00006.txt

E20080521_AAAABB_xml.txt

00002.txt

00007.txt

00008.txt

00005.txt

00004.txt

00001.txt

00003.txt

Circular 918


Hard water when to soften



Virginia Peart














Florida Cooperative Extension Service
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
University of Florida
John T. Woeste, dean


VV ATR
TheChllege1"sCrsto Ceo
Q U L T


1









Hard water when to soften


Virginia Peart


Hard water is water that requires a large amount
of soap to form a lather. Soap combines with the
hardness minerals in hard water to form an
insoluble soap curd instead. Usually waters from
lakes and streams (surface waters) have few
hardness minerals. Waters from surface sources are
relatively soft, whereas water from wells (ground
water) is usually hard. Most water in Florida comes
from deep limestone aquifers and is very hard.
Hardness levels from 15 to 25 grains per gallon
(gpg) are not uncommon. Municipal water treat-
ment plants often use a lime-soda precipitating
process to partially soften water but hardness rarely
drops below 6 to 8 gpg.
Water hardness is measured in grains per gallon
(gpg) or in parts per million (ppm). One gpg equals
17.1 ppm. When water is harder than 3 1/2 gpg (60
ppm), softening it can be beneficial. The harder
water is, the problems encountered in using it are
more difficult, and more softening will be required.

Hard water problems
Hard water can cause two types of problems.
1) Hard water neutralizes or ties up soaps and de-
tergents. More soap and detergent is used in hard
water and hard water does a poorer job of rinsing
laundry, so clothes may be come dingy-looking.
2) Hardness minerals precipitate out when water is
heated. Some specific effects of hard water are:
* Clothes can become dingy.
* Glasses, dishes and stainless or silver tableware
look spotted and cloudy unless they are towel
dried each time after washing.
* A hard film can form on shower walls, doors and
bathtubs.
* A gummy bathtub ring can form when soap,
hardness minerals and body oils combine.
* A film can form on floors, countertops, etc. from a
build-up of hardness minerals when even a small
amount of hard water is left during cleaning.
* Scale can form in hot lines and water heaters,
causing them to use more electricity or gas and
shortening their useful life.
* Very hard water can cause a film build-up in
dishwashers.


* Hair can become sticky and dull looking.

Hard water characteristics
Rain water is soft, but water dissolves many sub-
stances. Rain, as it falls from the sky, dissolves CO2
to form a weak acid, carbonic acid. Many minerals
in the soil that are insoluble in plain water, dissolve
readily in acid and form a soluble mineral compound
that reacts with soap and causes other hardness
related problems. The principal hardness minerals
are calcium and magnesium. Iron, copper and man-
ganese are also considered hardness minerals. In
very small amounts these minerals can cause stains
on clothing and plumbing fixtures. When drops of
hard water dry, they leave a "hard" residue.
Hardness minerals, or cations, combine with
anions such as bicarbonate, chloride, sulfate and
nitrate. Calcium and magnesium bicarbonate are
the most common hardness compounds. The great-
er the carbonate hardness level, the greater the
alkalinity of the water. When water with carbonate
hardness is heated, carbon dioxide and water are
released and the calcium and magnesium carbonate
precipitate out. It is this precipitate that forms in
teakettles, water heaters and hot water pipes.
Another water hardness compound, magnesium
sulfate, can cause laxative problems. A conventional
water softener can replace the magnesium with
sodium which would correct the laxative problem.
However, the sulfate would remain, and if at high
enough level, might impart a taste or odor.
Since anions are not removed with a softener,
high levels of nitrates (a hazard for young children,
pregnant women and elderly) will require other
treatment to correct.

Characteristics of naturally soft and
ion exchange softened water
Rain water, naturally soft water which may be
slightly acid, has few dissolved minerals and does
not react with soap as hard water does. Drops of
naturally soft water leave no spots when they dry.
Water treated by reverse osmosis or distillation is
similar to naturally soft water.
Water treated with an ion exchange water soften-
er, like naturally soft water, does not react with
soap, but will be about as alkaline as the hard water









Hard water when to soften


Virginia Peart


Hard water is water that requires a large amount
of soap to form a lather. Soap combines with the
hardness minerals in hard water to form an
insoluble soap curd instead. Usually waters from
lakes and streams (surface waters) have few
hardness minerals. Waters from surface sources are
relatively soft, whereas water from wells (ground
water) is usually hard. Most water in Florida comes
from deep limestone aquifers and is very hard.
Hardness levels from 15 to 25 grains per gallon
(gpg) are not uncommon. Municipal water treat-
ment plants often use a lime-soda precipitating
process to partially soften water but hardness rarely
drops below 6 to 8 gpg.
Water hardness is measured in grains per gallon
(gpg) or in parts per million (ppm). One gpg equals
17.1 ppm. When water is harder than 3 1/2 gpg (60
ppm), softening it can be beneficial. The harder
water is, the problems encountered in using it are
more difficult, and more softening will be required.

Hard water problems
Hard water can cause two types of problems.
1) Hard water neutralizes or ties up soaps and de-
tergents. More soap and detergent is used in hard
water and hard water does a poorer job of rinsing
laundry, so clothes may be come dingy-looking.
2) Hardness minerals precipitate out when water is
heated. Some specific effects of hard water are:
* Clothes can become dingy.
* Glasses, dishes and stainless or silver tableware
look spotted and cloudy unless they are towel
dried each time after washing.
* A hard film can form on shower walls, doors and
bathtubs.
* A gummy bathtub ring can form when soap,
hardness minerals and body oils combine.
* A film can form on floors, countertops, etc. from a
build-up of hardness minerals when even a small
amount of hard water is left during cleaning.
* Scale can form in hot lines and water heaters,
causing them to use more electricity or gas and
shortening their useful life.
* Very hard water can cause a film build-up in
dishwashers.


