Ordinary water consists not only of hydrogen and oxygen atoms, it also contains a large number of various impurities. It is the presence of impurities that determines the hardness of water, and the units of measurement (°F - degree of hardness) shows how much this indicator exceeds the permissible limits.
Water hardness is required to be determined not only by engineers who are engaged in laying communications, but also by ordinary people in everyday life. If we use an electric kettle or a washing machine with a water heating function, then all this can fail if this figure is too high. You are unlikely to be able to even dissolve soap well in such water.
How to determine the level of hardness of tap water, as well as methods for dealing with a high content of impurities will be described in detail in this article.
Hard and soft water - what's the difference?
The amount of salt in water is affected by the presence of calcium and magnesium elements dissolved in it. This indicator can also be significantly increased by the presence of iron hydrate, the content of which in artesian waters is sometimes excessive.
In the case when such impurities contain a small amount, it is called “soft”. This indicator is usually divided into 3 categories:
- Soft.
- Average.
- Rigid.
soft i is a rain or distilled liquid. There are practically no mineral impurities in such water.
In most cases, it can also be obtained as a result of prolonged boiling or the addition of special chemicals.
Medium- occurs most often in plumbing systems, as well as in spring and artesian water.
Rigid- this category includes sea, ocean, as well as water flowing from rock layers rich in mineral deposits. A large amount of salts can be dissolved in it. If taken as a percentage, then salinity can reach up to 33% of the total volume.
Consider the types of rigidity
This indicator is usually divided into the following categories.
- Constant - is a constant indicator, which depends on the content of sulfates and chlorides.
- Temporary - due to the content of calcium and magnesium bicarbonates. This type of hardness got its name for the ability to be almost completely neutralized as a result of boiling.
- The total stiffness is obtained by adding the indicators of constant and temporary.
In order to accurately determine this indicator, you need to know what units of measurement this can be done.
Rigidity units
For the correct calculation of the level of hardness, it is necessary to determine the concentration of calcium and magnesium cations. Currently, this indicator is defined in the following units of measurement:
- Mole/m3 (mol per cubic meter) - used in Russia until 2014.
- °Ж (degree of hardness) - this unit of measurement has been used in Russia since 2014.
- dH (German degree) - the unit of measurement used in European countries.
- fo (French degree) - also used in European countries.
- ppm CaCO3 (US degree) is the unit used in North American states.
It should be noted that in our country the expression of the total hardness mol / m3 has been used only since 1952. Until that time, calculations were carried out in degrees, which were equal to the modern German degree.
Since 2014, the international standard for calculating hardness has been in force in Russia, which is expressed in degrees (°F). One degree is equal to 1/2 millimoles per liter of liquid, so it is not difficult to calculate the level of concentration of a substance in a liquid.
Causes of water hardness
During the water cycle in nature, the liquid turns into vapor and rises to the upper atmosphere. After condensation, it precipitates in the form of precipitation and does not contain impurities that affect hardness, but passing through the layer of the earth's crust, the liquid dissolves various rocks that contain potassium and magnesium. Saturated with these elements, water increases its hardness. In the sea, it is always hard due to the high concentration of sodium chloride.
If it is necessary to reduce the concentration of potassium and magnesium ions, various methods can be applied to reduce the amount of salt impurities.
Methods for eliminating stiffness
To combat excessive salt content, the following methods are used:
Any of the proposed methods of water softening allows you to cope with a high level of this indicator, but the chemical method is usually not used to clean drinking water from salts.
How hardness affects water quality
The hardness of drinking water affects, first of all, its taste. The taste threshold of calcium ions in drinking water is 2-6 mg-eq/l. The taste threshold for magnesium ions is much lower, so the most pleasant drinking water is considered to be the one in which this indicator is from 1.6 to 3 mg-eq / l.
