Hardness of the water: what is and how affects to the termos
The hardness of the water is the concentration of mineral compounds that there is in a determinate quantity of water.
Specifically, it does allusion to the concentration of salts of magnesium and calcium and, although in minor measure, also to the one of iron, zinc and manganese.
What more quantity of these compounds has the water, harder “” considers .
Although according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) the hardness of the water is not hurtful for the health, know this data can be important to choose or adjust the operation of some appliances, among them the termos electrical.
Classification of the water according to his hardness
The hardness of the water expresses like equivalent quantity of calcic carbonate in milligrammes by litre.
In function of this measure, the water classifies , according to the WHO, in four groups:
· Soft waters: Less than 50 mg/l of calcic carbonate.
· Intermediate hard waters: Among 50-100 mg/l of calcic carbonate.
· Hard waters: Among 100 and 200 mg/l of calcic carbonate.
· Waters very hard: More than 200 mg/l of calcic carbonate.
To his time, the known scale Merck establishes a classification of the hardness of the water in five groups:
· Very softs: among 0 and 79 mg/l of calcic carbonate.
· Soft: among 80-149 mg/l of calcic carbonate.
· Semiduras: Among 150-329 mg/l of calcic carbonate.
· Hard: among 30-549 mg/l of calcic carbonate.
· Very hard: more than 550 mg/l of calcic carbonate.
How it affects us the hardness of the water?
The WHO has used like reference the 500 mg/l to value the consequences of the hardness of the water in our health, a value that, although it is not harmful, can cause changes in the flavour and domestic use of the same.
Already from it does long, the Guide for the Quality of the Water of 1993 of this same organisation proposed that, although it does not have negative effects for the health, if this figure situates above the 200 mg/l, could cause the formation of incrustaciones and obstructions in systems of distribution of water like circuits of heating, deposits or termos electrical.
Besides, the waters with tall concentration of cal can become very corrosivas, spoiling pipes and reducing “the life” of a lot of devices of accumulation and electrical.
Why the cal spoils the termos electrical?
The very hard waters by excess of cal can ocasionar failures in some appliances like washing machinees, dishwasher, but also in devices like boilers, heaters, accumulators or termos electrical.
These harms are more frequent in some of the components of these devices, as for example the resistances and the bombs.
In the termos the anode of magnesium is the mechanism of protection of the interior of the tub by the excess of cal. This piece is composed by a wand recubierta of magnesium that attracts the cal to protect the deposit of the corrosion, and has to be revised or substituted to guarantee the correct operation of the device.
In the hardest waters, the anode acts in main measure, what demands main control and maintenance.
In addition to the failures caused by the action of the cal, lto hardness of the water links directly with a worse efficiency of the termos electrical. An excess of cal prevents the correct transmission of the heat of the resistance to the water, by what the termo has to work more to achieve the same temperature, consuming until 60% of extra energy.
Choose a termo electrical according to the hardness of the water
When choosing a termo electrical have to take multiple factors, among them the capacity of the device or the place where want to install it. Another important thing to take is the hardness of the water, that varies in function of the zone geográficadonde find us.
According to this hardness, will be better to choose a type of resistance or another for our termos electrical.
The map of the hardness of the water in Spain is the following:
Provinces and Autonomous Communities with soft waters
Galicia, the zones situated north and central provinces of the Iberian Peninsula, especially Madrid, Ávila or Segovia, have the softest waters,
In the places of soft water, recommend termos with armoured resistance. This type of resistances are in direct contact with the water, the transmission of heat is direct and, therefore, save energy because they heat it very fast.
However, precisely by this same motive, also are more vulnerable to the wear of the cal, and therefore of desaconsejan in places with hard water.
Provinces and Autonomous Communities with hard waters
The provinces situated in the Raise (Alicante, Almería, Barcelona, Murcia, etc.),Ciudad Real, Jaén and Palma de Mallorca have waters harder.
In the zones of hard waters recommends install termos of resistance envainada. This type of resistances are not in direct contact with the water, by what are slower to the hour to transmit the heat.
