Will sunlight soften your water?

[leicobra]

I have heard from others that sunlight could soften your water,is this true?

[Northwoods Discus]

I don't see how sunlight will remove minerals from your water. Water hardness is due to the concentration of minerals in the water primarily calcium and magnesium. Sunlight would not remove these.
Minerals are removed with reverse osmosis, water softening resins, peat filtration etc.

[nc0gnet0]

Minerals are removed with reverse osmosis, water softening resins, peat filtration etc.

And the breakdown of organic materials.

But sunlight would have the net effect of making your water harder, not directly but by means of evaporating of the water leaving the minerals behind.

[stanlee]

sunlight only good for photosynthesis, but i don't think the process uses up any minerals.:)

[dbfzurowski]

you will only get algae from sunlight

[C3H6O3]

NO

[Rob321]

Just to be Devil’s Advocate :flame: I’ll say YES!… it is true that sunlight could soften your water.

However, doing so would be more complex and costly than just setting a bucket of water in a sunny window. :(

It is possible to boil water using only sunlight… but this requires the use of parabolic reflectors, or solar panel collectors, to concentrate the light energy and convert it into heat. :idea2:

Boiling a quantity of water will cause the temporary hardness (i.e., bicarbonates or KH) to be converted to carbonates, which will precipitate out of solution as calcium carbonate. Then it would just be a matter of draining off your softened water leaving only the solid calcium carbonate behind. However, the permanent hardness (i.e., calcium and magnesium sulfates and/or chlorides) will remain dissolved in the water. :rolleyes2:

I think I’ll stick with RO for now.:D

[kush]

sunlight only good for photosynthesis, but i don't think the process uses up any minerals.:)

Under strong lighting, and in the absence of CO2 supplementation, vallisneria, in particular, and many other plants, will strip calcium carbonate from the water column.

[Eddie]

Alright peeps, the OP asked if sunlight alone, would soften water. Just say no.....you know, like DARE.

[kush]

Alright peeps, the OP asked if sunlight alone, would soften water. Just say no.....you know, like DARE.

I don't know that it doesn't - I'd have to try.

Besides, odds are that there's something in the water other than H2O and salts. Once you start mixing minerals and organic molecules all sorts of neat-o chemical processes are possible. Sheesh, don't get grumpy at me.

[Eddie]

I don't know that it doesn't - I'd have to try.

Besides, odds are that there's something in the water other than H2O and salts. Once you start mixing minerals and organic molecules all sorts of neat-o chemical processes are possible. Sheesh, don't get grumpy at me.


LOL, I was only messing around with you guys.....having to get all technical and stuff. :D