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Did
you know?
Reverse osmosis is the finest water filtration method known. This process will
allow the removal of particles as small as ions from a solution. It is used
to purify water and remove salts and other impurities in order to improve the
color, taste or properties of the fluid. R.O. uses a membrane that is semi-permeable,
allowing the fluid that is being purified to pass through it, while rejecting
other ions and contaminants from passing.
This technology uses a process
known as crossflow to allow the r.o. membrane to continually clean itself. This
is the reason of why an r.o. element can last many years before clogging or
need replacement. This
water purification process requires a driving force to push the fluid through
the membrane, and the most common force is household water pressure or pressure
from a booster pump. The higher the pressure, the larger the driving force and
efficiency.
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SOFTENED
WATER ENERGY SAVINGS STUDY
In
a recent University study energy consumption of gas and electric water
heaters operated and tested on hard water supplies was measured and compared
to measured energy consumption of gas and electric water heaters operated
and tested on softened water supplies.
The gas heaters operated
and tested on hard water consumed 29.57% more Btu's of energy than the
gas heaters operated and tested on softened water for the same amount
of energy delivered.
The electric heaters
operated and tested on hard water consumed 21.68% more Btu's of energy
than the electric water heaters operated and tested on softened water
for the same amount of energy delivered.
It
is not necessary to heat water to a high temperature to produce scale.
Any increase above the original temperature of the water can cause lime
scaling to occur.
Although no chemical
reaction occurs which causes calcium sulfate to deposit when the water
is heated, this hardness mineral is unusual as it is less soluble in hot
water than in cold.
Hard water can also
be troublesome in industry. In many industrial applications, however,
not only must hardness be removed from the water, but all mineral content
must be eliminated. Mineral deposits can cause serious difficulties in
boilers, air conditioning systems, gasoline and diesel engine cooling
systems.
Water
is an excellent solvent. Our previous articles outlines how water collects
the various contaminants found in it.
As moisture falls through
the atmosphere, it absorbs amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2).It
also collects amounts of this gas on and in the ground from decaying vegetation.
Since carbon dioxide is a product of both combustion and decay it is present
in practically all water supplies.
When carbon dioxide
dissolves in water, some of it forms a weak acid called carbonic acid.
H20 + C02
--> H2C03
This acid
is responsible for dissolving limestone or carbonate deposits in the earth.
It also produces certain types of corrosion in water and steam lines.
The natural solvent action of water is enhanced by carbonic acid making
it even more effective in dissolving hardness minerals.
Hardness minerals-calcium
and magnesium are in plentiful supply. While they are not found in their
elemental form in the earth, they occur in combination with other elements
in an abundance of forms. Common calcium minerals include chalk, limestone
and marble. These substances are chiefly calcium carbonate (CaC03)
or mixtures of calcium and magnesium carbonates and other impurities.
Gypsum is calcium sulfate (CaSO4). In this compound calcium
is combined with sulfur and oxygen.
Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate
(MgS04).
Ions
of the following calcium and magnesium compounds are found in water:
The
amounts of these various chemical compounds present in water supplies
depend on two factors:
1.
The minerals present in the earth; and
2. Their solubility in water
related to carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration.
On a decreasing scale
of solubility, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride and magnesium sulfate
are extremely soluble. They may be found in water in almost unlimited
amounts. Calcium sulfate is less soluble. At the other end of the solubility
scale are the calcium and magnesium carbonates which are very slightly
soluble in pure water. The amounts of these last two compounds in water
rarely exceeds two and five grains respectively. Calcium and magnesium
carbonates are seldom found in natural water supplies because of their
very low solubility.
While "insoluble"
carbonates are rarely found, they are found in their extremely soluble
form in hard water as calcium and magnesium bicarbonates. When water containing
carbon dioxide comes into contact with calcium and magnesium carbonates
in the ground, a chemical reaction takes place. The "insoluble"
carbonate forms of magnesium and calcium are transformed into highly soluble
bicarbonates. These are the principal hardness compounds found in water.
It is interesting to note that these bicarbonate forms exist only in solution.
If heat is applied to water, the bicarbonates can release carbon dioxide
and revert to their carbonate or "insoluble" state. For this
reason, bicarbonate hardness is often referred to as temporary hardness.
Hardness caused by the
presence of the soluble chlorides and sulfates of calcium and magnesium
are classified as "permanent" because these compounds cannot
be removed from water through simple heating.
When these chemical
compounds are dissolved in water, their ions are released.
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