Water Filtration - Do I Need a Water Softener?

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Knowing the contents of your water is important to understand how your window cleaning system will operate over a long period of time. If the equipment you are running is set to run your business for a few years, thinking about maintenance, running costs and the reliability of your system is a must.

Testing Water Purity

A TDS meter will give you a simple reading of water purity in terms of parts per million (ppm), but it doesn’t allow you to see what that water is composed of. Generally water is classified as hard (over 150 ppm from the tap source) or soft (less than 150 ppm). If your source water is hard, of particular interest in running your purification system is the calcium carbonate content (CaCO³), sometimes referred to as just Calcium.

You can find out what your tap water is made of by typing in your postcode HEREor contacting your local water board. The Water Board can usually provide a detailed report based on your postcode. 

Most water boards across the UK have a section on their websites which allow you to simply enter your postcode and it will generate a detailed description of the last test on your water.

Be warned these reports are very detailed and give you a lot of information, most of which you won’t need.

Calcium Carbonate

Specifically, look out for the Calcium or Calcium Carbonate (CaCO³) content of the water, usually read in milligrams per litre (mg/L). Should this reading be less than 150 mg/L, a water softener is not necessary, a simple RO/DI System will suffice without excessively high running costs. If the reading of CaCO³ is higher than 150 mg/L, you should consider picking up a water softener. Not doing so will mean your running costs are likely to be high, and the lifespan of the membrane in the RO/DI system will be limited.