What are the differences between Ecobulles and the other solutions on the market?
Ecobulles vs. Softeners
Salt softener
Do you know everything about salt softeners? See here how it works in details.
It is important to know that all salt softeners work this way, whatever their quality, their origin or their conception date.
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Ecobulles
Discover now the process principle of Ecobulles.
See why it is efficient and why it is good for you, your household and our planet!
Compare for yourself!
Discover the differences between a salt softener and Ecobulles in details
Go over the different comparison points in order to know more
PREVENTIVE & CURATIVE PROTECTION
Salt softener
Process principle
?The water of the concession goes through an ion-exchanging resin, loaded with salt (sodium chloride). When the water goes through the concession, the resin captures the calcium and magnesium ions, keeps the chloride ions and releases (in exchange) the sodium ions into the water of consumption. When this resin gets saturated, it needs to be “cleaned up” and “reloaded” with salt (regeneration). This is what explains water overconsumption, estimated at 10% for the most efficient salt softeners. This regeneration water, loaded with calcium and magnesium, is thrown into the sewers, but it is also saturated with chloride. This is this regeneration process that explains that salt softeners are so much despised (water overconsumption, pollution due to chloride rejections and in some cases, dirty water not suited to drinkability – decree #2001-1220 of December 20, 2001-).
?On contact with water, the CO2 turns into carbonic acid. This soft and natural acid lowers the water pH, and therefore solubilizes scale into calcium and magnesium bicarbonates. This process resembles the effect of white vinegar on scale, but in a much softer way, without adding a bad taste to the water, and without creating any damages on pipelines. Its efficiency is undeniable. Plugged in right after the water meter, the system injects the right dose of CO2 in a proportional way, putting the water at the right calco-carbonic balance. This way, the water is not aggressive. 1 liter of treated water = 1 liter of useful water. The CO2 that is used is of alimentary quality.
Energy savings
?Effective heat transfer thanks to unscaled up resistances.
?Effective heat transfer thanks to unscaled up resistances.
Scaling protection
?Very efficient process that protects pipelines, water heaters, sanitary facilities, domestic appliances, etc…
?Very efficient process that protects pipelines, water heaters, sanitary facilities, domestic appliances, etc…
White traces
?A softener installed by a professional is set to a hydrotimetric title (TH) between 10° and 15°. At this level, there are little non-embedding scale traces. In order to see no traces at all, it is necessary to set the salt softener TH close to 0°. At this level, the water gets corrosive and will alter your domestic appliances (water heater, electrical resistances, boiler pieces, heat exchangers, pipelines…). This is why manufacturers such as ATLANTIC, VIESSMAN…require a water TH setting at 15° minimum!!!
?Reduction of white traces on stainless steel appliances, on dark surfaces, on shower walls… in “curative” phase, these traces can be more important. This is normal, because on top of the scale present in water, we progressively solubilize the scale already present in the domestic appliances. However, theses traces are made of bicarbonates (non-embedding) and disappear quickly with a simple sponge stroke.
Steam plant
?Please refer to your device user’s manual. Some manufacturers recommend demineralised water, some others recommend tap water.
?Please refer to your device user’s manual. Some manufacturers recommend demineralised water, some others recommend tap water.
Dishwasher
?No need to add salt into your dishwasher anymore.
?It is commonly advised to add salt into dishwashers in order to avoid the occurrence of white traces at the feet of your glasses (drying water drops combined with the presence of bicarbonates). However, you can make these traces disappear with a simple cloth stroke. Caution: if your dishwasher comes with a water hardness setup function, make sure it is set at the right level.
Curative effect
?The curative effect is very low. It does not eradicate scale formation, nor organic deposits.
?Soft and progressive descaling of all the domestic appliances (water heater, pipeline, sanitary equipment, electrical appliances…). Eradicates scale and existing organic deposits. The only curative process on the market.
