You've probably heard of hard and soft water. This describes the degree of hardness of the water. The water hardness of water is divided into three hardness ranges: soft, medium and hard. This is referred to as the so-called total hardness. Closely related to water hardness Is the Lime content. Very soft water has a low lime content, while very hard water has a high lime content. But how exactly does the water hardness and the associated lime content arise?
The water hardness is created in the soil, where the water flows through and seeps away. Depending on the rock, this process dissolves minerals. Among other things, calcium and magnesium dissolve. These two minerals play a significant role in the degree and range of hardness of the water. This is because water hardness indicates the concentration of dissolved alkaline earth salts in the water. If calcium and magnesium are high in water, they can chemically bond with other substances and harden. This chemical compound is visible as lime. Calcium and magnesium are therefore also referred to as hardeners. Water hardness therefore indicates the amount of various minerals in drinking water.
Calcareous soils in particular therefore increase water hardness in a region.
In order to divide water into three different degrees of hardness, it is divided into amounts of chemical substances. The sum of calcium and magnesium compounds in water is defined in millimoles per liter, or MMOL for short. Mole is the smallest unit for amounts of chemical substances, meaning that 1 millimol corresponds to 1/1000 mol.
The term °dH stands for “degree of German hardness” and indicates the water hardness in Germany and Austria. In Switzerland and France, the degree of hardness is given as °fH.
There are several ways to determine the level of your water. Because whether you live in a region with soft, medium-hard or hard water is one of the reasons why it is important to know so that you can apply the correct amount of detergent when washing your clothes. The correct dosage of detergent is essential to protect your washing machine.
The third way to determine the degree of hardness of water is the chemical method. However, this is not suitable for domestic use because the method is very complex and a suitable titration device must be available.
Hard water by itself is not harmful to humans and does not mean that your water quality is poor. Magnesium and calcium are even important for the body. Even if you live in a region in Germany with very hard drinking or tap water, you can safely cook, clean or drink the water. However, hard water has an effect on household appliances, fittings and the drinking water installation are negative. These can calcify after a certain period of time, pipes can be blocked by deposits and, in the worst case, your electronic devices break prematurely due to calcium deposits. In addition, calcium deposits in the heating system or in the hot water system lead to an increase in energy consumption, as calcium deposits have an insulating effect. Lime is therefore also an environmental issue.
In some cases, hard water can also have an effect on the taste of tea and coffee and adversely affect it. However, you don't have to worry about your health.
Would you like to counteract hard water and are you looking for solutions? Before you use a lime protection system or softening system, there are other ways to treat the water.
In contrast to conventional descaling systems, AQON PURE not just an environmentally friendly alternative. It is installed in just a few simple steps and does not require any additional consumables such as granulate cartridges. With AQON PURE, you also save yourself regular maintenance compared to a water softening system.
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