If you live in a region with calcareous water, you have probably already noticed the unpleasant side effects of this chemical compound of calcium, carbon and oxygen: There are stubborn calcium deposits on valves and flows, which can often only be removed with aggressive cleaners. Lime also collects in less visible places. These include dishwashers, washing machines or boilers, for example. Here, lime can clog pipes and lead to problems with the inflow and outflow of water and cause increased energy costs. If these devices have to be repaired due to calcium deposits, you will often incur high costs.
Many households therefore opt to move into a water softener to invest to combat lime in water. Depending on your individual installation situation, you should clarify in advance whether you are opting for a water softening system with or without a sewage connection.
There are many different methods for reducing the lime content in water with softening systems. Some of these plants require additional waste water connections to regenerate and flush specific components. These descaling systems are mostly affected:
ion exchange is a very common method for descaling drinking water. During ion exchange, sodium is added to tap water in the form of salt. The hard tap water flows through so-called ion exchange resins, which have previously been loaded with a sodium chloride solution. In this way, the calcium and magnesium ions in lime are replaced by sodium ions — the lime content in the water decreases, but the sodium content rises. To soften one liter of drinking water by one degree of German hardness (°dH), 8.2 milligrams of sodium are required. Depending on the water hardness, more or less salt must be added. Ion exchangers must regularly remove saline (brine-containing) wastewater as part of ion exchange resin regeneration processes. Since this waste water is a highly corrosive calcium chloride solution, it must be removed through a separate, specially designed wastewater connection.
In addition to ion exchangers, other water treatment systems — such as electrochemical lime protection systems or those that work with heterogeneous catalysis — also require a wastewater connection. These systems produce waste water because the active units must be rinsed or cleaned at regular intervals. Especially with heterogeneous catalysis, the systems may be flushed with hot water of up to 80 degrees Celsius. It is therefore absolutely necessary that the waste water connection is designed for these high temperatures.
If you decide to install a water softening system that requires a sewage connection, you should clarify in advance whether your house connection is suitable for it. You should pay particular attention to the following points:
Water softening systems must be attached to a household's general water supply. The house connection is usually in the basement. However, there is not always an additional connection there to remove waste water. If there is no sewage connection, a lifting system or a regeneration water delivery pump (small lifting system) can be installed, through which the waste water can drain off.
If you have a waste water connection available, you should check with your installer in advance whether it is suitable for the type of water treatment system you have. The waste water produced by ion exchange is very corrosive and potentially aggressive towards many types of pipes and lifting systems. Even for very hot waste water, it should be clarified whether special piping and lifting systems are required. If these measures are not taken, pipes and systems may age prematurely. They then have to be replaced more frequently and, in the worst case, a pipe may even break.
If your household does not have a sewage connection or does not have the necessary properties, these problems must be resolved before or with the installation of your water softening system. In addition to the price for installing the system and for the system itself, there are also additional costs that you should consider in advance when planning your budget.
If there is no sewage connection in your house, you can alternatively enter a Lime protection system without investing in waste water. Systems that do not produce any waste water during water treatment are suitable for this purpose — for example lime protection systems that work according to the seed crystal principle.
Softening systems based on the principle of seed crystal formation are called lime protection systems, lime converters or calcium converters. In these systems, seed crystals are formed in the water, which serve as an attachment point for the lime contained in drinking water. The lime molecules stick to the seed crystals and are rinsed out together with them. No salt is used in lime protection systems, so the valuable minerals magnesium and calcium remain in the water and no waste water is produced. There is also no reduction in water hardness.
In summary, investing in a water softener without waste water offers you the following benefits:
Are you looking for a water softener without waste water?
The lime protection systems from AQON PURE are an alternative to the classic softening system with salt. These lime protection systems counteract calcium deposits by forming seed crystals.
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