A
rechargeable
Water Softener should be an out-and-out requirement
for every commercial espresso machine... Why?
Water softeners reduce
the calcium or magnesium ion concentration in hard water.
Calcium and magnesium carbonates tend to precipitate out as adherent
solids
on the surfaces of pipes and especially on espresso machine heat
exchanger
surfaces of boilers. The resulting scale buildup can restrict
water flow.
In boilers, the deposits act as thermal insulation that impedes
the flow
of heat into the water; this not only reduces heating efficiency,
but allows
the metal to overheat which, in a pressurized system, can lead
to catastrophic failure.