Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does softened water remove existing scale?
[ + ]
Yes. It is a fact that existing scale will quickly dissolve back into the water with softened water and no new scale will form. The hotter the water, the quicker it goes. Click here to see. Examples: Kettles @ 100°C around 2 weeks, whereas 12 years of scale in a hot water tank @ 60°C will dissolve in about 6 months.
[ - ]
2. Can I drink softened water?
[ + ]
Everyone can drink softened water unless they are a bottle fed baby less than six months old or on a medically supervised sodium restricted diet. Click here to find out. The fact is unlike naturally occurring soft water, softened water has no link to increased occurrence of cardiovascular disease because it has exactly the same amount of dissolved solids in it as hard water. All we have done is exchanged calcium and magnesium metal ions that cause scale and soap scum for sodium ions that do not. It'll make a stronger flavoured tea, you won't get a 'skin' on it and you won't get scale in the kettle.
[ - ]
3. How much sodium is there in softened water?
[ + ]
Typical examples are - two slices of bread contain 375 mg, and two glasses of milk contain 325 mg of sodium. For comparison, an adult in a average hard water area drinking 4 pints of artificially softened water per day would add only 310 mg of sodium to their average daily intake. Click here to look at the facts in section 8 at the back of the independent Consumers Guide and Click here to see Fact Sheet 2 - Softened Water and Health.
[ - ]
4. I have a direct feed combi boiler or megaflow boiler system in my house. Can your water softeners handle the necessary high flow?
[ + ]
Yes absolutely. The typical direct feed systems require a large flow of up to 55
litres per minute and unlike some other brands, the modern Ensign unit can handle up to a huge 81 litres per minute! The Ensign Water Softeners are regularly used on direct mains fed houses.
[ - ]
5. Can I keep one tap un-softened?
[ + ]
 Yes, of course. In fact the
recommendation is that one tap in the premises is left un-softened. If possible this means fitting a third hard water mini tap at the kitchen sink. We also keep outside taps at the rear un-softened since the garden will not appreciate the difference and is hence wasted out there. Washing the car however is always best in softened water.
[ - ]
6. Is the only choice heavy 25Kg sacks of salt or block salt?
[ + ]
No, not nowadays. Since 1998 most people use the more convenient 10Kg bags of tablet salt.
They're easier to handle and weight for weight cost a lot less than block salt.
[ - ]
7. What is the minimum quantity of salt that I can have delivered and what space does it take up?
[ + ]
You can collect just 1 x 10Kg of salt or for delivery the minimum is 10 x 10Kg bags of tablet salt. That's about 5 months worth of water softener salt on average.  To see an example of out how little space 15 x 10kg salt would take up at the back of your garage, click the picture.
[ - ]
|