Modern Salt Less Water Conditioning A Comparison of Polyphosphate, Citrus and Physical Water Conditioners

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1 Modern Salt Less Water Conditioning A Comparison of Polyphosphate, Citrus and Physical Water Conditioners Hardness does not affect health so it is not an EPA regulated constituent but may be regulated by state or local health districts. The EPA does recognize hardness as a "secondary" contaminant and recommends water with a hardness level in excess of 3 grains per gallon (51 ppm) be treated. Hard water is the source of many household problems, it does impact quality of life and the pocket book. Typical hard water problems include hard to clean spots, scale build up, shortened appliance life, soap scum, your laundry to be grey, dingy, yellowing, rough and scratchy and more. There are several methods used to address hard water problems, the traditional salt based softener is only one. Today by far the most common method of treating hard water problems is by way of traditional salt based ion exchange softeners. In this paper I want to compare several alternatives to salt based softeners The ion exchange process is taught to students of residential water treatment in several nationally and internationally recognized industry organizations and by many of the major water treatment equipment manufacturing companies. Very little is taught about successful conditioning with alternatives polyphosphate, citrus and various PWCs (physical water conditioners). This may, in part, be because hard water conditioning using the ion exchange process is predictable, easily understood and results are measurable using a standard hardness test kit. Because conditioning with alternatives to ion exchange is not taught is in no way a reflection upon their effectiveness as an alternative to ion exchange. As of the writing of this paper the traditional salt based ion exchange water softener is viewed by many as the Gold Standard in hard water treatment. It is argued that to be a softener a water conditioning device must remove the hardness minerals from the water and any conditioning device that does not remove the hardness is not a softener. This argument has and continues to cause contention within the water treatment industry and confusion amongst consumers. There are others who would argue salt softeners are facing very real challenges to their position as the Gold Standard from alternative technologies. There are several alternative technologies to the salt based ion exchange softener and these alternative technologies have proved they re able to solve problems created by hard water without removing the hardness from the water. None of the alternative technologies use salt, produce waste water or are suffering from regulatory restrictions or outright bans. All produce water that does not feel slippery when bathing or washing and is OK to use to water plants, lawns and gardens. All are smaller in size and some are able to address multiple water quality problems beyond hardness. Phone Fax

2 Alternatives effectively soften the water by changing the way minerals behave and though minerals cannot cause the problems they would if left untreated they are still in the water, they are not removed. Because the minerals are not removed from the water we do not generally refer to water treated with alternative technology as water that is softened rather we refer to it as water that is conditioned. When using a hardness test kit the conditioned water will show the same amount of hardness before and after treatment. In the end, effective conditioning (solving the water quality problem at hand) is a direct result of understanding the water quality and proper application of the conditioning method to be used. In other words, find out what is wrong with the water and know your treatment tool or technique of choice well enough to know whether or not you ve chosen the right tool. No matter the tool you choose to use (salt based ion exchange softeners included in this conversation) each has its pros and cons and it's important to understand what those are in order to help your customer choose the best solution for them. A Comparison of Polyphosphate, Citrus and Physical Water Conditioners: POLYPHOSPHATE: Polyphosphate is derived from naturally occurring phosphorus rock and varying techniques used to manufacture polyphosphate create polyphosphates with unique properties. Polyphosphate has been in constant use as a conditioning tool since the 1920's. Polyphosphate treats hard water by a process that hides or holds the hardness in suspension. This process is known as sequestration or to sequester. To sequester undesirable contaminants like hardness means to isolate or hide away those contaminants. Think of it like this; hardness is like a popcorn ball; it sticks to everything it comes into contact with. Now, to prevent that popcorn ball from sticking to anything you'd wrap it or maybe put it into sandwich bag and though it is still a popcorn ball it can no longer stick to anything. By wrapping that popcorn ball or putting it into a baggie you've sequestered it, you've addressed the sticky problem without removing the sticky stuff. Sequestration of hardness is just like sequestering the sticky popcorn ball, the hard water problems are solved without removing the hardness. Because the hardness is sequestered it can no longer cause hard water problems, it can't form scale, it can t leave hard water spots, soaps will suds and work better, laundry will be whiter and brighter and all the benefits of softened water are achieved. Though sequestered minerals cannot cause the problems they would if left untreated they are still in the water, they are not removed. Again, when using a hardness test kit the conditioned water will show the same amount of hardness before and after treatment with polyphosphate. Just as the treatment is different you need a different kind of test to show it is working. There are very simple tests to show polyphosphate is sequestering hardness. Phone Fax

