Smartest Choice for Your Commercial Water Softener System

Your Commercial Water Softener System from NEWater:

Water softening systems are designed and manufactured to eliminate heavy metals and pathogens from water. NEWater’s commercial water softener system is a water softening system designed to be more relevant to commercial needs, avoiding unwanted side effects from contaminants in raw water and meeting the standards for meeting water for commercial use, a process that is critical.
The main purpose of a water softening system is to remove calcium and magnesium ions from hard water and replace them with sodium ions. Our system uses resins for ion exchange, replacing cations and anions with OH and H ions. When these ions combine, they form H2O or water.
The calcium and magnesium ions in the resin become saturated during this process, and NEWater uses a renewable resin that reduces material consumption and replacement frequency. In the final salty rinse water, calcium, and magnesium ions are filtered out to obtain softened water.
These systems make it easy to treat and recover salty and brine water, reducing the stress on freshwater bodies. Also, by removing harmful metals from the water, these water softener systems increase the life of various equipment.
For further inquiries and to receive a quote, please contact us today!

The Ultimate FAQ Guide for Commercial Water Softener Systems.

Water hardness is a common and devastating water problem that most users have to put up with. It is believed that over 85% of the USA’s population utilizes hard water to accomplish their utility and cooking needs.

To mitigate the objectionable effects of hard water such as dry skin and fouled appliances, homeowners and commercial enterprises have turned to commercial water softener systems.  Beneath, we discuss the best commercial water softeners and how they can offer efficient solutions to your hard water problem.

➣What is a Commercial Water Softener System?

A commercial water softener system is a water filtration system designed to eliminate hardness minerals, specifically calcium and magnesium via ion exchange. Commercial water softeners enable users to bypass all the negative implications of hard water such as the accumulation of scale on appliances, which often cuts short the appliance’s lifespan prematurely.

Typically, water softener systems exploit a filtration technology based on the process of ion exchange. This eradicates water hardness by swapping the hardness ions with desirable sodium ions thereby generating soft water. Commercial water softener systems can easily shrink the hardness levels in raw water from 180 mg/L to below 60 mg/L.

➣Which Commercial Water Softening Systems Are Commonly Used?

To avert the devastating repercussions of hard water, providers of water treatment solutions have come up with a variety of water softener systems. The following is a brief illustration of the four primary water softener systems.

● Salt-based softeners.

They are the most exploited commercial water softeners owing to their excellent removal scores. They utilize ion exchange resins to displace objectionable minerals like Calcium (Ca2+) and Magnesium (Mg2+) and ultimately substitute them with sodium (Na+). The addition of sodium, which is characteristically salt, is often in small, insignificant quantities.

● Salt-free softeners.

Salt-free water softeners utilize TAC systems (Template Assisted Crystallization) which are made of polymeric beads. The ionized minerals, which include calcium and magnesium are attracted to the sites and they crystallize hence detaching themselves from the water. They are quite durable and they hardly necessitate regeneration.

● Dual-tank softeners.

These are essentially salt-based water softener systems configured with dual exchange vessels. They are mostly ideal for well water softening due to their unmatched effectiveness. Water softening using dual-tank softeners is uninterrupted given that when one tank is regenerating, the other one is still generating soft water.

● Magnetic softeners.

They are also referred to as electric water softeners. They are conventionally small-sized and have small footprints. Magnetic water softeners operate by neutralizing the hardness-causing minerals. The cationic and anionic charges in the minerals are stripped off by a magnetic field making them soluble.

➣How Is Ion Exchange Utilized in Commercial Water Softener Systems?

Ion exchange is the primary water filtration technology utilized to address water hardness. Ion exchange water treatment systems are essentially used to dislodge hardness-causing ions from water and consequently replace them with sodium (Na+). They are made of partially porous exchange resins typically supersaturated with Na+.

Once the hard water is injected into the ion-exchange water softener system, it is uniformly distributed atop the resin bed. As it trickles down the resin bed, the hardness ions, Magnesium (Mg2+), and Calcium (Ca2+) are trapped by the resin beads. Subsequently, the resin bed releases sodium (Na+) ions, which substitute the hardness ions to generate soft water.