In some cases, water with a hardness of up to 10 mg-eq/l can be used as drinking water, but its long-term use can adversely affect human health. Too hard water is undesirable for use in liquid heating devices. Electric kettles, boilers, washing machines and dishwashers necessarily have a heating element in their design, which “acquires” deposits in the shortest possible time, and the process of heating the liquid is less efficient.
Long-term operation of an electric heater with a significant layer of scale leads to overheating of the element and its failure. Fortunately, for descaling, it is enough to dissolve 2 sachets of citric acid in 1 liter of water and boil a kettle or any other water heater well. After that, thoroughly rinse the device and use it further for its intended purpose.
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The high salt content of the water also negatively affects the washing process. Dissolving detergent in water rich in potassium and magnesium ions leads to excessive foam formation. Foam contributes to the formation of plaque on the elements of the washing machine, which can also adversely affect the performance of some components of this household appliance.
Human health implications
With prolonged use of hard water in the human body, serious deviations from the norm are observed, which are primarily manifested in the work of the following organs:
- Gastrointestinal tract (GIT)- when the salts that make up hard water are combined with animal fats, fatty acid salts are formed, which envelop the walls of the stomach and intestines, preventing normal fermentation and significantly inhibit peristalsis. As a result, harmful substances and toxins accumulate in the body, and dysbacteriosis develops.
- Joint work- some types of salts entering the human body form inorganic substances that eventually displace the synovial fluid from the joints. As a result of this replacement, the joints become covered with crystals, which cause severe pain when moving. Long-term use of hard water can lead to arthritis and polyarthritis.
- The cardiovascular system- with a significant increase in the hardness of drinking water, the work of the heart worsens, up to the manifestation of severe arrhythmia.
- Condition of the skin Hard water leads to premature aging of the skin. Negative effects are observed both when taking liquids inside, and when washing dishes. When dishwashing detergent comes into contact with hard water, a film is formed, which, when deposited on the skin, has a negative effect on the upper layers of the epidermis for a long time.
- The formation of kidney stones- this statement is a myth that has been debunked thanks to the work of scientists. The process of stone formation does not depend on the quality of drinking water. Kidney stones are formed mainly due to a lack of calcium in the body. As a result of a deficiency of this element, it is washed out of the bones and deposited in the urinary system.
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All of these ailments and disease states can be avoided by using multi-stage water filtration. The use of such devices will not cost too much, but the treatment of various pathologies can cost significant amounts of money.
Methods for determining water hardness
To avoid the negative impact on the health of hard water, as well as to extend the life of heating devices, it is necessary to determine the approximate amount of potassium and magnesium salts dissolved in the liquid. Making it taste is quite problematic, because changes can only be detected in this way if a certain value is exceeded.
To determine at home the high content of potassium, magnesium and sodium salts, you can use the following methods:
- Try to dissolve soap in water, if foam does not form, then the water is very hard and should not be used.
- If a large amount of scale forms in the kettle and other appliances within a short period of time, then the water definitely exceeds the safe values \u200b\u200bof this value.
- With the help of indicator strips, you can more accurately determine the amount of salts in the liquid, but this method will require small financial costs. To conduct the experiment, it is enough to lower the indicator strip into water for a few seconds, and after a minute compare its color with the table in the instructions.
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Conclusion
It is very important to know what hardness the water is used for drinking, as well as in heating boilers and other water heaters. It is not always necessary to use precise units of measurement for doing calculations at home.
In the chemical industry and other high-tech industries, on the contrary, you will need to know the amount of salts dissolved in water up to a milligram, so you can use any units of this indicator proposed in this article to determine and, if necessary, reduce the amount of salts in water.
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Man is 70-80% water, which is the main solvent. With the help of it, oxygen, enzymes, hormones, salts are transported in the body. In this regard, the chemical composition of water becomes especially important: the more impurities it contains, the worse it dissolves useful substances.
Absolutely pure water is not found in nature. In contact with other macro- and microelements, it is enriched with various minerals, in particular, calcium and magnesium salts. It is their content that determines such a property as hardness: the more calcium and magnesium salts in the water, the harder it is.
