What does 30000 grain capacity mean?
As mentioned above, the capacity of a water softener describes how much hardness it can remove before it needs to regenerate. A “grain” of hardness is 1/7000th of a pound of dissolved calcium and magnesium. One cubic foot of resin requires between 18 pounds of salt to achieve 30,000 grains of recovered capacity!
How much hardness does a water softener remove?
Softeners mainly remove calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) ions. Calcium and magnesium are often referred to as ‘hardness minerals’. Softeners are sometimes even applied to remove iron. The softening devices are able to remove up to five milligrams per litre (5 mg/L) of dissolved iron.
What is a good water hardness number?
Grains per gallon is a measure of water hardness. One grain per gallon (gpg) is equivalent to 17.14 parts per million (ppm). A water hardness of 0 to 3 gpg is soft water, 3 to 7 gpg is moderately hard and 7 to 11 gpg is considered hard. Anything more than 11 is considered very hard.
What size water softener do I need for a family of 4?
What Size Water Softener for Family of 4? A family of 4 needs about 300 gallons of water per day (4 x 75 gallons). If the hardness of water is 10 grams per gallon, then the daily softening requirement is 300 x 10 = 3000 grains.
Is it bad to oversize a water softener?
An oversized water softener isn’t necessarily as bad as an undersized one, save for the fact that you will pay more money for it upfront. Regeneration will occur less frequently and the unit will use salt more efficiently. Otherwise, you won’t be able to properly estimate how much you need to spend on salt.
Can you drink softened water?
Softened water is completely safe to drink and does not contain unhealthy levels of sodium. The average amount of sodium found in a 250ml glass of softened water contributes to 1% of your daily sodium intake (Recommended daily intake by the NHS (2015) is 2,400mg of sodium).
Is soft water safe for pets to drink?
Soft water is considered safe for your pooch to drink but it also has its cons. Soft water has poor taste because it contains more sodium (salt) than hard water. This means that it highly likely that your dog will not be too fond of it.
Will softened water hurt my plants?
The sodium in softened water actually interferes with the water balance in the plants and can kill plants by “fooling” them into thinking they have taken up more water than they have. Softened water essentially causes the plants in your garden to die of thirst.
Will softened water hurt dogs?
Softened water meets the EU Directive on water quality, meaning it is safe for human consumption. This includes consumption by pets. As with humans, softened water isn’t recommended for pets that have a restricted or sodium-free diet.
Why is my soft water so slippery?
Soft water replaces those magnesium and calcium ions with sodium ions. The result is soft water, loaded with salt. The salt is what makes the water feel slimy. After you buy a water softener, you might feel slimy and slippery after you take a shower, like you haven’t gotten all the soap off of you.
What happens if water softener is set too high?
Soft water provided by a utility does not need additional softening and may cause corrosion issues for your home. Make sure the softener is set to the hardness of your water supply. If the hardness is set too high, the softener will cost more to operate and waste water, costing you extra money.
Which salt is better for water softener pellets or crystals?
Plain salt crystals, when used in higher water usage, can cause bridging. Water Softener Pellets can help reduce bridging, work better for moderate to high volume water users, and all-in-one tank system users.