hurt to get your own test done at least once a year if you’re relying on them for your clean water. If nothing else, it will provide you with peace of mind that you have safe, quality, potable water. Of course, you should get a water test done sooner if you notice a change in the look or smell of your tap water – this is true regardless of the water source.

How do I get my water tested?

Water tests can be done by local laboratories or agencies. The homeowner is typically given instructions for the collection of a water sample, and the sample is then tested for the contaminants in question. This costs money, however, and accurate results hinge on accurate collection techniques.

Rayne makes it easy – we offer a FREE water test completed by one of our knowledgeable technicians. When the results are in, we’ll even let you know if we recommend a home water treatment system or drinking water system to ensure you have the best water possible.

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10 Things You Never Knew A Water Softener Could Do

Posted by Ken Christopher

Water quality in the U.S. has been making national headlines, which may have you considering filtration options more seriously and exploring options available to you. However, with so many options available, it can be hard to understand the pros and cons of each. A well known and popular option is a water softener. A good water softener is one of those appliances that truly makes life a little bit easier because the system takes on some of your workload and makes your home a healthier place to live. There are so many great reasons to invest in a water softener as a solution for filtration, you’ll never regret the decision to install it.

Anyone living with hard water knows that your expenses are higher and your chores are harder because the buildup from the hard minerals in the water require extra soaps and detergents, energy and manual labor to remove. We have a few different models of water softeners to choose from, so no matter what, your home can be fitted with the perfect size and power that you need. All in all, we think you’ll agree with the many other folks who’ve experienced the change from hard water, and that you will love the life changes that softened water can bring.

Water Softener Systems starting at only /mo. Try before you buy!

Once you get a good water softener, you will wonder how you ever lived without it. How a water softener works will not only make you look and feel better on the outside, you’ll actually be happier with more time to spend doing things you love rather than cleaning and scrubbing anything around the house that your hard water touches. A recent article from Homesteading Freedom lists many reasons why installing a water softener at home is a good idea, and here are 10 of our favorites:

  1. Your clothes will feel extra clean and soft, look great and will last even longer by having them washed in soft water.
  2. A water softener makes your skin softer and your hair healthier by flushing away bacteria easier and keeping your skin and hair in good condition.
  3. Water-utilizing appliances such as your washing machine, dishwashers, and humidifiers will last longer and work more efficiently with softened water, since they are less likely to become clogged and have issues from mineral formation.
  4. Your water will taste better since a water softener will filter out minerals that can cause unpleasant tastes and smells.
  5. Soft water helps prevent plumbing repairs. With hard water, minerals build up, making pipes more apt to break, clog or need repair.
  6. Softened water can help save you money. You’ll spend less on soaps and detergents, energy bills and repairs or replacement of appliances.
  7. Soft water will keep your kitchen utensils and dishes from having water spots on them, making them nicer to look at and easier to clean.
  8. Heating systems work more efficiently with soft water.
  9. Soft water can help prevent skin issues such as eczema.
  10. With all the money you save with soft water, your water softener will pay for itself in 2-4 years.

There are so many reasons why a water softener is a smart decision aside from the filtration, but now it’s time for you to decide for yourself. We have plenty of information about our water softening products on our website. When you’ve had a chance to do your research, give us a call and let us know you’re ready to start saving time and money! Who knows, it might just be the solution to your water problems you didn’t know you needed.

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