* Hair can become sticky and dull looking.

Hard water characteristics
Rain water is soft, but water dissolves many sub-
stances. Rain, as it falls from the sky, dissolves CO2
to form a weak acid, carbonic acid. Many minerals
in the soil that are insoluble in plain water, dissolve
readily in acid and form a soluble mineral compound
that reacts with soap and causes other hardness
related problems. The principal hardness minerals
are calcium and magnesium. Iron, copper and man-
ganese are also considered hardness minerals. In
very small amounts these minerals can cause stains
on clothing and plumbing fixtures. When drops of
hard water dry, they leave a "hard" residue.
Hardness minerals, or cations, combine with
anions such as bicarbonate, chloride, sulfate and
nitrate. Calcium and magnesium bicarbonate are
the most common hardness compounds. The great-
er the carbonate hardness level, the greater the
alkalinity of the water. When water with carbonate
hardness is heated, carbon dioxide and water are
released and the calcium and magnesium carbonate
precipitate out. It is this precipitate that forms in
teakettles, water heaters and hot water pipes.
Another water hardness compound, magnesium
sulfate, can cause laxative problems. A conventional
water softener can replace the magnesium with
sodium which would correct the laxative problem.
However, the sulfate would remain, and if at high
enough level, might impart a taste or odor.
Since anions are not removed with a softener,
high levels of nitrates (a hazard for young children,
pregnant women and elderly) will require other
treatment to correct.

Characteristics of naturally soft and
ion exchange softened water
Rain water, naturally soft water which may be
slightly acid, has few dissolved minerals and does
not react with soap as hard water does. Drops of
naturally soft water leave no spots when they dry.
Water treated by reverse osmosis or distillation is
similar to naturally soft water.
Water treated with an ion exchange water soften-
er, like naturally soft water, does not react with
soap, but will be about as alkaline as the hard water









Hard water when to soften


Virginia Peart


Hard water is water that requires a large amount
of soap to form a lather. Soap combines with the
hardness minerals in hard water to form an
insoluble soap curd instead. Usually waters from
lakes and streams (surface waters) have few
hardness minerals. Waters from surface sources are
relatively soft, whereas water from wells (ground
water) is usually hard. Most water in Florida comes
from deep limestone aquifers and is very hard.
Hardness levels from 15 to 25 grains per gallon
(gpg) are not uncommon. Municipal water treat-
ment plants often use a lime-soda precipitating
process to partially soften water but hardness rarely
drops below 6 to 8 gpg.
Water hardness is measured in grains per gallon
(gpg) or in parts per million (ppm). One gpg equals
17.1 ppm. When water is harder than 3 1/2 gpg (60
ppm), softening it can be beneficial. The harder
water is, the problems encountered in using it are
more difficult, and more softening will be required.

Hard water problems
Hard water can cause two types of problems.
1) Hard water neutralizes or ties up soaps and de-
tergents. More soap and detergent is used in hard
water and hard water does a poorer job of rinsing
laundry, so clothes may be come dingy-looking.
2) Hardness minerals precipitate out when water is
heated. Some specific effects of hard water are:
* Clothes can become dingy.
* Glasses, dishes and stainless or silver tableware
look spotted and cloudy unless they are towel
dried each time after washing.
* A hard film can form on shower walls, doors and
bathtubs.
* A gummy bathtub ring can form when soap,
hardness minerals and body oils combine.
* A film can form on floors, countertops, etc. from a
build-up of hardness minerals when even a small
amount of hard water is left during cleaning.
* Scale can form in hot lines and water heaters,
causing them to use more electricity or gas and
shortening their useful life.
* Very hard water can cause a film build-up in
dishwashers.


* Hair can become sticky and dull looking.

Hard water characteristics
Rain water is soft, but water dissolves many sub-
stances. Rain, as it falls from the sky, dissolves CO2
to form a weak acid, carbonic acid. Many minerals
in the soil that are insoluble in plain water, dissolve
readily in acid and form a soluble mineral compound
that reacts with soap and causes other hardness
related problems. The principal hardness minerals
are calcium and magnesium. Iron, copper and man-
ganese are also considered hardness minerals. In
very small amounts these minerals can cause stains
on clothing and plumbing fixtures. When drops of
hard water dry, they leave a "hard" residue.
Hardness minerals, or cations, combine with
anions such as bicarbonate, chloride, sulfate and
nitrate. Calcium and magnesium bicarbonate are
the most common hardness compounds. The great-
er the carbonate hardness level, the greater the
alkalinity of the water. When water with carbonate
hardness is heated, carbon dioxide and water are
released and the calcium and magnesium carbonate
precipitate out. It is this precipitate that forms in
teakettles, water heaters and hot water pipes.
Another water hardness compound, magnesium
sulfate, can cause laxative problems. A conventional
water softener can replace the magnesium with
sodium which would correct the laxative problem.
However, the sulfate would remain, and if at high
enough level, might impart a taste or odor.
Since anions are not removed with a softener,
high levels of nitrates (a hazard for young children,
pregnant women and elderly) will require other
treatment to correct.

