You have decided to buy a softening or lime protection system — now it's time to install it. But how does the installation of a water softener work? What requirements must be met in your house or apartment and what are the costs? We will give you an overview of the next steps and help you decide whether a water softening system or a Lime protection system without salt is more suitable for your household.
A common type of decalcification is with the help of Water curing systems with salt, so-called ion exchangers. In this process, lime, i.e. calcium and magnesium ions, are replaced by sodium ions through the addition of salt.
Before you decide to install a water softener with salt, you should make sure that your house water connection is even suitable for this type of Descaling system is suitable. Pay particular attention to the following points:
Decalcifying with salt increases the sodium content in your drinking water. To ensure that the sodium limit of 200 mg/l applicable in Germany is not exceeded, it is important to clarify in advance how high the sodium content in your drinking water is before decalcification. To soften one liter of water by one degree of German hardness (° dH), 8.2 mg of sodium are required. Since the total sodium value must not exceed 200 mg/l, even drinking water that originally contains no sodium can only be softened by approximately 24.4° dH.
Another point that must be considered before installing a water softening system is the available space. A classic water softening system consists of two parts: the salt tank and the exchanger column. The sodium in the salt container is in the form of salt tablets or salt. Water is fed into the container and dissolves the salt. From there, the saline solution is pumped into the exchanger column. So-called ion exchange resin is stored there, to which the sodium ions attach. This is where the actual ion exchange takes place, the water is softened.
So-called cabinet systems, which combine the salt container and the exchange column in one device, are an alternative to separately installed water decalcification systems. For both options, you must plan between 0.5 and one square meter at the installation site.
If you decide to install a water softening system with salt, it should always be carried out by a specialist. After installation, you should carry out a monthly visual inspection to ensure that the system functions smoothly. In addition, the system should be serviced annually by an HVAC specialist. There are also other running costs. Salt must be bought regularly — a single-family house in a region with hard water consumes around 50 kg to 100 kg of salt per year. The ion exchange resin must also be renewed after a certain period of time. It is also recommended that the exchange column be disinfected annually to avoid the spread of pathogens that could get into drinking water. This disinfection is usually carried out by an HVAC specialist during maintenance.
In short: When installing a softening system, the exchanger column and salt tank are connected to the existing water and wastewater supply. In addition, in most cases, the system must be connected to the power line to control the device. Depending on the initial position of the water supply, however, additional accessories are required during installation:
During ion exchange, the regeneration of the ion exchange resin produces corrosive waste water (chloride-containing waste water), which is removed through a suitable waste water supply. If a waste water connection is already available, the pipeline material must be designed for the properties of the aggressive wastewater. If there is no sewage connection, lifting systems or regeneration water delivery pumps (small lifting systems) offer a remedy. Here too, care must be taken to ensure that these alternatives are suitable for corrosive waste water in the long term in order to prevent premature aging of the lifting system.
Some manufacturers recommend using an additional water filter (fine filter) when installing a softening system. This is installed in front of the water softening system. In this way, it helps to remove unwanted substances in the water, such as particles or turbid substances, and to prevent them from entering the softening system.
Especially for galvanized pipes, your installer will recommend that you purchase a dosing system (phosphate dosing) in addition to the descaling system. By adding phosphates, the corrosivity of the waste water produced during ion exchange is reduced and the sensitive pipes are protected. You must regularly buy the mineral solution for the dosing system and the system itself, together with the descaling system, must be regularly serviced by a specialist.
Some ion exchangers automatically determine the incoming water hardness and you can set the desired output water hardness by pressing a button. In this case, we also speak of so-called fully automatic water softening systems, which are correspondingly more expensive. With other devices, this must be determined manually, for example using a hardness measuring instrument. In this case, a mixing valve is installed via a connection block on the pipeline in front of the water softener. With this valve, the input water hardness and the desired degree of softening are manually adjusted.
Once the water softening system has been installed and the appropriate accessories have been installed, the system can be put into operation. This is normally done by the HVAC specialist who installed the system. In some cases, however, commissioning must be carried out by the plant manufacturer's factory customer service for warranty reasons. It should be noted that this separate start-up by factory customer service may result in additional costs.
By the way: If you, as the owner, have a water softening system (ion exchanger) installed in a rented apartment building, the residents must be notified of this.
The costs of installing a water softening system depend heavily on the initial situation of your drinking water and the complexity of installation, which can vary significantly depending on the household. In addition to the product price and the installation of the actual ion exchanger, you may incur a further approximately 300 to 2,000 euros due to any accessories (see above) required for installation and installation costs in the form of the specialist's hourly rate. It is therefore important to clarify with the respective provider right from the offer phase what is needed to install the water softening system.
A high initial sodium content in the water, a complex house connection or too little space in the cellar: The reasons for choosing a water softening system with salt can be numerous. Descaling systems without salt, so-called lime protection systems such as AQON PURE, offer an alternative. We will show you the differences when installing such a system. Find out more about the topic here Lime protection.
Ion exchangers, which descale tap water by adding salt, require a sewage and electricity connection as well as a separate space to set up the system. Lime protection systems such as AQON PURE eliminate these requirements: The system is integrated directly into the water pipe so that you only need enough free pipe space (approx. 30 to 50 cm) for installation. If this is not the case, an additional pipe loop can easily be laid. AQON PURE systems can be installed on all types of pipes, regardless of the material. These include pipes made of copper, stainless steel or composite materials.
Installing a lime protection system is comparatively uncomplicated. No special requirements such as separate installation space or any accessories are required. If you opt for an AQON PURE system, you can use our Request tool Get in touch with us. We will send you an individual offer after we have checked your information and the water analysis values from your local supplier. Optionally, we offer you the option of having the water softening system installed at a fixed price by one of our over 400 partner companies from the HVAC sector.
If you opt for the installation service, please send us a few photos of the progress of your drinking water installation in advance. This allows us to estimate which tools and materials we need to install your lime protection system and approximately how much time the installation will take. Here you can find more information and Sample photos for the installation service.
For installation, the photos will be forwarded to one of our partner entrepreneurs from the HVAC sector. This allows specialists to prepare for installation in advance. In most cases, this does not require a separate trip to the previous assessment of your drinking water installation. However, this is still necessary in exceptional cases, for example if the space or visibility in the installation environment is difficult to represent in photos.
When it comes to installing a lime protection system, it usually works as follows:
The installation of AQON PURE usually takes around an hour. The systems are available in different sizes and variations, according to the individual needs of a household. If you do not opt for our installation service, you can also install your water softening system yourself without salt with appropriate previous knowledge and craftsmanship. However, we recommend installation by a specialist.
Compared to water softening systems (ion exchangers), the purchase of an AQON PURE system is relatively inexpensive — our entry-level model is just under 1,500 euros. If you opt for our installation service, the costs of installing your water softening system are also low: You pay a fixed price set out in the offer for the installation. This starts at 285€ including VAT. After installing the system, you also save in the long term, because AQON PURE does not require any additional, regularly repurchased materials such as salt and does not require maintenance.
Choose an AQON PURE lime protection system now and benefit from our expert knowledge about water! With our Installation service at a fixed price The installation of the system is quick and easy by one of our over 400 partner companies from the HVAC sector. Discover the benefits of a salt-free water softening system from AQON PURE and start a non-binding one now Request for a quote or order AQON PURE from our online shop.
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