In our country, water hardness is expressed in milligram equivalents per liter (mg-eq / l). Very soft water - up to 1.5 mg-eq / l, soft - from 1.5 to 4 mg-eq / l, water of medium hardness - from 4 to 8 mg-eq / l, hard - from 8 to 12 mg- eq/l and very hard - more than 12 mg-eq/l. The permissible limit of water hardness for centralized water supply is 7 mg-eq / l.
It has been proven that hard water has a negative effect on the body. When interacting with soap, “soap slags” are formed that are not washed off the skin, destroy the natural fatty film that protects against aging and adverse climatic factors, clog pores, form a microscopic crust on the hair, thereby causing a rash, itching, dryness, dandruff, peeling . The skin not only ages prematurely, but also becomes sensitive to irritation and prone to allergic reactions.
High hardness worsens the organoleptic properties of drinking water, giving it a bitter taste and having a negative effect on the digestive organs. Calcium and magnesium salts, combining with animal proteins that we get from food, settle on the walls of the esophagus, stomach, intestines, complicate their peristalsis (contraction), cause dysbacteriosis, disrupt enzymes and ultimately poison the body. The constant use of water with increased hardness leads to a decrease in gastric motility and the accumulation of salts in the body.
From water overflowing with calcium and magnesium ions, the cardiovascular system suffers excessively. Prolonged use of hard water is fraught with the occurrence of diseases of the joints (arthritis, polyarthritis), the formation of stones in the kidneys and biliary tract.
In addition to the fact that hard water negatively affects health, it also brings a lot of trouble in everyday life. It is undesirable for washing dishes and laundry - the dishes grow dull, and the fabrics wear out quickly. Huge damage is done to household appliances: boilers, washing machines and dishwashers, electric kettles and coffee makers. Calcium and magnesium salts, deposited on the heating elements, form hard lime deposits (scale) and pretty soon put the equipment out of action.
Traces of hard water are visible to the naked eye: a white coating appears on pipes, plumbing, in the heating system, household appliances, the consumption of detergents increases, soap “curls” during washing and washing, foamy slags form on the skin and surfaces.
Drinking water in some areas of the Republic of Mari El is characterized by a natural high content of hardness. Non-standard samples in terms of general hardness are detected by sanitary doctors as part of social and hygienic monitoring, in the course of control and surveillance activities and consideration of citizens' appeals.
Relevant resource-supplying organizations should carry out water purification before supplying to the population.
Complaints about the inadequate quality of drinking water can be addressed to the Office of Rospotrebnadzor in the Republic of Mari El.
Water hardness is a chemical quality that determines the volume of calcium and magnesium hydrochloric impurities present in the liquid. This indicator is one of the key qualities of water, which is always checked in the process for suitability for consumption and domestic use. It is extremely important to know about the norm of indicators and how to determine the hardness of water. Knowledge of this quality of the liquid will allow you to maintain health and extend the performance of equipment that somehow uses water in its work.
Microbiological studies and chemical scientific experiments have determined that the water hardness of the unit of measurement is the content in it of most of the calcium salts (Ca2+) and a slightly smaller amount of magnesium (Mg2+). In fact, the situation is that both of these elements are involved in the formation of the indicator for determining the hardness of water and cannot exist separately. In the process of chemical reactions with anions, calcium and magnesium salts form special hardness crystals, which settle to the bottom and are subsequently used as biological material when testing water and its chemical composition.
A table of the presence of metal cations and anions in water and a test for water hardness allow you to learn more about the process of formation of hardness crystals and the nature of their development. The effect on the temporary hardness of water and each of the metals is different and depends on the type of liquid and its source of origin. For example, metals such as strontium, iron and manganese can have a less pronounced effect on the composition and degree of water hardness and are practically not quoted in the analysis and chemical examination. Aluminum affects the overall hardness of water only if the acidity of the water reaches the desired level, which occurs exclusively in natural water bodies. It follows from this that the presence and pathogenic effect on water of the above mentioned metals is practically not taken into account when testing domestic use water due to extremely low rates. Barium can also have an extremely small effect on the water hardness index and how to eliminate it.
