Are water softeners used throughout Ireland?

regi3457

We live in Portlaoise and before moving here we never even knew about water softeners. Here it is very common for all households to have some kind of softener else the water is just too hard. Before moving here we lived in Dublin and there was no water softener there. Are water softeners used in all of Ireland except for Dublin or are they just more common in Poirtlaoise? I saw a map that says about 90% of Ireland uses hard water but it doesnt say how hard it is and maybe here in Portlaoise it is so hard that a softener is required. Any ideas?

_Brian

No, not common at all

vicwatson

Yes, very common, just not talked about - especially if you live in an urban area where the water is already treated.

regi3457

the last two posts completely answered my question

_Kaiser_

regi3457 wrote: »

the last two posts completely answered my question

I could have written your post word for word OP... before I moved here I'd never heard of needing water softeners either, and I lived in several areas in Dublin, and as far out as Virgina in Cavan as well without coming across it.

But the water here is shockingly bad.. kettle needs weekly descaling (I had to throw out the one that was here when I moved in), similar story with shower heads and taps have residue on them, and the washing machine now sounds like a bag of gravel is going around in it (which I gather is bearings but possibly related too?)

It's ridiculous TBH.. and it was one of several reasons why I refused to give Irish Water a cent (that and I knew the political angle and protests meant any cash handed over would be likely lost) as they don't consider it a problem.

Wearb

Not very common in my area. Some people have it, but not very many. I have hard water myself, but its not so bad as to damage equipment, before it wears out anyway. I did have to get a stainless steel hot-press cylinder some years ago, but no problems with electric water heating equipment, such as washers, kettles etc.
I only really notice it when away in a hotel room and see how little soap/shampoo it takes to get a lather up.
On the plus side, hard water tastes a lot better when having a glass of water from the tap.

vicwatson

regi3457 wrote: »

the last two posts completely answered my question

Thought you had two questions?

Are water softeners used in all of Ireland except for Dublin or are they just more common in Poirtlaoise? I saw a map that says about 90% of Ireland uses hard water but it doesnt say how hard it is and maybe here in Portlaoise it is so hard that a softener is required. Any ideas?

You ask "any ideas?", ideas on what exactly?

MOD NOTE: CUT THAT OUT.

vicwatson

vicwatson wrote: »

Thought you had two questions?



You ask "any ideas?", ideas on what exactly?

MOD NOTE: CUT THAT OUT.

I didn't know whether op was being sarcastic or not. I am not a troll and don't like being referred to as such. Thank you

irishfeen

They are very common but remember you must not drink the water from water softeners - have a separate cold kitchen tap.

The softener removes chlorine from the water which can be very dangerous.

Sleeper12

North Dublin has a lot of hard water. Starting in Swords it gets worse the further north you go. In Balbriggan I have replaced electric shower element less than 2 years old. A lot of homes in Balbriggan would have water softener systems but still way less than half of the homes would have it.
It's a large outlay but pays for itself quickly if the water is very hard

regi3457

vicwatson wrote: »

Thought you had two questions?



You ask "any ideas?", ideas on what exactly?

MOD NOTE: CUT THAT OUT.

any ideas as to whether they are used throughout Ireland or not

regi3457

irishfeen wrote: »

They are very common but remember you must not drink the water from water softeners - have a separate cold kitchen tap.

The softener removes chlorine from the water which can be very dangerous.

softeners do not remove chlorine, they remove calcium and magnesium

regi3457

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

I could have written your post word for word OP... before I moved here I'd never heard of needing water softeners either, and I lived in several areas in Dublin, and as far out as Virgina in Cavan as well without coming across it.

But the water here is shockingly bad.. kettle needs weekly descaling (I had to throw out the one that was here when I moved in), similar story with shower heads and taps have residue on them, and the washing machine now sounds like a bag of gravel is going around in it (which I gather is bearings but possibly related too?)

It's ridiculous TBH.. and it was one of several reasons why I refused to give Irish Water a cent (that and I knew the political angle and protests meant any cash handed over would be likely lost) as they don't consider it a problem.

the funny thing is this map

http://www.softwater.ie/coverage.html

shows most of Ireland to have all the same level of hardness so it was confusing because I never saw water softeners in Dublin

Day Lewin

I have lived in Dublin - south county area - for thirty years and never had limescale on a kettle. The water is as soft as butter, you just don't get lime. So, not round here.

In the midlands, on the other hand, water from a well that I know of in Co Offaly clogs up a kettle or a shower with chalky deposit in a matter of months. Same in parts of Wicklow. It must ruin dishwashers, etc - so I'm guessing that they DO need water-softeners in the Midlands.

