Introduction Hard water is supplied to a high percentage of UK areas. Whilst this water is not dangerous, it does have a number of unwelcome side-effects that organisations need to consider. Hard water significantly increases scale formation; clogging up components throughout your water system and slowing down water flow, as well as increasing the risk of bacterial contamination. When running large commercial premises, the consequences of hard water issues are far-reaching. Leave scale-formation to its own devices and your business will incur considerable maintenance and repair costs, not to mention any associated downtime. Softening the impact of hard water You could be looking at water softeners for a number of reasons. Maybe your organisation is spending too much on maintenance? Perhaps it’s a question of water quality? Whatever the reason, an industrial water softener such as the Hydroion, would eliminate or significantly reduce your scale-formation; resolving both the concerns described above. It is worth noting however, that hard water and its associated scale formation can also be addressed by a physical water conditioner. Each method has its own unique benefits; it’s simply a question of deciding which best suits your specific needs. What will a softener achieve? An industrial water softener such as the Hydroion will provide your organisation with all the soft water it requires for its commercial needs; efficiently and cost-effectively. For water softeners to work, salt has to be added as part of the process. Therefore a water softener – unlike a physical water conditioner – will change the chemical composition of your water supply. Your water will, however, become clear and soft. As a result it will eliminate scale formation, work more efficiently with soaps and detergents, and could help certain skin conditions. It is recommended, however, that there is always a separate water supply that is maintained for providing potable drinking water. So how does it work? The Hydroion consists of three key components: a resin tank; a brine tank and a control module. Water flows down through a tank containing the mono spherical strong acid cation resin. This removes the calcium and magnesium ions - minerals that make the water hard – and exchanges them for sodium. Now softened, the water is then drawn into a central riser (or column) within the tank, upwards and out to the main supply. When exhausted (ie, the resin has absorbed all the calcium and magnesium ions it can), the plant must be regenerated. The process starts with a backwash to lift and loosen the resin bed. Next a controlled amount of brine or salt water is drawn through the resin vessel from the brine tank. The brine flows down the central riser of the resin tank, emerges from the bottom of the riser and flows upwards through the resin. This high concentration of salt causes the hardness minerals to become detached from the resin and subsequently be taken away from the unit in the water flow. The Hydroion water softener finally uses a series of rinses to ensure the removal of excess brine from the vessel, before returning to the service mode.