What are the types of water hardness?
Testing water for hardness is carried out in several stages, taking into account the type of reservoir in which the sampling was made, the conditions of the liquid content and the purpose of the examination. How to determine the hardness of water at home? Most often, the rigidity during verification is divided into the following groups:- General water hardness. In the process of determining the type of water hardness of this indicator, the unit of the highest concentration of calcium and magnesium salts is displayed. This indicator is calculated by deriving data on the constant hardness of water and the non-permanent, temporary hardness of the non-carbonate type. In order to soften water at overestimated rates of total hardness, ionizing water filtering units and a water hardness table are used.
- Carbonate hardness. Checking allows you to identify the presence of carbonate and bicarbonate elements of calcium and magnesium salts in the composition of water. This type of hardness can often be called temporary, since boiling and digestion of excess salts will help to eliminate overestimated indicators. Heating water contributes to the fact that bicarbonates and carbonates of calcium and magnesium decompose and become a sedimentary substance at the bottom of the vessel. This type of unstable water hardness turns into household plaque, which can often be observed on dishes in which water is often boiled. How to eliminate water hardness? You can also clear the hardness of such water by using ionizing filters or mechanisms to eliminate excess salts.
- The hardness of non-carbonate water. This type of test allows you to detect the presence of strong acids, calcium and magnesium salts in water. These acids include sulfuric, nitric and hydrochloric acids. This type of non-carbonate water hardness cannot be eliminated by simply boiling water and digesting pathogenic elements. Permanent hardness is often cleaned with ionizing filters or salt-dissolving substances.
How is water hardness measured? It is worth noting that the world table of units of measurement has several different designations for types and varieties of stiffness. Each of these units is interconnected with the others. In the territory of the post-Soviet space, the unit mole is still used to denote the indicator for determining the total hardness of water. In European countries, such designations as do, dH, fo can often be used. In the US, ppm CaCO3 is used.
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Why does water become hard?
Initially, it is worth noting that all the liquid of the world's oceans has certain indicators of hardness, that is, calcium and magnesium salts, as well as several other alkali metals and earth substances, are unchanged substances in its chemical composition. What determines the hardness of water? This composition of the liquid is due to the fact that mineral waters initially flow to the surface from deposits of centuries-old layers of limestone and various types of dolomite. Calcium and magnesium salts enter the water by chemical bonding of carbon dioxide with a group of minerals. The process of weathering and chemical deformation of rocks leads to the formation of hardness crystals in water. Their sources are natural deposits of limestone, gypsum and dolomites. The ionizing substances of centuries-old deposits through which water flows may come from as yet unexplored biological reactions and processes in the depth of the plates at the site from which the liquid flows. Other chemical impurities, wastewater, elements and environmental organisms are also capable of adding side minerals and crystals to the composition.
What does the water hardness table show?
Most of the mineralized water that enters open water bodies and becomes a source of liquid for domestic and industrial existence has a hardness exceeding 75-85%. How to check water hardness at home? Such a high figure indicates that the water contains an increased amount of calcium and magnesium salts due to the presence of ionizing rocks. Taking into account the source of mineral water, in some cases the level of hardness does not exceed 60%. It is important to note that the presence of calcium ions directly depends on the mineralization index. Water hardness, the norm for drinking water is as follows: in open reservoirs with fresh water, the level of calcium does not rise higher than 1 g per liter of water; saline waters may contain approximately 10-15 g of calcium salts per litre.
