Why water softeners are essential
In hard water areas water contains calcium and magnesium salts, this typically varies in concentration depending on the geology of the location where the water is sourced. Water hardness creates problems for commercial and industrial machinery over time which include component wear, reduced efficiency, higher consumption of cleaning chemicals and energy, and machine breakdown. By removing the hardness of the water, the softened water elongates the life of the appliances, ensures that they work to their specification longer and are less costly to run. Water softening is done very simply with the use of a water softener.
The different types of water softeners
There are different types of commercial dishwasher water softeners that are available on the market. Ultimately the type of water softener needed depends on water usage and site constraints.
Internal Water Softeners
Many commercial dishwashers come with an integral water softener. These take granular salt and will provide you with a prompt when the softener needs topping up with salt.
Manual Water Softeners - Cold Water Supply
Manual water softeners usually sit within 1 metre of a commercial undercounter glasswasher or dishwasher. These take granular salt and usually need to be regenerated manually at least twice a week. Regeneration usually takes approx an hour to be completed. During this time, the glasswasher or dishwasher can not be used.
Automatic Water Softeners - Cold or Hot Water Supply
Automatic water softeners plug in to a 13amp plug socket and these are programmed to do the regeneration out of operational hours. Automatic softeners use tablet salt only and need to be topped up approx once a week. These softeners are usually recommended for passthrough dishwashers, pan washers, utensil washers and rack conveyors.
Non Electric Water Softeners - Cold or Hot Water Supply
Non electric water softeners are fully automatic water softeners for use on any cold water supply when an electrical supply isn’t available. The key advantage with these softeners is that the regeneration process automatically happens out of working hours, without the need for manual intervention and do not need a power supply.