Characteristics of naturally soft and
ion exchange softened water
Rain water, naturally soft water which may be
slightly acid, has few dissolved minerals and does
not react with soap as hard water does. Drops of
naturally soft water leave no spots when they dry.
Water treated by reverse osmosis or distillation is
similar to naturally soft water.
Water treated with an ion exchange water soften-
er, like naturally soft water, does not react with
soap, but will be about as alkaline as the hard water








from which it is made and contains about the same
amount of sodium as the calcium and other hard-
ness minerals in the hard water. Hard water leaves
spots and films when it dries on surfaces. Softened
water also will leave spots and films, but they can be
easily removed. Ion exchange softened water be-
comes more alkaline as it is condensed by evapora-
tion and can be more corrosive to some metals such
as aluminum.

Ion exchange water softeners

The softening process
The most common method of removing water
hardness is with an ion exchange water softener,
sometimes called a cation exchange or mechanical
water softener. During the softening process, water
flows through a tank with synthetic resin beads
which have been saturated with salt (sodium chlo-
ride). The resin has a stronger affinity for calcium
and magnesium in the water than for sodium.
When water flows through the resin bed, the calci-
um and magnesium become attached to the resin
and the sodium combines with carbonate or other
anions and stays in the water. The water still con-
tains dissolved solids, but the solids will not react
with soaps and detergents to form insoluble com-
pounds. The solids in water will still leave spots
when the softened water dries on surfaces, but the
spots will be "soft." They can be brushed away or
will redissolve in water.
Iron, in amounts more than about 0.3 ppm can
cause a staining problem. An ion exchange water
softener will remove small amounts of soluble iron
(up to .5 ppm for every gpg hardness or up to 3 ppm
if the softener is heavy duty). It is necessary to
check with your softener dealer for the capability of
various softeners to remove iron. However, insolu-
ble iron in water (the water appears red or brown),
excess soluble iron (more than 3 ppm) or the pres-
ence of iron bacteria can foul the resin bed and
make the softener ineffective. A special salt to use
when water has iron includes an additive that pre-
vents iron from precipitating in the resin bed and
fouling it. Correction for a fouled resin bed will
require in-plant cleaning of the resin bed.

The regeneration process
Once the resin beads in the softener are saturated
with hardness minerals, the softener must be regen-
erated. In the regeneration process a saturated salt
solution (brine) is washed through the resin. This
strong brine replaces the hardness minerals with
sodium, excess salt is rinsed away and the softener
is again ready to continue the softening process.


Timer operated softener systems are usually set to
soften in early morning hours or other time when
water is not likely to be used by the family.
The brine solution and excess water from the
backwash of a water softener will not harm most
septic systems, although they could dictate the need
for a slightly larger tank and drainfield.

Water softener components
A water softener has a tank to hold the resin bed;
a tank to hold salt and water to form a brine; hard
water line to bring in water to be treated; a softened
water line leading to where water is to be used; and
a source of electricity and controls to regulate the
regeneration process. Most softeners have a water
by-pass line so water can be used during the regen-
eration cycle, if necessary. By-pass water, when
used, will not be softened. Larger systems have
separate resin and salt tanks. Smaller systems can
have a small resin bed tank inside the salt tank and
appear to be one tank. The single tank system,
because of the smaller tanks, will have a lower soft-
ening capacity and the regeneration process must be
repeated more often to keep the water soft. Three
tank systems have two resin beds, so that softened
water will be available during the regeneration.

Water softener size
Water softeners are sized according to the grains
of hardness the resin bed can remove. Chemical
tests are required to accurately determine water
hardness. The actual hardness of water in gpg and
the number of gallons of softened water a particular
family is likely to use in a day can be used to deter-
mine how frequently any water softener must be
regenerated.
Example:
Water hardness 20 gpg
Family softened water use per day -
about 250 gallons
20 gpg x 250 g = 5000 grains to be removed
per day
A water softener with a capacity of 20,000 grains
would need to be regenerated every 4 days (20,000 +
5000 = 4) to provide an adequate supply of softened
water. A softener with a smaller capacity would
need to be regenerated more often.

Water softener controls
Non-automatic water softeners require the user
to start and in some cases to monitor and change
the processes during the regeneration. Because








automatic control softeners require only an initial
setting, most people will choose one of these.
Timer controls are the most common type. Based
on the hardness of the water, the estimated gallons
of water used per day and the capacity of the resin
bed, a timer control can be set to regenerate at
planned intervals. There are pins or buttons to set
for each day in a cycle. A seven day cycle allows
regeneration to be set according to daily use. For
instance, if more laundry and bathing is done on
weekends, controls can be set for operation on Fri-
day, Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday, perhaps. Six
day cycles allow for alternate day settings. Most
timer control softeners will have a special button to
push at any time when the user feels extra softening
is needed. A regeneration cycle will take from 45
minutes to almost 2 hours depending upon the man-
ufacturer and model.
Demand water softener controls measure water
flow and start regeneration after a predetermined
number of gallons of water are used. This can be a
more accurate method of regenerating the softener
when needed and may require the use of less salt
and water. However, the regeneration process may
begin while water is being used for laundering, bath-
ing or automatic dishwashing unless the model has
two resin tanks and can switch from the depleted
tank to the other tank.

Water softener maintenance requirements
A softener should work well when supplied with
water from a municipally-treated water system. If a
private source of water containing a sediment is
used, a prefilter is needed to protect the resin bed.
(Water from a private source, such as a well or a
small water company, should be tested for contami-
nants that are potential health hazards.)
Once a softener has been installed, the main
responsibility of the user is to keep the brine tank
supplied with salt and to call for service if the soft-
ener malfunctions.

