TAC water softening
- Thread starter Lonny
- Start date
Shawn Forsythe
RIP
A very much unproven idea.
1. Conventional testing reveals no difference in hardness of input water, versus output. Even the TAC manufacturers admit that there is no reduction in harness minerals. They purport that minerals are agglomerated into crystals that exhibit reduced reactivity. There is a lack of independent verification of the claim.
2. Many reports of no expected results taking place (scale buildup in heating systems is not reduced)
3. Inconclusive finding as to whether TAC softeners affect the water's interaction with surfactants.
Give it a try. It might work....or it might not.
Here is a report on the matter.
1. Conventional testing reveals no difference in hardness of input water, versus output. Even the TAC manufacturers admit that there is no reduction in harness minerals. They purport that minerals are agglomerated into crystals that exhibit reduced reactivity. There is a lack of independent verification of the claim.
2. Many reports of no expected results taking place (scale buildup in heating systems is not reduced)
3. Inconclusive finding as to whether TAC softeners affect the water's interaction with surfactants.
Give it a try. It might work....or it might not.
Here is a report on the matter.
Lonny
Supportive Member
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2008
- Messages
- 307
So it looks like RO, or salt water softener are really the only viable options.
Shawn Forsythe
RIP
Lonny,
Yes, those are the most conventional ways to treat water hardness, and they are proven performers. I know of one other method that has some applicability and is effective (just for scale though). That is Siliphos water treatment. These devices have been used, to a small degree, on CC equipment for specialized applications(i.e. on the old White Magic Pro 1200HV, to keep a blower cooling jet clear) . I don't know if it is economical for the larger quantities of water used for cleaning. The devices are less labor intensive to maintain than a traditional softener, but don't actually remove the mineral content, therefor they only treat for scale, and not surfactant efficiency (meaning it does not reduce cleaning agent needs). A vendor that is no longer welcome here, used to push such a unit for typical HWE cleaning. I questioned whether his (small) units had enough capacity for typical water hardness along with the water volumes consumed in a Truckmount, and the vendor declined to discuss rating figures.
The company for which I gave a link, sells a unit that uses a $114.00 cartridge that they rate at 45,000 gallons and 22 grain hardness (990 k theoretical hardness reduction). However, for our purposes, they rate it more akin to a 48,000 grain removal salt-type unit. Doing the math, your consumable cost on a Silis $114.00 versus around $1.50 in consumable for a comparable salt-type 48K unit. And it only treats for scale.
Yes, those are the most conventional ways to treat water hardness, and they are proven performers. I know of one other method that has some applicability and is effective (just for scale though). That is Siliphos water treatment. These devices have been used, to a small degree, on CC equipment for specialized applications(i.e. on the old White Magic Pro 1200HV, to keep a blower cooling jet clear) . I don't know if it is economical for the larger quantities of water used for cleaning. The devices are less labor intensive to maintain than a traditional softener, but don't actually remove the mineral content, therefor they only treat for scale, and not surfactant efficiency (meaning it does not reduce cleaning agent needs). A vendor that is no longer welcome here, used to push such a unit for typical HWE cleaning. I questioned whether his (small) units had enough capacity for typical water hardness along with the water volumes consumed in a Truckmount, and the vendor declined to discuss rating figures.
The company for which I gave a link, sells a unit that uses a $114.00 cartridge that they rate at 45,000 gallons and 22 grain hardness (990 k theoretical hardness reduction). However, for our purposes, they rate it more akin to a 48,000 grain removal salt-type unit. Doing the math, your consumable cost on a Silis $114.00 versus around $1.50 in consumable for a comparable salt-type 48K unit. And it only treats for scale.