It is worth saying that the hardness index and the concentration of calcium salts in water is directly determined by the type of water and its location. Thus, surface waters can often have the lowest hardness values, while underground water bodies or lakes can be maximally hard and saturated with salts. The concentration of salts in the water is also directly dependent on the seasons and seasonal precipitation. At the end of winter, the presence of hardness crystals may increase, however, during the period of snow melting and soft water falling in the form of snow and rain, salt crystals are diluted and the hardness indicators are noticeably reduced. The hardest water is considered to be in the oceans and seas, where the concentration of salts is the highest.
How can the hardness index affect the quality of the liquid?
Water hardness and its indicators are permissible and satisfactory, depending on the purpose of using the liquid. If water is intended for domestic use, its hardness should not exceed 2-6 mg per liter. This concentration of calcium salts is considered the maximum allowable for domestic use and does not harm human health. The water hardness meter shows that industrial uses of water can increase the hardness index by up to 10 mg per liter, but no more than this. It is important to note that water with a high hardness index is usually too bitter and has a characteristic odor, and can also have pathogenic effects on the digestive system and gastrointestinal tract, making it unsuitable for food or domestic use.
It is important to say that the World Health Organization conducts a lot of research and still cannot find a single answer to the question of how pathogenic the effect of hard water on the human body is and whether it is useful to constantly use only soft and filtered water without salt and calcium impurities . Preliminary research suggests that some types of water with an increased hardness index can provoke cardiovascular disease, joint problems and stone disease.
EcoTestExpress specialists produce high-quality water hardness analysis depending on the required goals and test features. You can contact us, leave a request in the online form below.
On TV now and then there are reports about the properties of hard water and its harm not only to household appliances, but also to the body as a whole. What is this water and why is it called hard? If you hit the scientific facts and resort to the help of special literature, it becomes clear that the degree of hardness is determined by calcium and magnesium ions. The fewer of them, the softer and healthier the water. And here the question rightly arises of how to determine at home.
Why is it needed
Before solving the task, it is necessary to figure out whether it is necessary to know at all what it is, how to determine its degree at home and what needs to be done if it is exceeded.
Undoubtedly, everyone makes their own decision, but just look at the consequences of using excessively hard water, and everything immediately falls into place.
What causes hard water
Every year, household appliances suffer from scale formed as a result of excess salts in the water, which means that their efficiency decreases by an average of 20%.
Due to the accumulated limescale deposits, heating appliances experience difficulties in heat transfer. Energy costs are starting to rise.
More cleaning agents are required, due to the slowing down of the foaming process and the loss of efficiency in removing contaminants.
When combined with detergents in shampoos and shower gels, hard water forms an invisible film on the body that can cause irritation and dryness.
Now we answer the question of how to find out the hardness of water at home. Determine how many ml of soap solution was used. Multiply the data obtained by 2. The result will be equal to the degree of rigidity.
4. Pay attention to how often scale forms on the kettle. The more often this happens, the more salts in the composition of the water, as well as calcium and magnesium, which contribute to the formation of plaque.
5. Have you noticed that the splashes on the glass, drying out, leave white marks?
This serves as another confirmation of the hardness of the water.
6. An excellent assistant in solving this problem will be ordinary potassium permanganate. Contacting with hardness salts, potassium permanganate acquires a yellow tint. If this does not happen, everything is in order with the water.
7. You can use a special test that identifies water hardness.
How to determine the result at home, an individual instruction will tell you. It is often enough to dip the tester into the water, wait a few seconds and observe the change in the coloring strip.
How to soften water
So, there are quite a few ways to find out how hard water is. If you find that the quality of the water does not suit you, then use some tips.
1. The most famous method that everyone uses without thinking about the true purpose is boiling water. It is enough to boil water for an hour, and then let it cool down, as a precipitate forms at the bottom. In the future, it can be removed by straining. Of course, it will not be possible to get rid of salts in this way, but it will be possible to soften the water a little.
2. Salt can be neutralized with alkali, which is contained in soda. ¼ teaspoon per glass of water - and the degree of hardness is noticeably reduced. Many have tested this in practice!