Additional concerns
Dietary sodium. The sodium content of soft-
ened water can be a concern for persons on a sodi-
um-restricted diet. Since sodium replaces the hard-
ness minerals in water, the amount of sodium in
softened water is related to the water's original
hardness. For example, water with 20 gpg hardness
will contain about 150 milligrams of sodium per one
quart of softened water. A person consuming 3
quarts of water per day would add about 450 milli-
grams of sodium to his or her diet. One solution for
sodium-restricted diets is to run an unsoftened wa-


ter by-pass line to the kitchen sink. Potassium chlo-
ride can be used in place of sodium chloride in water
softeners in special cases where there is an objection
to the use of sodium chloride. Potassium chloride is
more costly, but has no adverse effects in the diet.
Watering plants. Softened water is not recom-
mended for watering plants or the lawn. Minerals
in most hard water are combined with bicarbonates
which makes the water very alkaline. When soft-
ened, the water will also be very alkaline. When
hard water evaporates, the hardness minerals pre-
cipitate out, but the alkalinity stays about the same
during the process. When softened water, which
contains sodium carbonate, is used to water plants,
the water evaporates, the sodium carbonate stays in
solution and the solution becomes more and more
alkaline. Plants cannot tolerate such high alkalinity
levels. Outside water lines should not be connected
to a water softener.
Steam irons. Distilled water is mineral free and
should be used in steam irons. Hard water plus
heat will cause the inside of the iron to crust. Soft-
ened water becomes very alkaline when used in a
steam iron. In addition to leaving a powdery residue
the high alkalinity will be corrosive.
Chlorine. Environmental Protection Agency
standards set the minimum standard for chlorine in
water at 10 ppm for microbiological safety. The
resin bed in softeners processing water with 10 ppm
chlorine can be expected to have a ten-year life. For
safety from water bacteria, more chlorine is often
used in warm climates where ground water temper-
ature is higher. Chlorine in excess of 10 ppm will
speed the aging of the resin bed. The bed may need
replacement sooner. Since chlorine is not removed
with a cation water softener, chlorine content will be
about the same after softening. Other types of treat-
ment are required to correct chlorine taste and odor
problems.

Other water softening treatments
Home reverse osmosis and distillers both remove
hardness minerals as well as other water contami-
nants. However, their use would be costly for soft-
ening the large quantities of water for laundering,
dishwashing and bathing.
Occasionally, permanent magnetic water softeners
are promoted at home shows and fairs. Although
claimed to give hard water the properties of soft
water and to prevent hard water scale, rust and
corrosion, magnetic water softeners have been inves-
tigated and claims were found to be false.









Water softening agents
Packaged water softeners. Hard water and
pure soap do not make a good cleaning combination.
Hard water also reacts with detergents. When wa-
ter is not too hard, packaged water softeners can be
used. For laundering, packaged water softeners
should be used in both the wash and rinse cycles.
Non-precipitating packaged water softeners
contain phosphates which can chemically combine
with hardness minerals to keep them soluble. In
water, the hardness/phosphate compound will not
interfere with the cleaning process. Look for phos-
phates on the package label.
Precipitating packaged water softeners
contain sodium carbonate which combines with
hardness minerals and forms a precipitate. When
precipitating water softeners are used with very
hard water for laundering, the precipitate left on
clothes will make colors look dull and faded.
Synthetic detergents. Because soap and hard
water cause problems when used for laundering, and
hard water is so prevalent, almost all laundry clean-
ers are now synthetic detergents. Detergents can be
effective cleaners if enough is used to satisfy water
hardness as well as to clean clothes. Use more de-
tergent than package directions suggest if the water
is harder than about 7 gpg.
Detergent bars. When shopping for soap for
showering and bathing, hard water users would be
wise to look for detergent bars. If the word deter-
gent is on the wrapper or the word "soap" is not
used, the bar is probably detergent. Look also on
the label for detergent components. Detergent bars
will have a milder detergent formulation than the
detergents used for laundering.

Rental softening units
Water softener equipment can be rented. For a
monthly fee a company will install a softening unit
and add salt to it at regular periods. This method
can meet the needs of families in urban areas where
the service is available. Arrangements must be
made to accommodate the delivery of new units.

Cost of ion exchange softening
The cost of owning and using a water softener
depends not only on the purchase and installation
costs, but other costs as well. Table 1 lists cost
factors for a family that uses about 300 gallons of
softened water per day (water of 15 gpg hardness).
Their water softener has a 20,000 grains per regen-
eration capacity rating. Original cost of the softener


was $800. The yearly cost of owning and using a
softener under the conditions described is $242.97
per year. When considering the cost of owning a
water softener, it is necessary to include as costs
such things as the loss of interest if money is with-
drawn from savings or the interest that must be
paid if money is borrowed for the purchase. Also
consider water, sewer, salt, electricity and potential
maintenance costs.
To estimate your cost of owning and using a
water softener, ask your water softener dealer to
help you fill out the second column. (Assume that
the water softener or synthetic resin must be re-
placed after 10 years. High iron or chlorine content
of water can shorten the life of the resin bed.)
Table 2 can be used to estimate the cost of rent-
ing water softening equipment. Portable tanks can
also be rented at a cost a little higher than renting
equipment. At intervals, depending on the hardness
of the water the tanks are replaced.
Table 3 allows you to compare your costs of own-
ing versus renting water softening equipment.

