M
MikeH
Searching the forum gives a few hits on sodium bicarbonate but none on sodium bisulphate,
until now!
I have a new customer who has hard water and currently doses their cold tank with sodium bicarbonate to make it more acid. And they love the result - silkier water to the touch, lathering, etc.
Trouble is, they can buy NaHCO3 only in small (cooking) quantities, here in Cyprus.
I talked with them about traditional salt-based water softeners and siliphos treatments. Granted the latter is effective primarily on scale-precipitation-prone surfaces and would not change the 'feel' of the water.
Anyway, they don't want any of that. They want something to make the water more acid, and to be able to buy it in bulk. They would consider a dosing system as well.
I mentioned sodium bisulphate (NaHSO4) because it IS available in larger quantities - as 'pH Minus' from swimming pool shops. Added to water, it increases the hydrogen ion concentration similarly to NaHCO3, increasing the acidity.
Sodium bisulphate is widely used in the food industry (it is E514), but the 'pH Minus' product is not food grade. But there again, my customer would not be treating their drinking water (separate supply), only washing water.
My customer has a friend in the USA who works as a food processing chemist (I think). They will consult her on the matter. If they get an answer I will post it here. If positive, I hope it will include suggested dosing rates.
Dosing rate is important to ensure the water does not become too acid, being detrimental to human use and causing solution of metal pipes.
Meanwhile, if any of you good folks have comments on this idea (eg. if mentioned in the regs), do post a reply!
All best,
Mike
until now!
I have a new customer who has hard water and currently doses their cold tank with sodium bicarbonate to make it more acid. And they love the result - silkier water to the touch, lathering, etc.
Trouble is, they can buy NaHCO3 only in small (cooking) quantities, here in Cyprus.
I talked with them about traditional salt-based water softeners and siliphos treatments. Granted the latter is effective primarily on scale-precipitation-prone surfaces and would not change the 'feel' of the water.
Anyway, they don't want any of that. They want something to make the water more acid, and to be able to buy it in bulk. They would consider a dosing system as well.
I mentioned sodium bisulphate (NaHSO4) because it IS available in larger quantities - as 'pH Minus' from swimming pool shops. Added to water, it increases the hydrogen ion concentration similarly to NaHCO3, increasing the acidity.
Sodium bisulphate is widely used in the food industry (it is E514), but the 'pH Minus' product is not food grade. But there again, my customer would not be treating their drinking water (separate supply), only washing water.
My customer has a friend in the USA who works as a food processing chemist (I think). They will consult her on the matter. If they get an answer I will post it here. If positive, I hope it will include suggested dosing rates.
Dosing rate is important to ensure the water does not become too acid, being detrimental to human use and causing solution of metal pipes.
Meanwhile, if any of you good folks have comments on this idea (eg. if mentioned in the regs), do post a reply!
All best,
Mike