After extensive use of the IX water softener, the ion exchange resins become overwhelmed or saturated with the seized hardness minerals. This necessitates a recharge or regeneration of the resins. Typically, this is accomplished by flushing a salt solution through the resin bed. This is how an ion exchange water softener system works.

➣What are the Advantages of Commercial Water Softening Systems?

Thanks to commercial water softener systems, households, and commercial entities can now avert the devastating effects of hard water. First of all, water softeners offer efficient and economic solutions to the menacing water hardness problem. They generate soft water which mitigates the untimely damage to your appliances, prevents dry skin, and lessens the number of detergents needed.

NEWater’s commercial water softening systems are uniquely built to offer longevity, cost-efficiency, and high outputs. They are versatile in their designs and can soften all forms of feed water. The following are additional benefits of utilizing NEWater’s commercial water softener systems.

• They prevent the formation of scale on vital household or commercial appliances.
• With a water softener system, you mitigate the premature fouling of your appliances.
• They automatically regenerate and the amount of sodium added is virtually insignificant.

➣Can Reverse Osmosis Be Used in Commercial Water Softener Systems?

Reverse osmosis is one of the most comprehensive water treatment technologies in existence. It eradicates a variety of objectionable pollutants including hardness minerals and heavy metals.  However, when treating hard water, reverse osmosis is most effective when integrated with an elaborate water softener system.

This is mainly because the calcium and magnesium minerals may cause scaling of the reverse osmosis system thereby cutting its lifespan prematurely or reducing its resourcefulness. In addition, utilizing standalone reverse osmosis systems to soften hard water results in water wastage hence it is considered more economical to utilize specialized water softeners like ion exchange systems.

➣What Causes Water Hardness?

Hard water is essentially water with a comparatively higher concentration of calcium carbonate. What differentiates hard water from soft water is the greater presence of dissolved calcium and magnesium minerals. Typically, the concentration of calcium carbonate in hard water ranges from 60 mg/L to over 180 mg/L. Here is an illustration of the distinct water hardness levels and their measurements.

The calcium and magnesium minerals found in hard water are typically reactive and when they come into contact with chemical agents found in detergents or metallic plumbing, they react to form scum or scale.  Water hardness is treated using water softener technologies like ion exchange which eliminate virtually all calcium and magnesium ions as well as 5-10ppm of iron.

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➣What are Commercial Water Softeners Made of?

Typical commercial water softener systems are made up of three primary components, which operate as a cohesive unit to eradicate water hardness. These primary components are the mineral tank, the brine tank, and the control valve.

● The control valve.

The control valve comprises a tracking meter that monitors the quantity of raw water going into the mineral tank. Advanced control valves are preprogrammed using computer software to initiate periodic regeneration cycles automatically.

● The mineral tank.

This is the vessel that facilitates the process of softening hard water. The ion exchange resins made of porous resin beads filled with sodium (Na+) ions are accommodated in the mineral tank. The hard water is fed into the mineral tank where it is effectively softened before being harvested as soft water.

● The brine tank.

The brine tank is primarily used to recharge or regenerate the ion exchange resins. It is characteristically shorter in size than the mineral tank and is often located next to it. A solution of sodium and in some instances potassium is held in the brine tank and is used to recharge the overwhelmed resins during regeneration.

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➣Where are Commercial Water Softener Systems Mostly Applied?

Virtually all forms of water accessible to human populations across the world have varying concentrations of hardness. Due to the devastating effects, hard water has on electrical appliances, metallic plumbing, and the human body, commercial and industrial water softener systems have become highly coveted water treatment systems.

Commercial water softener systems are primarily tailored for household and commercial use only. They are commonly exploited to soften hard water for immediate use or to pretreat feed water meant for further purification. Underneath are the renowned application fields currently reliant on commercial water softening systems .

• Food and beverage.
• Car wash final rinse.
• Hospitals and restaurants.
• Well water treatment.

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➣What is the Exchange Capacity of Commercial Water Softener Systems?

