Water Softeners

The fitting of a separate hard water drinking water tap is currently recommended by the UKWTA (UK Water Treatment Association). The Fitting of a separate hard water drinking tap is only required in exceptionally hard water areas (above 400 mg/l) where the sodium content of the treated water (increased due to the softening process) exceeds the level laid down in the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000.

Softening water slightly increases the amount of sodium in the water. Typically a glass of softened water will contain about 50mg of sodium.  A slice of brown bread contains around 200mg.

Generally most people prefer drinking hard water as the minerals are retained for taste.  A separate filtered  drinking water tap can be installed which will reduce the taste and odour of chlorine and reduce some contaminants in hard water. However, as long as the Water Regulations allow it, drinking softened water is a personal choice.

Yes water softeners can meet the flow requirement for a combi boiler or unvented cylinder, when a high flow kit is used.

Water softeners work by softening the hard water that feeds the outlets in a property. The hard water is softened by extracting the hard minerals from water using an ion exchange process. Inside the water softener is a vessel of sodium-charged resin beads.  When water is used the water passes through this vessel and the hardness minerals (calcium and magnesium) are exchanged for a small amount of sodium.

The water softener will automatically carry out a cleaning process called a regeneration or recharge. The softener creates a concentrated brine solution which it passes through the resin beads, this reverses the exchange process and the minerals are exchanged from the resin beads and this water is flushed to drain. This process leaves the resin beads refreshed and ready to make more softened water. Once the hard water has passed through the system the softened water feeds the hot and cold outlets in the property. The only hard supplies will be drinking taps and outside taps.

Depending on the system in your home. if you have stored water (unvented or vented cylinder with storage tanks) it may take a week or so for truly softened water to come through.

This depends on the size of the system, how hard the water is and how much water is being used in the property. If the property is occupied by several people more salt will be used than a property with only one person due to water consumption.

A water softener can feed a combination boiler as it will prevent the hot water from scaling up and losing efficiency.  However, the central heating circuit should be filled with hard water and a chemical inhibitor.  This can be done by using the water softener bypass when filling or topping up.  Alternatively, the filling loop can be feed from a separate hard mains feed.