References
Alleman, James E. "Quantitative Assessment of the
Effectiveness of Permanent Magnetic Water Con-
ditioning Devices." Purdue University. Novem-
ber, 1985.
"Basic and Simple Guide to Ion Exchange Resins."
Water Conditioning and Purification. August,
1998.
Brown, R.B. and Peart, M.V. 'Your Home Septic
System." SL-59 Florida Cooperative Extension
Service. April, 1990.
Rivers, Jerry. "Sources of Dietary Sodium." R-22.
Water Quality Association.
Water Treatment Fundamentals. E-3. Water
Quality Association.
Wilke, H. and Hutcheson, R. "Soft Water for the
Home." HE-506 Indiana Cooperative Extension
Service. Purdue University.



WATER




QUALITY


4









Water softening agents
Packaged water softeners. Hard water and
pure soap do not make a good cleaning combination.
Hard water also reacts with detergents. When wa-
ter is not too hard, packaged water softeners can be
used. For laundering, packaged water softeners
should be used in both the wash and rinse cycles.
Non-precipitating packaged water softeners
contain phosphates which can chemically combine
with hardness minerals to keep them soluble. In
water, the hardness/phosphate compound will not
interfere with the cleaning process. Look for phos-
phates on the package label.
Precipitating packaged water softeners
contain sodium carbonate which combines with
hardness minerals and forms a precipitate. When
precipitating water softeners are used with very
hard water for laundering, the precipitate left on
clothes will make colors look dull and faded.
Synthetic detergents. Because soap and hard
water cause problems when used for laundering, and
hard water is so prevalent, almost all laundry clean-
ers are now synthetic detergents. Detergents can be
effective cleaners if enough is used to satisfy water
hardness as well as to clean clothes. Use more de-
tergent than package directions suggest if the water
is harder than about 7 gpg.
Detergent bars. When shopping for soap for
showering and bathing, hard water users would be
wise to look for detergent bars. If the word deter-
gent is on the wrapper or the word "soap" is not
used, the bar is probably detergent. Look also on
the label for detergent components. Detergent bars
will have a milder detergent formulation than the
detergents used for laundering.

Rental softening units
Water softener equipment can be rented. For a
monthly fee a company will install a softening unit
and add salt to it at regular periods. This method
can meet the needs of families in urban areas where
the service is available. Arrangements must be
made to accommodate the delivery of new units.

Cost of ion exchange softening
The cost of owning and using a water softener
depends not only on the purchase and installation
costs, but other costs as well. Table 1 lists cost
factors for a family that uses about 300 gallons of
softened water per day (water of 15 gpg hardness).
Their water softener has a 20,000 grains per regen-
eration capacity rating. Original cost of the softener


was $800. The yearly cost of owning and using a
softener under the conditions described is $242.97
per year. When considering the cost of owning a
water softener, it is necessary to include as costs
such things as the loss of interest if money is with-
drawn from savings or the interest that must be
paid if money is borrowed for the purchase. Also
consider water, sewer, salt, electricity and potential
maintenance costs.
To estimate your cost of owning and using a
water softener, ask your water softener dealer to
help you fill out the second column. (Assume that
the water softener or synthetic resin must be re-
placed after 10 years. High iron or chlorine content
of water can shorten the life of the resin bed.)
Table 2 can be used to estimate the cost of rent-
ing water softening equipment. Portable tanks can
also be rented at a cost a little higher than renting
equipment. At intervals, depending on the hardness
of the water the tanks are replaced.
Table 3 allows you to compare your costs of own-
ing versus renting water softening equipment.

References
Alleman, James E. "Quantitative Assessment of the
Effectiveness of Permanent Magnetic Water Con-
ditioning Devices." Purdue University. Novem-
ber, 1985.
"Basic and Simple Guide to Ion Exchange Resins."
Water Conditioning and Purification. August,
1998.
Brown, R.B. and Peart, M.V. 'Your Home Septic
System." SL-59 Florida Cooperative Extension
Service. April, 1990.
Rivers, Jerry. "Sources of Dietary Sodium." R-22.
Water Quality Association.
Water Treatment Fundamentals. E-3. Water
Quality Association.
Wilke, H. and Hutcheson, R. "Soft Water for the
Home." HE-506 Indiana Cooperative Extension
Service. Purdue University.



WATER




QUALITY


4










Table 1. Annual cost of purchased water softener (conditions as specified).



Example Annual Cost
Cost Factors for the Annual Cost
for a Example for your
Purchased (Conditions as Purchase
Water Softener Specified) Conditions

Investment Cost:
$800.00, 10 year life. $80.00

Interest on Investments:
Loss of 5.2% interest if money is withdrawn from
investment less taxes would be $485.00 or $48.50
annually (or 18% interest if money borrowed and $48.50
repaid in 3 years would be $240.00 totally, (or $24.00)
would average $24.00 annually).

Salt Requirements:
If softener set to regenerate 2 x per week and
requires about 7 pounds of salt per regeneration.
52 weeks x 2 per week x 7 Ibs per regeneration = 728 lbs.
728 Ibs x $11.00 per 100 Ibs = $80.08 annually. $80.08

Water Regeneration Requirements:
52 weeks x 2 per week x 60 gallons = 6,240 gallons
6,240 gallons x $1.00 per 1,000 gallons = $6.24 annually. $ 6.24

Sewer bill given as 70% of water bill: $4.68 annually. $ 4.68

Electricity to Operate Clock Timer and Valves:
3 to 5 kilowatt hours per year.
5 kWh x $0.10/kWh = $3.50 annually. $ 3.50

Maintenance Estimate:
$20.00 annually. $20.00

Personal Property Taxes:
Include, if softener will be assessed. ( )

Annual Cost of Owning/Using Water Softener for
Conditions Specified. $242.97


5










Table 2. Annual cost of renting portable exchange water softener (conditions as specified).