Ion exchange water softeners, which are the dominant water softening systems currently in use, have their production capacities expressed as exchange capacity. The exchange capacity is measured in Grains and is typically influenced by the diameter of the mineral tanks and the service flow rate.

NEWater’s commercial water softener systems are typically manufactured in standard exchange capacities stretching from 10k Grains to 300k Grains. To be precise, for commercial water softening systems whose exchange tanks have a diameter of 6-10 and a flow rate of 8-10 GPM, the standard exchange capacity range is 10K-30K Grains.

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➣What is the Cost of Using Commercial Water Softeners?

The equipment type, exchange capacity range, and tank size are some of the principal aspects that influence the price of commercial water softener systems. For instance, commercial ion exchange water softeners command between $500-2000 to purchase and install while the purchase and installation of salt-free softeners command $ 800-4000.

With respect to exchange capacities, low-volume water softeners are comparatively cheaper than high-volume systems. For example, a conventional water softener with an exchange capacity of 0-3500 Grains will cost approximately $300-500 while a 9,151-11,500 Grains softener will cost $1,300-2000.

Another key determinant of the overall cost of softening hard water is the total operational cost. This entails expenditures such as regeneration consumables, labor, and maintenance. Factoring in the purchasing and installation expenses as well as all the operational costs, using a conventional water softener to generate soft water typically consumes € 0.20 to € 0.40 daily.

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➣How Durable Are Commercial Water Softener Systems?

Commercial water softener systems developed by most reputable manufacturers have an average lifespan of 15 years. However, NEWater’s high-grade commercial water softeners average a life expectancy of 20 years. This means that well-maintained water softener equipment developed at the start of 2000 is still functional.

The key to having your commercial water softener attain its optimal life expectancy and consequently recoup sufficient returns on your investment is to properly service it.  This is accomplished by frequently regenerating your exchange resins.

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➣How Do You Regenerate Commercial Water Softening Systems?

Water softener regeneration is a recharge process that involves the flushing out of seized hardness minerals from the resin bed. Regeneration makes certain your IX commercial water softener system maintains its optimal productivity over 15-20 years.

Once the resin bed is saturated with the seized hardness minerals, the control valve automatically launches the regeneration process. A brine or salt solution held in the brine tank is flushed into the mineral tank where it runs for approximately ten minutes. The control valve dictates when the regeneration process is needed and which regeneration approach is employed. The typical regeneration approaches are demand regeneration and time-initiated regeneration.

● Time-initiated regeneration.

This approach has the timer on the control valve programmed to initiate regeneration after a specified period. Typically, it is after a number of days that the water softener system is hardly in use.

● Demand regeneration.

This approach initiates the regeneration process once a specified quantity of hard water has been softened. It is initiated by the control valve and it is the preferred regeneration approach by most users.

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➣What is Mushing in Commercial Water Softener Systems?

Mushing refers to the crystallization of salt pellets in the brine tank resulting in the formation of salt granules which consequently clog the water softener. A temperature change, specifically a drop is most likely to cause salt mushing.

To resolve salt mushing in your commercial water softener, you have to wash down the complete system. However, mushing can be prevented by only using first-rate salt pellets, filling the brine tank to the halfway mark, and ensuring your brine chamber is located in low-humidity surroundings.

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➣Which Salts Should I Use in My Commercial Water Softening Systems?

Salt-based water softeners, which are the dominant water softening systems across the world, can use three distinct types of salts.

● Rock salt.

Rock salt is a naturally occurring mineral with an insolubility level of approximately 0.5-1.5% and a 98-99% concentration of sodium chloride. It is primarily sourced from underground salt reservoirs using conventional mining processes.

● Evaporated salt.

The concentration of sodium chloride in evaporated salts ranges from 99.6 to 99.99%. It is commonly mined in underground reservoirs through evaporation. The energy necessitated to initiate the evaporation process is sourced from coal or natural gases.

● Solar salt.

Solar salt is typically found in pellets or solid crystals. It is mined by evaporating ordinary seawater and has a sodium chloride concentration of approximately 85% and an insolubility score of < 0.03%.

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