3. Alkali can be replaced with almond bran. They are the final product of the processing of almond seeds. A tablespoon is enough for a glass of water.
4. The easiest option is to buy a special filter. However, a study of user opinions based on reviews showed that the effectiveness of using filters is not observed. Moreover, it is necessary to constantly monitor the water purification system and periodically change some elements. Often it is not possible to do this in a timely manner, and harmful substances again end up in the water.
Conclusion
Now you know what water hardness is, how to determine its degree at home and soften it with the help of improvised means. Undoubtedly, in matters of drinking water quality, one should trust professional developments: special strips or measuring devices that show the amount of hard salts. However, if this is not possible, then you can solve the problem yourself without leaving your home.
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What is water hardness?
Hardness is a characteristic of water in which salts of magnesium, calcium, and sometimes iron are present. Why does ordinary tap water get hard? Usually, various minerals enter the water from deposits of gypsum, limestone, which are constantly eroded into the ground.
The effect of hard water on the body
There is a permanent and temporary hardness of water. With constant hardness, there is an acceptable amount of chemicals in the water that does not harm a person, but on the contrary, saturates the body with essential trace elements.
The situation is more complicated with temporary hardness, at which calcium and magnesium bicarbonate appear in the water. This extremely harmful mixture for the body, which complicates the work of the stomach and intestines, provokes the formation of kidney stones. During cooking in water supersaturated with magnesium and calcium bicarbonates, many useful substances are destroyed in the products, and the products themselves are boiled. In such water, things are washed worse, and when washing dishes, detergents foam slightly. Usually, when people talk about "hard water" they mean temporary hardness.
The result of the increased content of calcium and magnesium in tap water can be seen with your own eyes in the form of scale on the walls of the kettle or dishwasher. When the norm of iron is exceeded, instead of scale, a reddish coating forms on the walls of the kettle. Both are harmful to the body. Just imagine, if the scale covers the dishes in a few weeks, then what happens to our body if we use this water for years? In addition to the depressing effect on the body in the form of the formation of stones, salt deposits, hard water does not have the best effect on the appearance. With constant hygiene procedures in hard water, the hair becomes brittle and dull, grows slowly, the skin tightens when washing, becomes dry, fine wrinkles appear.
Water softening methods
To neutralize the negative effect of hard water, you can try to soften it in several ways.
- Purchase a tap water filter. After passing through such a filter installed on a displacer or pipe, the water gets rid of excess mineral salts.
- Boiling water is the easiest way to get rid of calcium and magnesium salts. Boiling will not only soften the water, but also have a disinfecting effect.
- Adding soda to water, about two teaspoons per 20 liters of water. People have been using this method since ancient times.
- The addition of special salts, which are available in the form of tablets. This method is usually used to disinfect water for technical use in a washing machine or dishwasher.
- Magnetic filters are mounted on the walls of water pipes. Like the previous method, they are recommended for technical use when heating water in boiler rooms or taking a shower.
- Jugs with activated carbon filters soften drinking water.
Is hard water harmful or beneficial?
Thus, in most regions of our country, water has increased hardness. This property of water negatively affects the body. When hard water is used for years, sand and salts are deposited in the internal organs, stones are formed, the work of the stomach and intestines is disturbed, and the walls of blood vessels are destroyed. Over time, the appearance worsens, this manifests itself in dry skin and hair. Hard water causes many household inconveniences, since detergents show little of their properties in it, laundry is less washed, and foods lose their useful properties and taste during cooking. However, there are many ways to overcome the hardness of water using filters, special products or boiling. You can choose one of these methods or use several at the same time.
Sometimes you can hear the opinion that water completely devoid of trace elements does not benefit health and reasonable amounts of magnesium and calcium salts are necessary for the body. In fact, the body does have a need for minerals, but it is much better to fill it by drinking one glass of milk a day or taking a multivitamin than by drinking hard water that is dangerous for the body. In addition, water purified from excess salts tastes much better.