Cost Factors for a Portable
Exchange Water Softener


Annual Cost for
126,000 Grains
per Month


Quoted Rental Price* on an annual basis for
portable exchange unit 4,200 gr. per day
capacity.


Installation Fee** (This is a one-time cost.
If the service will be used for 10 years,
the annual cost is 1/10th of the
installation fee.) $100.00 : 10 years =


Annual Cost of Portable Exchange Service
(for conditions specified).
TOTAL


$300.00


$10.00




$310.00


Annual Cost
Your Portable
Exchange Unit


$







$




$


*In one Florida city this cost is $30.00 per month (1990) for the specific example. Prices vary because of local labor rates and costs associated
with other aspects of water conditioning such as iron content or corrosiveness of the local water.

**Installation fees vary because of differences in the plumbing required.




Table 3. Water softener own or rent?

Comparing these essential elements may help you decide whether to own or rent. The following chart will help you make the comparison.


Purchased Softener
Unit


1. Annual Cost from Table 1.


$


2. Investment:
Total cash outlay at purchase time.


3. Household Labor Time:
Buy and add salt as needed.




4. Water and Sewer Requirements:
Water Fow 8 to 15 gal./min. at 20 Ib pressure
for about 20 minutes.
Sewer or septic tank is essential.

5. Maintenance Responsibility:
Routine maintenance and repairs typical of any
mechanical appliance.
Iron in the water may reduce efficiency of the
softener.


Portable Exchange Softener
or Automatic Rental Unit


1. Annual Cost from Table 2.


$


2. Investment:
Adapts well for those who rent or move
frequently.

3. Household Labor Time:
Routine admittance of service personnel to
the home to exchange tank or replenish salt
supply for an automatic unit if indoors.
Another monthly bill to pay.

4. Water and Sewer Requirements:
Portable Exchange Unit has no special
requirement since it is taken to
dealer's shop for regeneration.

5. Maintenance Responsibility:
None under normal conditions.


COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES, John T. Woeste,
director, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture, publishes this information to further the purpose of the May 8 and June
30, 1914 Acts of Congress; and is authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that
function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap or national origin. Single copies of extension publications (excluding 4-H and youth
publications) are available free to Florida residents from county extension offices. Information on bulk rates or copies for out-of-state purchasers
is availablefrom C.M. Hinton, Publications Distribution Center, IFAS Building 664, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611. Before publicizing I UNIVERSITY OF FLOR
this publication, editors should contact this address to determine availability. Printed 2/91.










































































Virginia Peart is associate professor and Extension housing specialist, Department of Home Economics, IFAS, University of Florida,
Gainesville, FL 32611.

