Filters designed for hard water appeared on store shelves relatively recently, but over the past few years they have gained great popularity among the population. Water filters purify and soften water, which makes it suitable for use not only for household but also for food purposes. Hard water is a characteristic feature of artesian wells, therefore, not only apartment residents, but also owners of suburban private houses face a problem.
Purpose and scope
The demand for "softeners" is due to the fact that hard water contributes to the development of diseases of the digestive system, kidneys and joints, and also adversely affects the performance and wear and tear of household appliances. In addition, it leads to disruptions in the operation of the drainage and water supply lines. With the help of filters, it is possible to eliminate excess salts in the composition and protect pipes, plumbing and household appliances from calcium deposits. Installation of a hard water filter on a pipe prevents the negative destructive effect of a liquid with a high concentration of alkaline salts.
Also, this phenomenon forces households to use detergents, including washing powder, in large quantities. Mitigation will reduce the consumption of household chemicals, which will have a beneficial effect on costs.
Hard tap water negatively affects the condition of the skin, especially in people prone to dryness and the development of allergies.
Types, device and principle of operation
There are several types of filters for hard water. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, design features and use.
- The filter jug is the simplest type of device. Visually, it resembles an ordinary teapot or a decanter with a lid, equipped with plastic parts inside. Scope of application: for purification of small volumes of water and its use in food. Features: low performance and cost.
- The trunk variety is perhaps the most common in everyday life. It is characterized by the shape of an elongated tube, inside which an ionized resin cartridge is placed. When a substance comes into contact with water, the latter, entering into a chemical reaction, converts calcium ions into sodium ions. Trunk models are more productive than jugs.
- The best filter for hard water, according to experts, is a flow-through one, it belongs to high-class equipment. The structure consists of several cylinders, each of which is equipped with a special cartridge with a special resin. The performance is high.
- Regenerative equipment is a subspecies of the flow type. Only the main working segment is a special container that produces backfill resin. On contact with the salt, the resin is regenerated. To carry out this process, the filter is equipped with special mechanisms.
- Membrane filters are designed for general tap water purification tasks. But they also do an excellent job with softening.
- Magnetic filters visually resemble thickened water pipes. With a certain sequence, magnets are installed on the surface of the walls, capable of softening water by changing its structure.
- The principle of operation of electromagnetic equipment is identical to the previous one.The unit must be connected to the mains only during operation.
It is also worthwhile to familiarize yourself in more detail with the principle of operation of the devices. To remove salt impurities, two methods are used, the effectiveness of which has been repeatedly proven in laboratory conditions:
- Reverse osmosis is common in apartments. Purification can be carried out in two ways: using pressure, which forces the active movement of water molecules, or additional equipment with a semi-permeable membrane, which allows only water molecules to pass through itself.
- Ion exchange. This method of cleaning is considered to be more common, it is based on the work of pitcher filters, large house installations and some model ranges of under-sink purifiers. The cleansing agent is a special resin saturated with sodium ions. During operation, the resin needs to be regenerated or changed. It is ion-exchange filters that are preferred when purifying an artesian source.
More filtering devices are based on these operating principles.
Main selection criteria
- Why you need a filter: for food and drink use, for protecting household appliances, softening bathing water, or for all at the same time.
- Pricing policy, since the budget does not allow everyone to purchase expensive purification stations for the home.
- The volume of water used. Based on this parameter, you can select a model with the appropriate performance.
- A substance that is used to purify and soften water. Different models use polyphosphates, magnets or resin.
- Easy to install, maintain and repair.
Also, before buying, you need to additionally familiarize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of certain models, study user reviews.
Rating of the best filters
Choosing filters for hard water is not an easy task, especially if you are faced with the task for the first time. The range of equipment is huge, but experts identify the most popular models on the Russian market:
- Jug-type water softening filters "Barrier" effectively remove harmful impurities. The manufacturer has released a special series for such a liquid. There are Smart, Extra and Eco models - the volume of the funnel is about 1 liter. Cost from 350 rubles. The resource of the cleaning cartridge is not more than 500 liters. The advantage of the device is that it can be installed anywhere, low cost, there are no restrictions on the shelf life.
- Equipment for hard liquids "Aquaphor" has one unique feature - the system keeps records of territorial affiliation. The cleaning system effectively removes bacteriological impurities, organic matter and chemical compounds. The devices are easy to use and compact in size. The cost ranges from 1,500 to 3,500 rubles.
- The three-stage Geyser ZIVZh filter is equipped with a special filtering material - aragon. It is able to retain chemical impurities and organic compounds, chlorine. In addition, it provides bacterization, but retains useful substances for humans. The duration of the device is approximately 1 year, the cost ranges from 2,000 to 2,500 rubles.
Filters can be purchased at home appliance stores as well as in regular supermarkets.
Customer Reviews
Before purchasing a filter for purifying hard water, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself not only with the design features, but also study the reviews about it.
Andrey, Moscow. In our capital, the quality of tap water leaves much to be desired.We decided to install a cleaning filter. Began to actively study information on types, efficiency and service. Reviews of the magnetic filter for water softening are generally good, so we decided to give it a preference. The cost, of course, is not acceptable for everyone, we paid more than 6 thousand rubles for the system. We have been using it for more than a year, there are no complaints, the quality of the water is satisfactory.
Marina, Astrakhan. Six months ago we installed a Geyser flow-through filter under the sink. From personal experience, we were convinced of how useful this thing is. The water is very different after the filter, more pleasant to the touch, good taste. Stopped using softening detergents. Now, after drying, the washed laundry does not become a hard crust, everything is soft and without additional household chemicals.
Dmitry, Rostov-on-Don. Recently purchased a jug type filter Barrier from the Bio line. First impressions are extremely positive, so I recommend it to everyone.
The quality of tap water is poor. To prevent the development of diseases and the failure of household appliances, it is recommended to install cleaning filters at home.