3 During the treatment process a very small amount of polyphosphate is added to the water. After time the polyphosphate will need to be replenished for effective treatment to continue. A few other things about modern polyphosphates worth noting: Polyphosphates play well with other water conditioning equipment and processes and can be used to enhance new or existing traditional salt softeners and other water conditioning systems. Many consider polyphosphates the "Multi Tool" of the water treatment world. There are specialty polyphosphates that can be used to treat a wide variety of water quality problems including; hard water, iron, manganese, low ph, silica and aggressive or corrosive water conditions. All this in a very simple easy to use form. NSF approval of your polyphosphate of choice is important. The NSF approval process helps assure consumers the polyphosphate they are using meets strict quality and safety standards for drinking water. CITRUS: There is at least one company that sells a salt free softener using citric acid to lower the ph of the water. Lowering the ph reduces the likelihood hardness minerals in the water will precipitate. This lowering of the ph effectively reduces scaling and just like polyphosphate treatment the hardness minerals are left in the water. Also, just like polyphosphate a typical hardness test kit will not show a reduction in hardness but a simple ph test before and after treatment will show a lower ph reading in the treated water if citric acid is reducing the ph. Like any treatment there are specific water quality conditions where it is not recommended to install the system. For instance, when it comes to citric acid treatment it is recommended that the inlet water have a ph of 7.2 or higher. PHYSICAL WATER CONDITIONERS: The term PWC (Physical Water Conditioner) is generally used to describe a wide range of conditioners that are designed to prevent lime scale build up on heat exchange surfaces when hard water is heated. Again, unlike softeners or filters which work by removing the ions (hardness salts) which form the lime scale, PWS s generally work by affecting the chemistry of the precipitation reaction: suppressing lime scale formation, reducing the rate of scaling, or by altering the form of the scale or the chemistry of the precipitation mechanism itself. There are four main types of physical water conditioners on the market with a variety of claimed operating mechanisms, electro magnetic, magnetic, electrolytic, and electronic. Phone Fax

4 A different type of PWC technology is one that uses TC (Templated Crystallization). TC conditioners use a special media in a tank that causes hardness minerals to form microcrystals that are unable to attach to plumbing surfaces. TC conditioners do not require power and as with each of the alternative conditioners considered in this paper they do not produce waste water. When considering any alternative treatment, it is recommended you understand the pros and cons well enough to educate the customer. Since most customers are familiar with the salt based softener it is recommended you compare your proposed treatment to a salt softener. This way you can manage any expectations your customer may have prior to the sale. What is meant by expectations? Let s say you ve got a prospective customer who currently has or is very familiar with a traditional salt softener and they ve decided they don t want to deal with salt anymore and have chosen your proposed alternative salt less treatment. Now, if you have not fully managed their expectations by discussing the differences between treatment they are familiar with and their new salt less treatment they may expect that familiar slippery feeling from salt softened water and when your system does not produce water with that familiar slippery feeling they will at the very least question whether the treatment you sold them is working. They may even ask you to remove the treatment and reinstall their old salt softener because they like that slippery feeling and treatment that does not produce the feeling they like is just not acceptable. If you find yourself in a situation like this, you ve not properly managed customer expectations prior to the sale. In the following table we compare the different alternatives to softeners. Phone Fax

5 POINTS OF COMPARISON: The below table shows common and unique properties of all three above technologies. Parameter Integrated Cartridge Solutions with PolyHalt Polyphosphate NuvoH2O Citric Acid Physical Water Conditioners: Magnets, Coils and Templated Crystallization Certified for use in drinking water Some are No salt required No waste water No control valve required Yes on some Beneficial minerals are retained Simple installation DIY friendly Some are DIY friendlier than others Simple maintenance DIY friendly Some are DIY friendlier than others No Drain required No electricity required Some do require electricity No moving parts Most Small physical size Some Large media tank T.I.C., T.A.C. and T.C. Silent operation Operating ph range (Typ.) Protects plumbing and appliances Some do Works on waters with high iron Maintenance interval 12 month 6 month month (Typ.) Treats iron Treats manganese Treats silica Treats low ph Treats bad taste Treats bad odor Treats chlorine Filters sediment and particles Not subject to water softener restrictions or bans No slimy soft water feel Eliminates soap scum in tubs, showers and sinks Produces spot free water No No No Spots are easier to clean Maybe Maybe Laundry will be brighter, whiter and softer OK for watering plants, lawns, and Maybe gardens Not NSF/ANSI Drinking water certified Some Phone Fax

6 IN SUMMARY: Each one of these alternatives claims to be able to replace the traditional salt based ion exchange softener. Each one has pros and cons to consider and it is important to know and understand these pros and cons for proper application, to manage expectations and to make happy customers. Among the most important information to consider when choosing any water treatment is the water quality and what objectionable qualities need to be addressed. Another important consideration is whether the product under consideration is certified for use in drinking water applications by an independent 3 rd party. Any alternative product should have at a minimum NSF/ANSI Standard 60 approval. Additionally, if the product uses electricity a separate electrical certification such as U.L. or C.E. is very important for safety. Once you know the product you are considering meets minimum certifications the next step is to determine whether the proposed treatment will address water quality problems of the particular application and that the proposed treatment can be installed on waters having the quality determined by testing. For example; you may have hardness as the main problem but your water may also have a small amount of iron and some of these systems are designed to address the hardness but can t be installed when there is also iron in the water. Some alternative treatment products may be able to treat more water quality problems than you need and this is OK. There is nothing wrong with a product that is capable of treating more. In fact, the ability to treat more may be a very good feature, sort of like having insurance in case something happens. Consider this, many water sources have changing water quality throughout the year. When water quality changes there may be more of a particular substance or additional substances that could affect chosen treatment, it could even mean a particular treatment won t work when the change occurs. The point here is to be conscience of the fact water quality often changes and to consider this potential when comparing alternative treatment options. Once you know what is in your water to be fixed, that the product being considered is applicable, it is certified for use in drinking water and is safe if it uses electricity then your choice(s) will have a much greater chance of success. Only after a product passes these tests would you then compare price, maintenance, physical size product water quality and so on. Furthermore, never forget to manage customer expectations. Finally, it is always a good idea to look at testimonials from actual users of the product(s) under consideration and to share these with the prospective customer. Phone Fax