xml version 1.0
xml-stylesheet type textxsl href daitss_report_xhtml.xsl
REPORT xsi:schemaLocation 'http:www.fcla.edudlsmddaitss http:www.fcla.edudlsmddaitssdaitss2Report.xsd' xmlns:xsi 'http:www.w3.org2001XMLSchema-instance' xmlns 'http:www.fcla.edudlsmddaitss'
DISSEMINATION IEID 'E20080521_AAAABB' PACKAGE 'UF00014494_00001' INGEST_TIME '2008-05-21T17:12:59-04:00'
AGREEMENT_INFO ACCOUNT 'UF' PROJECT 'UFDC'
REQUEST_EVENTS TITLE Disseminate Event
REQUEST_EVENT NAME 'disseminate request placed' TIME '2015-05-15T14:46:45-04:00' NOTE 'request id: 302120; This is a disseminate from UF Chelsea S Dinsmore for migration DigiTool to Islandora see CAS-56088-F3Z2' AGENT 'Stephen'
finished' '2015-05-15T14:49:55-04:00' '' 'SYSTEM'
FILES
FILE SIZE '22901' DFID 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFVO' ORIGIN 'DEPOSITOR' PATH 'sip-filesUF00014494_00001.xml'
MESSAGE_DIGEST ALGORITHM 'MD5' f95d6456195acefe0c9b8f7a57a10351
'SHA-1' a605d02e927c623057da1f6be7aea9dcb02332c9
EVENT '2011-12-14T06:14:59-05:00' OUTCOME 'success'
PROCEDURE describe
'2015-05-15T14:49:27-04:00'
xml resolution
'394' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFVQ' 'sip-files00001.txt'
207e3471a4f5df327c0b786dbafd3c8b
ab892ed77a1470cee82addec057a6326c4181547
'2011-12-14T06:15:09-05:00'
describe
'4313' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFVR' 'sip-files00002.txt'
aedcc404be3eae31d6bec389785d8af2
a378336b532e4bba5a95adf3e43d3b6c3eb226cb
'2011-12-14T06:15:06-05:00'
describe
'4805' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFVS' 'sip-files00003.txt'
5c426b38622ea8c239d4583c85a4c0bc
82987540183e36b97b45709a228a7bef98880a45
'2011-12-14T06:15:04-05:00'
describe
'5086' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFVT' 'sip-files00004.txt'
9647966836048fec46143c140ae3b3d1
9f37df2b190cb0d8cdae800edd69ffd5dcb05fb3
'2011-12-14T06:15:01-05:00'
describe
'4270' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFVU' 'sip-files00005.txt'
c86cebdc7fcc6e1acd45a39a132903f2
83cf6aeb739372be6def8b7502c200a0ec5aac3f
describe
'2161' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFVV' 'sip-files00006.txt'
be9b75e5ccc6ecbc7d8d80dd2ff3bd87
e63b0db6c45415aa34610e806d25a69192d5249a
describe
'3409' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFVW' 'sip-files00007.txt'
5d5ad23b3709c13bc13b710d96c79b79
6891f6806cb48cfa76f696b032fcb9c3655a3e2b
describe
'301' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFVX' 'sip-files00008.txt'
7a04d5eea7975913d4d714c27616fd45
55dc0ff3882bb4892009a31f7ac209d95cf61023
'2011-12-14T06:15:02-05:00'
describe
'6887' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFVY' 'sip-files00001.pro'
b089a1ebf3735e5febd07c04a8950c3b
12819fa722386109d784910f72910fa6d6235e0e
'2011-12-14T06:15:10-05:00'
describe
'110236' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFVZ' 'sip-files00002.pro'
9b362cfe8868814f6de3b1c4be9f26f7
b3288c7391863cd701ec63da31f43272576fcd0f
'2011-12-14T06:15:07-05:00'
describe
'123895' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWA' 'sip-files00003.pro'
7cf467a210c4c798c6bf8f10969c24e6
0ec1460d8aa95f91185f6b3abca6350dd18edbe9
'2011-12-14T06:15:03-05:00'
describe
'131433' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWB' 'sip-files00004.pro'
3e85cbd13fc1cb35a20c467a915da7f3
28259cac5202222a40ea22662289cab80be2ff49
describe
'107695' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWC' 'sip-files00005.pro'
45d4be779ed0439bb14c5ef3ce629485
655e027f71c299930a68b13baabf142c3d3658ab
'2011-12-14T06:15:08-05:00'
describe
'42213' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWD' 'sip-files00006.pro'
17869f7444a6b0e744735dd124b76b51
cc9a736204d886e02f8e31258993b15c111d8137
describe
'86273' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWE' 'sip-files00007.pro'
3fcd3aa6c95d2fdcfb4ca105d0ddccd9
84856e351610289aea0b3977688f92464b95e4b4
'2011-12-14T06:15:00-05:00'
describe
'4715' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWF' 'sip-files00008.pro'
42b325e679088c40d6de172582ee0d42
ee5462c63d69efa4eba2f713ffef0f5d8250f10d
describe
'87952' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWG' 'sip-files00001.jp2'
50a1a1ef8da71d4013131c7ea7f950fb
7712fd6fc950c46fb5c2d3140b073005398655e9
'2011-12-14T06:15:05-05:00'
describe
'493710' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWH' 'sip-files00002.jp2'
5e03ffe613119fab1b64ab17787bd38d
2765f193d21f97485dd9dad2fc5bdea14f3c2253
describe
'556715' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWI' 'sip-files00003.jp2'
03b7dd715396cae9824b38732a26ecf4
4de8f41b0057c0b2136d8603f4eff3fc5045b053
describe
'571011' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWJ' 'sip-files00004.jp2'
fe3a92ba5c004d269ff0c4116409bb48
232d83a80aac8444b7eed79e39976808d3e91bc3
describe
'496078' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWK' 'sip-files00005.jp2'
bf3fba486da7bfada15d3e341db6aec1
8cfdd81dc3863f67f6d7174c7b4894d7f2ba6eb0
describe
'162754' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWL' 'sip-files00006.jp2'
95eefe2cc90f13bda957030e3e05fbdd
e03efdb3376c4ed4a5d9c8b11d43ebdaeff7fd0d
describe
'272696' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWM' 'sip-files00007.jp2'
5a2118e4f723af61ab6f47e8ae473c55
12fcecda21aba9bcca432251261a56cfd895ea04
describe
'35037' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWN' 'sip-files00008.jp2'
7241aef48ba7f00ee19cad543dc95481
ed999805324be25b06be61235ed041afb48ec015
describe
'4017540' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWO' 'sip-files00001.tif'
075e80d5e877547eeb7440e24b51eeba
43c58b52c3d3bd37817db89ce9d62128f67f2fb7
describe
'4081553' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWP' 'sip-files00002.tif'
7e8292492f9eebdae2fe594c3de1d903
a89c3f2102b98ea28b91ed04a59469111faa69b0
describe
Invalid DateTime length: 4-2002malformed dateTimeCreated
WARNING CODE 'Daitss::Anomaly' malformed dateTimeCreated
Invalid DateTime length
Invalid DateTime length
malformed dateTimeCreated
'4111668' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWQ' 'sip-files00003.tif'
