Are you aware of the hidden costs of hard water?
When water is underground, it picks up soluble minerals from Earth. Thus, water has a certain level of minerals such as calcium and magnesium dissolved in it and is considered to be ‘hard’. If used directly washing, cleaning or other processes, hard water can lead to a number of serious problems.
- Scaling of pipes resulting in clogging and reduced flow rates.
- Scaling of heating or cooling systems increasing energy costs and system failures.
- Reacting with soap reduce its effectiveness and increase laundry costs.
- Staining water taps and producing a white film on glass surfaces.
1/16-inch of scale can increase energy consumption by around 11 percent. On the same note, Heating untreated water drives your costs up by 29% (Data source)
Water softener plants remove the dissolved minerals in water to turn it clean and easily usable in industrial processes.
Most water softener plants remove calcium and magnesium, but the system can be also configured to remove iron from the water. Inovar provides customized water softener plants for industrial use to supply treated water with consistent quality, and lowest levels of residual hardness throughout the service cycle. Water softener plants are available in automatic or semi-automatic versions, with their capacity customized as per your application requirements.
Water softener plant working principle
The waster softener plant consists of two tanks: The minerals tank and the brine tank. When hard water first comes into the water softener plant, it passes through the mineral tank. This tank contains fine mesh resins that carry a negative charge. The calcium and magnesium ions in hard water carry a positive charge. The resins attract and remove these ions from hard water.
The second tank is the brine tank which contains regular salt or sodium chloride solution. When the surface of the resins gets coated with calcium and magnesium ions, the brine solution of sodium chloride is introduced into the mineral tank to wash flush out all the calcium and magnesium ions. These ions then flow into the wastewater drain. After the desired output is obtained, the resin is regenerated with sodium chloride solution to treat the next batch of hard water.
Factors to consider when choosing a water softener plant
Volume and properties of water to be treated
Water softener systems are designed to treat specific levels of hardness. Water hardness varies according to the geographical location of the business, and it also impacts the type and amount of salts to be used in the system.
Type and quantity of salts
Different types of salts are sold to use with a water softener system. Generally, rock salt contains more insoluble matter is the best-suited salt for a water softener plant. It is advised to consult the water softener plant manufacturer regarding the type and amount of salt use. In case the salt usage is very high, the water softener plant will need frequent cleaning. Similarly, the mixing of various types of salts is to be avoided. Some water softener plants are designed for specific usage and may malfunction if different salts are used. If you wish to change the salt, wait till the brine tank is completely empty of the current salt in use.
Sizing:
Two key parameters are considered in sizing the water softener plant.
Exchange capacity: This is the amount of water delivered to the system between regenerations. The exchange capacity of a water softener plant depends on the quantity of salt used in resin regeneration and the amount of ion-exchange resins in the system.
Flow rate:
Water softener plant sizing is also impacted by the maximum quantity of water required during the peak usage period. The flow rate is measured in gallons per minute (GPM). In case your water softener plant works in batches, it is best to document your flow requirements in the design stage of the system itself.
Advantages of water softener plant
- Reduced energy costs
- Extended life of heating or cooling equipment
- Consistent water quality
- Low cost of water processing.
Conclusion
Water softener plants are critical to obtaining consistent water quality while saving the costs for heating, cooling, and maintenance. Water softener plants need little to no maintenance. The only running cost of the system is the price of salts needed to recharge the brine tank and to regenerate the resin beds.
Inovar is a company focused on using advanced technology to improve the quality and availability of water.
We work closely with you to study your unique requirements and design a customized water softener plant that meets your application needs. We offer fully automatic and semi-automatic water softener plants with proven performance and a lifespan of 15-20 years. Further on, Inovar’s water softener plants are backed by annual maintenance contracts to further reduce your long-term costs for the plant.
To explore the Inovar water softener plant in detail, download the brochure.