What is considered hard water and what are the degrees of hardness? Well, very hard water would be 10.5 grains per gallon and 180 parts per million and more. But you should realize that even moderately hard water of 3.5 to 7 grains per gallon and 60-120 parts per million will leave hard water stains. Slightly hard water, such as 1 to 3.5 grains per gallon and 17.1 to 60 parts per million, will not leave hard water stains that cannot be cured with a chamois. But really, as a professional auto detailer, you’re really looking for soft water less than 1 grain per gallon and 17 parts per million.
What makes water hard?
The hardness of water is due to calcium and magnesium ions that form insoluble compounds; sometimes iron and even aluminum. There are many ways to soften the water. Some are more complicated than others; Aeration, deionization or ion exchange, distillation, reverse osmosis or softening.
Softening by using a water softener is the simplest concept in use today; Water softeners replace hardness ions like calcium and magnesium with sodium or non-fouling ions. The ion exchange resin used in the process is periodically recharged with salt extracted from a storage tank. Many water treatment experts agree, and Lance Winslow agrees that softening can be more profitable when the water is one to five grains per gallon of hardness. Most mobile operators will be happy with one to three grains per gallon of hardness and probably won’t even buy a softening unit until the hardness is five more grains per gallon. His theory is well assumed because if the total dissolved dissolved solids (TDS) is so low, there will be few water spots on cars anyway.
One reason to put in a water softener, even if your water is 5 gpg or less, is because you want to prevent scale build-up on your steam cleaner coils or store your pressure washer pump in your automatic detailing equipment. . In a cold water machine this is not that important because 5 gpg or less will not ruin a pump. More than five cans over time.
The harshness also prevents the soap from doing its job. You may notice that your soaps are not being cleaned properly. This is because they clean the water first and combine with the compounds in the water rather than the dirt from the car. You see, the hardness in the water tends to neutralize those cleaning compounds and you actually have to use more soap to offset the neutralizing effect of the hardness minerals.
With hard water, you will use more soap and the cars are not yet clean. I encourage you to speak with your soap suppliers for helpful advice on water chemistry and treatment requirements. Your soap strategy should be tailored to your city and the hardness of the water you put in your tank.
Most independent auto detailing professionals agree that hard water areas will also cause a film on cars that are washed when fabric softener is not used. They also agreed at the annual conference that the decision to buy a water softener should be based on an actual water test. You may want to contact a water treatment distributor such as: Rain Soft, Culligan, Apollo, Calgon, Rayne Water Systems, or Water Man in your area. They can help you by having your local water tested or by asking your city water authority for information about your supply. Once you’ve made the decision to buy a softener, it’s easy to select the right equipment. Softener sizes should be based on two factors: Flow Rate (GPM) and Grains Per Gallon (GPG).
The flow rate is typically six to eight gpm (gallons per minute) with your hose at your residence. We recommend that you change your pressure regulator to 90-110 PSI (pounds per square inch). This would give you approximately ten gpm. Then you need a water softener that is slightly larger than the basic model.
Water softeners are basically like refrigerators; says Car Wash Guys founder Lance Winslow;
“They could last two or twenty years … and a lot depends on how much you go in and how often you go out.”
That is why you need to monitor the softening equipment. You can test the hardness with a test kit or just pay attention when you are washing cars. Steel softening tanks last for years. Fiberglass units also last well. Plastic units crack. You may need to change the resin every two years.
You will most likely choose to rent fabric softeners for $ 30 per month and let the exchange company recharge them for you. Be careful when hiring water softener suppliers. Ask us for help. You can even trade in services for water softener rental and earn money on the account because water softener rental companies have a lot of delivery trucks. In either case, think about these issues when considering a water softening strategy for your mobile car wash or auto detail business.