According to a Press Release from the Water Quality Association – an Independent Study by the Battelle Memorial Institute (a renowned independent testing and research facility) has definitively shown that Water Softeners are among the very best ways to save household energy! Water softening devices offer Green Benefits by preserving the efficiency of Water Heaters and Major Appliances, and keep showers and faucets unclogged.
Some of the key findings of the study included:
Gas Water Heaters:
Gas storage tank household water heaters operated on softened water maintained their original factory efficiency rating over a 15-year lifetime. On the other hand, hard water was shown to lead to as much as a 48% loss of efficiency!
Electric Water Heaters:
When operating with hard water, up to 30 pounds of calcium carbonate scale can accumulate over time! This buildup significantly reduces efficiency and shortens the life of the heating element by increasing it’s operating temperature.
Tank-less Water Heaters:
Indoor instantaneous gas water heaters (tank-less) operating on hard water completely failed to function because of scale plugging after only 19 months of hot water usage! Softened water maintained the original factory efficiency over a 15-year lifetime and saved up to 47% of the cost!
Showers and Faucets:
Shower heads and faucets lost up to 75% of their flow rate in less than 18 months of usage when running hard water. Shower heads and faucets running softened water maintained their original luster and full flow rate for the lifetime of their usage.
Dishwashers and Washing Machines:
After running the units for 30 days with 240 complete wash cycles on both soft and hard water sources, the units running soft water were nearly completely free of water scale buildup! On the other hand, the units running hard water had significant scale and deposit buildup, and required de-liming and intense clean-up.
How can Reliable Water Systems Help?
We have a full line of Water Conditioning Systems that will completely remove all hardness from your water, as well as many other contaminants commonly found in your water supply. If you’d like to find out whether your house is being affected by Hard Water, we’d love to come by and provide a 100% Free Water Test!
To learn more about this study, read the full Press Release from the Water Quality Association.