15c6053c3899dc9b80a080536e9fd76a
13d91131b8674e8298a8cfe5c47e69822ef320dc
describe
'4082791' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWR' 'sip-files00004.tif'
ff88bd53f94b92ed2d9ae94742eb43c1
4eced5947d0963c089fe9fef49e578c104b079fa
describe
Invalid DateTime length: 4-2002malformed dateTimeCreated
malformed dateTimeCreated
Invalid DateTime length
Invalid DateTime length
malformed dateTimeCreated
'4111984' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWS' 'sip-files00005.tif'
71be39bda9a12c6a2946d36307c106ad
a25e5fa69038f9e5e80fce704688a212ccd24344
'2011-12-14T06:14:58-05:00'
describe
'4073724' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWT' 'sip-files00006.tif'
858894b61804a415d75cd7762d4ef80c
81fb7a846484a286151f9860907b13d0793742af
describe
Invalid DateTime length: 4-2002malformed dateTimeCreated
malformed dateTimeCreated
Invalid DateTime length
Invalid DateTime length
malformed dateTimeCreated
'4096064' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWU' 'sip-files00007.tif'
e7e995d533e73b8aec83e0819e1e3cbb
83acfc25b661ac01e16624cb6bbb439778df13bb
describe
'4070752' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWV' 'sip-files00008.tif'
cdbe7934bfffad043dca6e91e0ce3b56
aa6844193ed21aa4a142b07092d9021341ca54f2
describe
'61767' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWW' 'sip-files00001.jpg'
7d6201d470271953ab89c94aff6e632e
2bbc8af209c596902290f9a3922007aef121f298
describe
'170731' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWX' 'sip-files00002.jpg'
362b046ffd9de5f8bac5bd5bea6123e8
ead0fcccba7b39fb1a08ef3c6a4ccd05c6f4f0f4
describe
'207711' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWY' 'sip-files00003.jpg'
6314d93d08ff8a135032b5cc706f5ea5
9e30201bda879eeecafe2842699fa81b9ecc1722
describe
'193469' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFWZ' 'sip-files00004.jpg'
e230bcc133f26c4b5db3443937166283
06ea9811b88b602fcce036c4dcc1a96c66ac2dbd
describe
'190630' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXA' 'sip-files00005.jpg'
8de2311321d236fcfdd54fa655e1817c
ee554292010fa1fefc4fcd68c862790b5680f8e3
describe
'60674' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXB' 'sip-files00006.jpg'
08bed28f308a406eaa3d507d1a126a07
1831ac89fb003b629f05d7cc81f8b22e358f3e74
describe
'106950' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXC' 'sip-files00007.jpg'
7a5d71ddb37f9ec332093c68bdd00b95
de6dcf26fe29462812ea6d3fb4b68015f9bef376
describe
'20157' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXD' 'sip-files00008.jpg'
6067415043a5e34df3e867bd11b53a5d
7d387dda8ef21b62d95466fcc29b8edec1e4e930
describe
'26231' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXE' 'sip-files00001thm.jpg'
3847f85df10696a1cec65d6cce629c24
c71c2e2fc8a26433dbbd15ae81d0460a0685e084
describe
'34675' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXF' 'sip-files00001.QC.jpg'
e0242c1bc92c082a8d9cae8ad001711c
b346e4af59c2c5ebe5ebac21b5e4aef88a64df54
describe
'43965' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXG' 'sip-files00002.QC.jpg'
e5f67df91d5e6369dd70f498097f4a9e
b4c582192f45f99e2697fbc8c6d4b4846e132f8e
describe
'10305' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXH' 'sip-files00002thm.jpg'
61424e17310338b90ba957ab391a02f5
f018f860f0734853223f0582ffeefa2ba9dfdb95
describe
'73966' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXI' 'sip-files00003.QC.jpg'
200294ee68f0cf4099f2ab7e2be885ab
b88987234d94ba37e5f758e5c6c7cbb35f8c8e51
describe
'40570' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXJ' 'sip-files00003thm.jpg'
d837681525449e1c922b2df51f4661dc
7432f23ae5fca9809c72d0381684dfc370d8e0ee
describe
'48648' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXK' 'sip-files00004.QC.jpg'
16a46eacc28f206304513b1ffa63ddbe
58cbe4bcce8f46dc1296bf95c3c4a37f185edfa3
describe
'11165' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXL' 'sip-files00004thm.jpg'
321919c6be8bc1b237443320a1d6ffc5
3ba323a634c7ffa29d829c6be678d35df0b2517c
describe
'69867' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXM' 'sip-files00005.QC.jpg'
29088fb187930c8fe8d60e5090149bcc
e1d7caec84bd56eb3d0338ad188e231f26e76b2e
describe
'39246' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXN' 'sip-files00005thm.jpg'
6882357baaecb7dd85df53ac79c479eb
53c4241badcfc82edf2b449499f081e6bd91b4f9
describe
'20223' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXO' 'sip-files00006.QC.jpg'
33bc4b327644a075710406f34ab06d9a
6058c567746fa97b76e347f1e1f2c8233a5e66cb
describe
'6210' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXP' 'sip-files00006thm.jpg'
31d0c905dd4285ed0e01d4b249db5d31
5fab0ce753043d7ed98f50598e1adb517e416265
describe
'47142' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXQ' 'sip-files00007.QC.jpg'
5afac3c0f27ba6d4f79fd94e82a5c2fe
2c35a1228bd1d06055a4cc269c0da34fb4b6cf60
describe
'29301' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXR' 'sip-files00007thm.jpg'
4ee81e2755838a161cd3ff48914551fc
1101e3df027c7771cbcc0698bbd7381f079961fa
describe
'12830' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXS' 'sip-files00008.QC.jpg'
7e1cc64dfa631ecda811c358f988f237
ba94c9c6d86f65ffca1435f6ce5938f11db0ebb2
describe
'10160' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXT' 'sip-files00008thm.jpg'
7a8d64b5a36739d4b6f25d594700cbd1
25a826270ac6d9446ffe6d9bfec3c9cc2b08dd61
describe
'20820' 'info:fdaE20080521_AAAABBfileF20080521_AABFXU' 'sip-filesUF00014494_00001.mets'
a519c6ea35455c6a84038d0bfaebcbbf
440f2356a538f30fbc54d773176665e29e3a26e7
describe
TargetNamespace.1: Expecting namespace 'http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/digital/metadata/ufdc2/', but the target namespace of the schema document is 'http://digital.uflib.ufl.edu/metadata/ufdc2/'.
'mixed'
xml resolution
http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/digital/metadata/ufdc2/ufdc2.xsd
BROKEN_LINK schema http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/digital/metadata/ufdc2/ufdc2.xsd
The element type "div" must be terminated by the matching end-tag "