What is the main difference when softening with ion exchange units?
Ion exchange resins remove Ca and Mg ions from water and replace these with sodium ions. Because of this complete replacement the water is usually blended and set at 8° dH. Softening units require water for backwashing and common salt for regeneration (as an example: in order to regenerate 100 liters of softening resin, up to 25 kg of salt per regeneration cycle is required). The increased sodium content of the water is a concern to more and more government regulators. There are questionable perceived health concerns. This is a negative aspect for the consumer and the consumer perceives health risks for their cardiovascular system. When there is a septic tank system the warranties are often voided when sodium is discharged into the septic system. Water for backwashing and the salt ($200 to $400 per year to purchase salt) are expensive. Control heads, as required for ion exchange units, must be maintained which is an additional ongoing maintenance cost. Within the Scale Prevention Unit