However, when being more protected of the corrosion, last more time and are easier to change that the anterior.
What more quantity of these compounds has the water, harder “” considers .
Although according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) the hardness of the water is not hurtful for the health, know this data can be important to choose or adjust the operation of some appliances, among them the termos electrical.
Classification of the water according to his hardness
The hardness of the water expresses like equivalent quantity of calcic carbonate in milligrammes by litre.
In function of this measure, the water classifies , according to the WHO, in four groups:
· Soft waters: Less than 50 mg/l of calcic carbonate.
· Intermediate hard waters: Among 50-100 mg/l of calcic carbonate.
· Hard waters: Among 100 and 200 mg/l of calcic carbonate.
· Waters very hard: More than 200 mg/l of calcic carbonate.
To his time, the known scale Merck establishes a classification of the hardness of the water in five groups:
· Very softs: among 0 and 79 mg/l of calcic carbonate.
· Soft: among 80-149 mg/l of calcic carbonate.
· Semiduras: Among 150-329 mg/l of calcic carbonate.
· Hard: among 30-549 mg/l of calcic carbonate.
· Very hard: more than 550 mg/l of calcic carbonate.
How it affects us the hardness of the water?
The WHO has used like reference the 500 mg/l to value the consequences of the hardness of the water in our health, a value that, although it is not harmful, can cause changes in the flavour and domestic use of the same.
Already from it does long, the Guide for the Quality of the Water of 1993 of this same organisation proposed that, although it does not have negative effects for the health, if this figure situates above the 200 mg/l, could cause the formation of incrustaciones and obstructions in systems of distribution of water like circuits of heating, deposits or termos electrical.
Besides, the waters with tall concentration of cal can become very corrosivas, spoiling pipes and reducing “the life” of a lot of devices of accumulation and electrical.
Why the cal spoils the termos electrical?
The very hard waters by excess of cal can ocasionar failures in some appliances like washing machinees, dishwasher, but also in devices like boilers, heaters, accumulators or termos electrical.
These harms are more frequent in some of the components of these devices, as for example the resistances and the bombs.
In the termos the anode of magnesium is the mechanism of protection of the interior of the tub by the excess of cal. This piece is composed by a wand recubierta of magnesium that attracts the cal to protect the deposit of the corrosion, and has to be revised or substituted to guarantee the correct operation of the device.
In the hardest waters, the anode acts in main measure, what demands main control and maintenance.
In addition to the failures caused by the action of the cal, lto hardness of the water links directly with a worse efficiency of the termos electrical. An excess of cal prevents the correct transmission of the heat of the resistance to the water, by what the termo has to work more to achieve the same temperature, consuming until 60% of extra energy.
Choose a termo electrical according to the hardness of the water
When choosing a termo electrical have to take multiple factors, among them the capacity of the device or the place where want to install it. Another important thing to take is the hardness of the water, that varies in function of the zone geográficadonde find us.
According to this hardness, will be better to choose a type of resistance or another for our termos electrical.
The map of the hardness of the water in Spain is the following:
Provinces and Autonomous Communities with soft waters
Galicia, the zones situated north and central provinces of the Iberian Peninsula, especially Madrid, Ávila or Segovia, have the softest waters,
In the places of soft water, recommend termos with armoured resistance. This type of resistances are in direct contact with the water, the transmission of heat is direct and, therefore, save energy because they heat it very fast.
However, precisely by this same motive, also are more vulnerable to the wear of the cal, and therefore of desaconsejan in places with hard water.
Provinces and Autonomous Communities with hard waters
The provinces situated in the Raise (Alicante, Almería, Barcelona, Murcia, etc.),Ciudad Real, Jaén and Palma de Mallorca have waters harder.
In the zones of hard waters recommends install termos of resistance envainada. This type of resistances are not in direct contact with the water, by what are slower to the hour to transmit the heat.
However, when being more protected of the corrosion, last more time and are easier to change that the anterior.
