What is the operation of commercial water softeners?
Industrial and commercial water softening systems remove scale-forming calcium and magnesium ions from your water supply. This results in softened water that prevents many problems associated with hard water, including increased energy consumption, plugged boiler tubes, clogged heat exchange units and expensive repairs.
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The commercial water softening process involves ion exchange where water passes through plastic resin beads coated in sodium molecules that interact with hard minerals. The positively charged calcium and magnesium ions are replaced by negatively charged sodium ions, producing soft water.
These beads are surrounded by an ion exchange resin, a media made of tiny particles that hold and retain the calcium and magnesium ions. Periodically the resin is cleaned and regenerated by flushing out the accumulated hardness with a precisely controlled brine solution.
Ion exchange is an efficient, automatic method of removing the scale-forming minerals from your water without the need for mechanical equipment. The only moving parts of a commercial water softener are the resin tank and the control valve that controls the regeneration cycle.
Depending on your needs, a commercial water softener may have a timer that triggers regeneration at regular intervals regardless of how much water is used or it can be set to regenerate only when water is consumed. Both methods use modern electronics and either a timer or volumetric valve control unit to determine when regeneration is needed.
This technology ensures your business can always have fresh, clean water at the ready, whether it’s for employees or customers. It can also help to reduce the number of detergents and other chemicals you use, reducing your cleaning costs.
In addition, softened water can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of other commercial water treatments such as reverse osmosis and ion exchange resin filters. This can lead to lower operating expenses, better cleaning outcomes and an overall healthier environment for your employees and guests.
The best way to find out how your commercial or industrial facility will benefit from a commercial water softener is to have your water tested. This will tell you what mineral ions are present in your water and what impact they can have on your business, allowing you to make an informed decision.
Choosing the right size of water softener for your facility is key to the proper operation and maintenance of the commercial water softener system. Your expert water professional will work with you to determine the ideal size of commercial water softener for your facility based on how your water is used and what level of hardness you need to achieve.
Understanding how a commercial water softener works is important for any business that relies on a clean, healthy and consistent water supply. This includes hospitals, schools, offices, restaurants and more.
There are a number of factors that will help you choose the perfect water softener for your business. It’s important to consider flow rate, daily water consumption and system design.