I get mildly annoyed when my dishwasher beeps to put salt in. I tell it, - " but we don't need salt, this is really soft water, haven't you noticed?"
I have to toss in a spoonful of table salt or even bread-soda, to shut it up. :-)

cml387

Day Lewin wrote: »

I get mildly annoyed when my dishwasher beeps to put salt in. I tell it, - " but we don't need salt, this is really soft water, haven't you noticed?"
I have to toss in a spoonful of table salt or even bread-soda, to shut it up. :-)

That's nothing to do with water softness. Salt in the dishwasher makes your glassware "shine". Washing up liquid has salt in it for the same reason.

Where I am it varies. We used to get our water from the Comeraghs and it was soft, but had a tendency to go brown in rainy weather (a sign of the system's undercapacity).
Then one day we suddenly noticed our kettle furring up and it turned out that our source had been changed and it was now very hard.
We had to instal a water softener.
Every few years we get a letter from the politicians telling us that Something Will Be Done about the hard water, but I've noticed these letters tend to coincide with local and general elections.

Sleeper12

regi3457 wrote:

shows most of Ireland to have all the same level of hardness so it was confusing because I never saw water softeners in Dublin

regi3457 wrote:

the funny thing is this map

The map is designed by a company selling water softener systems. I'm not saying that they are lying but I suggest that they have a casual acquaintance with the truth.

irishfeen

regi3457 wrote: »

softeners do not remove chlorine, they remove calcium and magnesium

Yes they do, the reduce the free and total chlorine levels to dangerously low levels.

cml387

irishfeen wrote: »

Yes they do, the reduce the free and total chlorine levels to dangerously low levels.

Chlorine is a poison. You are talking through your hat.

MOD NOTE. DONT ATTACK THE POSTER, JUST THE POST.

irishfeen

cml387 wrote: »

Chlorine is a poison. You are talking through your hat.

... I work with the handling and testing of Sodium Hypochlorite every single day but believe what you like.

cml387

cml387 wrote: »

Chlorine is a poison. You are talking through your hat.

MOD NOTE. DONT ATTACK THE POSTER, JUST THE POST.

Sorry, you are right.

I'm just interested to hear about how a lack of chlorine in water is dangerous.

TheRiverman

Water softeners are common in rural areas where people have their own private wells and moderate to high iron levels in the water causes the hardness.Limescale is also another problem that requires treating.

dathi

cml387 wrote: »

That's nothing to do with water softness. Salt in the dishwasher makes your glassware "shine". .

no there is a water softener built in to your dish washer which uses salt to exchange the calcium ion for sodium ion to stop the calcium leaving streaks on your glass

regi3457

TheRiverman wrote: »

Water softeners are common in rural areas where people have their own private wells and moderate to high iron levels in the water causes the hardness.Limescale is also another problem that requires treating.

Iron does not cause hardness, minerals like calcium and magnesium do

Dtp1979

I fit a lot of Softners in portlaoise. The water is very hard. I also replace a lot of showers for the same reason. Mountrath, only a few miles away isn't nearly as hard as it has a different source. Each place varies

Water John

Some strange notions, on this thread. The hardness of water varies a lot and is localised as 1979 says.
It is preferable that you drink unsoftened water. That is why the treatment system is often installed on the line to the rest of the house after the cold tap in the kitchen sink.
Not sure why some one says, it's a health risk in the sense of the chlorine being stripped out. As such, the water reaching the house is treated with chlorine and safe. What worries would there be? Legionaires, is the only thing I can think of and that's a bit of a stretch.

Water is never treated for hardness before reaching the consumer.

Dtp1979

Water John wrote: »

Some strange notions, on this thread. The hardness of water varies a lot and is localised as 1979 says.
It is preferable that you drink unsoftened water. That is why the treatment system is often installed on the line to the rest of the house after the cold tap in the kitchen sink.
Not sure why some one says, it's a health risk in the sense of the chlorine being stripped out. As such, the water reaching the house is treated with chlorine and safe. What worries would there be? Legionaires, is the only thing I can think of and that's a bit of a stretch.

Water is never treated for hardness before reaching the consumer.

Actually, drinking softened water is perfectly ok

New Home

Isn't softening what water filter jugs do, too, albeit on a smaller scale? And those are designed specifically for drinking water.

Water John

I should have put that, its preferred by some.

No, New Home.

Sleeper12

Dtp1979 wrote:

Actually, drinking softened water is perfectly ok

With the exception of making babies bottles I think I read somewhere?

Dtp1979

Sleeper12 wrote: »

With the exception of making babies bottles I think I read somewhere?

I'm not an expert on the scientific side. A guy on here who is, wrote a great piece a while back explain the myths behind babies bottles, people with heart trouble etc. It's no harm.

aah yes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/103512086#Comment_103512086

Hi, I'm back, been busy a few years !