Q. What is hard water?

A. Hard water is defined as having more than 1GPG (grains per gallon) of dissolved minerals in it (usually calcium, magnesium carbonate and /or manganese).

Q. How is hard water measured?

A. Hard water is measured in either PPM (parts per million) or GPG (grains per gallon)

Q. Does the water run through salt to get softened? 

A. NO. It runs through a Cation Exchange bed. Salt is used to wash this bed at regeneration

Q. How much sodium is added to the water by the softener? 

A. That depends on the hardness of the original water. The table below shows the additional amount of sodium consumed by drinking ONE gallon of softened water.


INITIAL HARDNESS SODIUM ADDED
1.0 Grains per Gallon 30 Milligrams / Gallon
5.0 Grains per Gallon 150 Milligrams / Gallon
10.0 Grains per Gallon 300 Milligrams / Gallon
20.0 Grains per Gallon 600 Milligrams / Gallon
40.0 Grains per Gallon 1200 Milligrams / Gallon

As a comparison:

1 slice of white bread has 161 milligrams of sodium
cup of canned baked beans has 1130 milligrams of sodium
1 medium sausage has 610 milligrams of sodium
1 cup of whole milk has 127 milligrams of sodium

Q. Will a softener remove iron, too?

A. Yes, at low levels, however at high levels e.g. above 1mg/ltr a filter specifically for iron is required.

Q. How much salt will I use and is it expensive?

A. Tablet salt costs 10.00 per 25kg bag.
Block salt costs 5.50 per 8kg bag (each bag contains 2 x 4kg blocks).
Usage depends on water hardness and quantity of water used.


Q. What is the expected life of the softener resin bed?

A. Under normal conditions, it is normal for a softener to go over 8 years without needing to have the bed changed.

Q. Why would I want to soften my water? 

A. It greatly reduces the scaling of pipes, taps, pots, glasses and baths. You will use less detergents, soaps, shampoos etc. The water is more pleasant to wash with, less soap scum.

Q. Someone told me that softened water feels slimy.

A. When you wash your skin with hard water, there is a layer of soap and minerals that is left on your skin. This is what causes the squeaky-clean feeling. With soft water, the soap is completely rinsed away leaving the natural oils your skin produces.

Q. There are hundreds of companies selling all kinds of water softeners. Why should I buy your system?

A. We are a reputable, locally owned company that was here yesterday and we will be here tomorrow. Like all other Companies out there, we have Electric Softeners. But we are one of the few Companies to carry Non Electric Water Softeners. We are often copied, but no one can match our quality, service, products and price.

Q. What makes your softeners better than others that charge as much as twice the price? 

A. As mentioned in the last question we have the Dependable Non  Electric softeners. But, all softeners, regardless of price, should soften your water (i.e. reduce the hardness to 0 grains). Though an electric softener will only perform as good as the person looking after it.

Some questions to ask before you buy a system are:

    How long has the company been in business?
    Do you have a proper office and showroom that a customer can
      visit? (Where systems can be viewed in advance).
    Are your systems Electric or Non Electric?
    How much water does it use per regeneration?
    What is the Manufacturers warranty? That way YOU (the customer)
     are guaranteed a real warranty.
   Does the softener regenerate based on time or on actual water
     demand?
   If the Softener is Electric - how easy is it to change the settings and
    add salt to the unit? Because with Non - Electric Systems there are
    no timers, meters or buttons to push.
   How quickly can you get your questions answered and your
    problems solved?