Q. How does water become hard?
A.This depends on the surrounding geology of where you live. Rainwater is naturally soft, it becomes hard by soaking through chalk and limestone and dissolving some of the minerals.

Q. How do I know if I live in a hard water area?
A. Many more people live in hard water areas than soft. See the attached map which shows soft and hard water areas in the UK. Find out more

Q. How do I know if my water is hard?
A. Scale and scum are the main indicators of hard water. The scale build up which you can see is around taps, shower head and inside your kettle. More importantly the scale build up that you can’t see inside your water pipes and hot water cylinders costs you more money. The scale acts as a barrier between the heat exchanger and the water and therefore takes more energy to heat the water to the required temperature. Hard water also makes it so much more difficult for soaps, shampoos and detergents to lather. This means that you use more, which costs more and this is what causes the unpleasant scum left on kitchen sinks, baths and washbasins.

If you suffer from scale build up on your taps and kettle, if you get a filmy scum on the top of your tea or coffee, then you have hard water.

Q. How does a water softener work?
A. All water softeners work on the same principal. Inside the softener there is a cylinder with millions of tiny resin beads, as the hard water passes through the cylinder the resin beads attract the calcium in the water (which is what makes the water hard in the first place), the result of which is soft water. This process is known as ion exchange.
Every so often (this depends on the hardness of the water and the amount of water used), the resin becomes exhausted and the regeneration process begins. The regeneration process is achieved by flushing the resin with salt water and is a common process for all water softeners.

Q. What is the difference between an electric and a non-electric water softener?
A. An electrically powered water softener can be affected by power cuts and may need to be manually re-set. The machine may also revert to hard water if heavily used before the controller begins the regeneration process.

A non-electric softener will not be affected by power cuts and works using a meter so will regenerate when required.

Q. What is the advantage to a dual cylinder water softener as opposed to a single cylinder?
A. Dual cylinder water softeners are both more effective & efficient as they continue to produce softened water even during the regeneration process. Once one cylinder as become exhausted the machine automatically switches to the second cylinder while it regenerates the first. A single cylinder softener will switch into by-pass while it is regenerating and all water used at this time will therefore be hard. Single cylinder water softeners should be timed to regenerate during the night as water is less likely to be used then.

Q. Will a water softener make my water taste salty?
A. No. Salt is used to clean out the resin beads only. Once the softener has used the salt water for the regeneration process, it again flushes itself through with clean water in order to remove any remaining salt. There will always be a very small amount of sodium left (in the same way as when your clothes are rinsed in the washing machine, it never gets rid of all the detergent), but this is a miniscule amount and not enough to be able to taste it.

Q. What does it mean when a water softener regenerates?
A. Every so often (this depends on the hardness of the water and the amount of water used), the resin becomes exhausted and the regeneration process begins. The regeneration process is achieved by flushing the resin with salt water and is a common process for all water softeners.

Q. Is softened water safe to drink?
A. Yes, however, it should not be used to make milk formula for babies or it is not advisable for anyone who has been instructed by their doctor to be on a sodium restricted diet to drink softened water.

In order to understand the amount of sodium contained in softened water, typically 2 slices of bread contain 375 mg of sodium compared to drinking 4 pints (2.25 litres) of softened water which contains only 310 mg.

Neither hard water nor softened water provide the necessary minerals to ensure good health, these are mostly obtained from food as part of a balanced diet.

Q. What is the difference between softened water and filtered water?
A. Water softeners only remove the hardness from water, primarily calcium dissolved as CaCo3.

Water filters however remove chlorine to dramatically improve the taste & odour of your water; some filters also specifically target other contaminants such as heavy metals, bacteria or particulate matter.

Water filters can be used with hard or soft water.

Q. How does a water filter work?
A. All of our filters remove chlorine to dramatically improve the taste & odour of your water; some filters also specifically target other contaminants such as heavy metals, bacteria or particulate matter.

Q. How often should I change my water filter?
A. That depends on the type of filter you buy. The frequency of filter changes is shown in the filter price list.

Q. Can I easily install a water softener or water filter?
A. Yes. All water softeners purchased include installation instructions. Although below is a list of things to consider before purchase:

• Where is the rising main/internal stop cock?
  
• Where is the nearest drain or waste pipe?
  
• Depending on type of water softener, is there a power supply or socket nearby?

All water filters purchased with an installation kit will include easy to follow installation instructions.