Aqua Belgica, the Belgian federation for water treatment, calculated, based on figures from the national institute for statistics (Statbel), that a Belgian family of 4 people can save up to 650 euros or more on an annual basis by using a water softener. This is similar in many other countries. Click here for more details.

A water softener really removes the scale from the tap water before it is distributed in your home. This is done with the help of resins, which will retain the dissolved hardness minerals in the water. Such an ion exchange water softener is the only truly proven technology for residential water descaling to date. Click here and discover how a Hydro@Home water softener works.

Other types of devices and methods are known that do not soften the water, but would prevent the precipitation of the scale. The hardness minerals are therefore not removed from the water in this case. Their effectiveness is often limited in practice, sometimes even questionable or not really suitable for domestic applications. So inform yourself well if you would consider an alternative system. Feel free to contact our specialists for advice without any obligation.

Water softeners really remove the hardness minerals from the water. Other systems, such as polyphosphate dispensers, for example, neutralize the effect of limescale precipitation. Physical scale-avoiding devices (e.g. magnetic) are in turn assumed to prevent the scale from precipitating in the water. Tests of various physical scale-avoiding devices show that we can be critical of their proper functioning. In perfect (laboratory) conditions they sometimes achieve decent results, but in a practical environment the effect is rather unpredictable and limited. They usually only work at temperatures lower than those of a central heating system and at a limited flow rate. The constant quality of the water also plays an important role.

An ion exchange water softener is the only proven technology for domestic water descaling to date. Do not hesitate to ask us for advice without any obligation.

In the water softener, the tap water is sent through a resin tank, where the calcium and magnesium ions in the water (which cause the limescale deposit) are replaced by harmless sodium ions. This process is called ion exchange. When the resin is saturated with limescale ions, it is renewed again and again by rinsing the resin column with brine. This process is called regeneration. Click here and discover in more detail how a Hydro@Home water softener works.

Almost always, as the ideal soft water does not contain any lime and has a hardness level of 0°fH. This of course prevents limescale build-up, but you also get a maximum of savings (energy, soap, cleaning  detergents and lime-removing products) and a significantly increased comfort (less maintenance and the wellness effect of soft water). All the benefits of soft water can be found here. That ideal should be achieved as much as possible. If a residual hardness is desired, this can be set.

The quality of our tap water depends on the layers of soil through which it seeps before it is pumped up. Water hardness is often expressed in French degrees (°fH), where 1 °fH corresponds to 10 mg of limestone (CaCO3) per liter of water. The levels of water hardness can be divided into the following categories:

• soft water: 0-7 °fH
• medium hard water: 8-15 °fH
• hard water: 16-30°fH
• very hard water: > 30°fH

Do you know the hardness of your tap water? You can request the hardness of the water in your area from the water distribution company, or we can measure it for you at your home. Click here to request a free water test.

During the regeneration of the appliance, the brine solution releases part of its sodium ions and replaces them with the calcium and magnesium ions that have attached themselves to the resin beads. These calcium and magnesium ions and the excess sodium ions are discharged to the sewer with the brine solution. View here how a water softener works.

Salt or sodium chloride is used for the regeneration process in water softening. Due to dilution with all the other waste water, the environmental polluting effect will be negligible. Moreover, all things considered, softened water is better for the environment. Why?

• due to the lower energy consumption when heating the water;
• due to less washing powder, soaps and other detergents in the waste water (up to 50% less use);
• due to the longer lifespan of household appliances and textiles.

Finally, we should also mention that modern softening systems already work efficiently with considerably smaller amounts of salt.
And if the water softener is combined with, for example, activated carbon filtration, the plastic waste mountain can be reduced because you no longer have to buy bottled water.

Only special salts for water softeners may be used for the regeneration of the resin. Only those salts guarantee a completely pure brine solution, without wastage.

The members of the Belgian water treatment federation Aqua Belgica, such as Hydro@Home and manufacturer Delta Water Engineering, only use resins that meet the imposed government standards of the respective countries of distribution. The consumer is therefore not in any danger when he calls on their services.

In several countries there are advantageous VAT rates. Contact our local distributor in your country for more details.

For instance in Belgium, if the water softener is installed by a professional in a home that is older than 10 years, you are entitled to the reduced VAT rate of 6% (as well for purchase, installation as maintenance). The VAT rate of 21% applies to homes that are younger than 10 years.

And in France, the VAT currently charged on the installation of a water softener as well as on the equipment is reduced from 20% to 10% if the home is over two years old and the installation is carried out by a professional.

When comparing the prices of water softeners, it is best to include the cost price of the water and salt consumption for regeneration in the calculation, as well as the price of maintenance. A device should last at least 15 years, so the operating costs of the device will become an important factor over that period.

Hydrosoft water softeners work volumetrically and therefore take into account the specific water consumption and the degree of softening. The calculation of the expected water and salt consumption is therefore relatively complex. So feel free to call on the Hydro@Home specialist in your area to help you with this, without any obligation. And for our Hydrosoft devices, the annual savings that a water softener brings will more than make up for these running costs.