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Water Softener Technology

Want to learn more about how Harvey Water Softeners work? Read up on our technology and features here.

Do bacteria grow in a water softener?

There will be bacteria in your water softener, but it is not harmful bacteria. Bacteria are found everywhere – particularly in substances where there are minerals, such as water. They are completely harmless and, in a lot of cases, help us to function as living things. The human body is full of bacteria, and in fact is estimatedRead More...

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How much water flows through the softener in between regenerations?

Typically, we’ve measured that around 402 litres of water flows through the water softener between regenerations, though this does depend on the hardness of your source water supply. Our measurements show that 17 litres of water are used in the regeneration process so installing a water softener will slightly increase your water use. A Harvey water softener is a non-electric water softener which meansRead More...

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Does a Harvey Water Softener™ use a ‘backwash’?

Harvey water softeners supplied to UK households do not need to use a backwash cycle. A backwash cycle is a feature of American–manufactured water softeners. Many water supplies throughout the USA are from private boreholes, making the water quality extremely varied and unpredictable. Finding dirt in the water, or turbidity, is a constant problem. American–manufactured water softeners counter this byRead More...

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What actually happens when you soften water by ion exchange?

Harvey water softeners typically treat the water to the whole house. They are salt-regenerated, ion-exchange units which contain ion exchange resin. This resin contains sodium ions which “swap places” with calcium (together with magnesium and some other trace metal ions such as iron and aluminium) as the water passes through. So calcium and magnesium are taken outRead More...

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Why does it take 17 litres of water to regenerate a Harvey Water Softener™?

The water is used to drive the brine (salt solution) regenerant through the water softener and then flush it ready for the next service cycle. The number of litres used for each regeneration is dictated by the design of the water softener, its size and efficiency. The water softener needs a specific amount of saltRead More...

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How long is the life of the resin?

The resin beads in your water softener are designed to last for many years. The microscopic resin beads inside your Harvey water softener trap hard water minerals and are completely non-toxic. Water softener resin beads are made of synthetic materials and look a bit like brown sugar. The resin used in a Harvey Water SoftenerRead More...

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Water Softener Technology

Do bacteria grow in a water softener?

How much water flows through the softener in between regenerations?

Does a Harvey Water Softener™ use a ‘backwash’?

What actually happens when you soften water by ion exchange?

Why does it take 17 litres of water to regenerate a Harvey Water Softener™?

How long is the life of the resin?

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