The water in the SCV is harder than most regions in the state. New residents learn this quickly but why is this so? The answer is quite simple once we understand some of the basic properties of water.
Water is known as “The Universal Solvent” and tends to dissolve almost anything it comes in contact with. In its journey to us, water collects minerals that present as dissolved and as suspended solids. The latter is often referred to as sediment. To understand the difference, try this simple experiment.
In a glass of water, put one teaspoon of salt and stir. You will notice the salt disappears. Do the same with sugar. Same result. Now put one teaspoon of ground pepper and stir briskly. You will see the pepper floating around in the glass eventually to settle to the bottom.
The salt and sugar have become dissolved solids while the pepper remains as an undissolved or suspended solid. Commonly referred to as sediment, this is what settles at the bottom of our water heater. This greatly reduces energy efficiency as it takes longer to heat the water. This sediment actually acts as an insulation between the water and the burner that heats the water.
The hard minerals that present as dissolved solids play havoc with our dish washer and other appliances that use hot water. Most tankless water heaters, Takagi, Noritz, Rinnai and the like, require soft water to keep your warranty in force. This makes sense since heating hard water greatly exacerbates the water hardness problem.
Both cause problems but must be addressed separately. Unfortunately, there isn’t one water treatment device available to us in the SCV that will address both issues. Water softening and water filtration are, for all practical purposes, mutually exclusive.
Only a true water softener exchange tank will address the hardness as a dissolved solid and a good whole house backwashing carbon sediment filter will resolve the sediment issues.
Later, I will address what to look for in a whole house filter. There are some remarkable differences with some having little or no efficacy in our area.
I welcome your questions and comments and am happy to consult over the phone. If you allow me 20 minutes of your time I will make you one promise. You will have enough information to make an informed decision as to the type of water treatment you choose with what ever company you decide to do business with. And that’s a fair promise.
Thank you and as always, good health to all.
Rayne Water Conditioning is located at 25114 Rye Canyon Loop in Valencia. For more information, please call Kirk Walker at 661-713-7762.