Clothes
?Clothes stay very flexible thanks to the absence of scale. Allergy caution: the rinsing power of a softened water is very low, which increases the risk of detergent residues inside the linen fibres.
?Clothes stay flexible because the bicarbonates are soluble in water. They are evacuated during the rinsing phase along with the detergent impurities.
Cleaning products
?Detergent and fabric softeners savings…thanks to the foaming power of water when treated by a salt softener.
?Detergent and fabric softeners savings…thanks to the rinsing power of water when enriched with CO2.
WELL-BEING & HEALTH
Salt softener
10-year ecobalance
?For a household of 4 people: 1200 kg of salt consumed, a minimum of 120 cubic-meters of wasted water and polluted with chloride.
?For a household of 4 people: 120 kg of neutralized CO2 (average). No water waste and no chloride rejections.
Hygiene
?Risks of bacterial pollution because of water stagnation in the resins’ bed and in the salt compartment. It is imperative to complete an annual disinfection.
?No water storage, therefore no risks of bacterial pollution. Moreover, the CO2 has a bacteriostatic property.
Balance/ Water taste
?Water is denatured because calcium and magnesium are replaced by sodium (water demineralisation). The presence of sodium creates a “sodium taste”. This kind of water is forbidden to people on a salt-free diet. In the case of very hard water, the sodium quantity “exchanged” in water can make the water unsuited to consumption (Decision of January 11, 2007 concerning limits and references of raw waters quality aimed at human consumption, regulation: SANP0720200 1A).
?The water keeps all its mineral properties. It is more digest thanks to bicarbonates. Water taste is not altered.
Skin well-being
?Pleasant water contact with skin. Improvement on skin rashes and irritations thanks to the reduction of calcium and magnesium carbonates.
?Pleasant water contact with skin. The ECOBULLES process consists on diminishing the water pH very lightly, bringing it very close to the skin pH, which reduces significantly skin rashes and irritations. Morover, the input of bicarbonate allows a clear improvement on skin health and contributes to decrease itches.
Rinsing power
?Scaleless water creates an unpleasant “greasy” feel on skin when rinsing. It gives the impression that rinsing is impossible. This phenomenon causes water overconsumption.
?Increased rinsing power thanks to the addition of CO2, which makes for a real comfort when rinsing, and real water savings (ECOBULLES Patent n° 00 09653).
INSTALLATION
Salt softener
Installation
?Requires strong skills in plumbing. Requires an evacuation system into the sewage network, indispensable for the frequent resin regeneration process. It is also necessary to provide a non-treated water plant and a bypass to be able to set up the water hardness if the the salt softener is not equipped with such function.
?Requires very little skills in plumbing. However, concerning the pH setup, we advise you to get the help of a professional. No need of a bypass, no need of an evacuation system.
Noise nuisance
?Noisy device during regeneration phase (frequently in the middle of the night).
?The ECOBULLES system is silent.
Space required
?Bulky and non-customizable equipment. 50 x 30 x 110 (indicative measurement) for a 4-people household.
?Customizable installation. Equipment that does not take much place : – Control box (17 x 17 x 6 cm) – Hydraulic module (44 cm). CO2 bottle (Height: from 70 cm to 88 cm. Diameter: 20 cm.).
Maintenance
?Mandatory and frequent follow-up regarding salt level in its compartment. Stockage and frequent handling of heavy 25kg salt bags. Mandatory annual contract for maintenance against bacterial risks.
?One 10kg bottle of CO2Â can treat between 50 and 100 cubic meters of water (depending on its hardness). Which means, very little handling and maintenance.
Septic tanks and microstations
?A salt softener, when in regeneration phase, will reject into water big quantities of chloride that destroy microbial life and alter the efficiency of microstations and cesspools. Many purification system manufacturers proscribe the use of salt softeners in order to have their products work properly. In some cases, it can even cause unpleasant odours.
?Perfectly compatible with the different purification systems.
ELECTROMAGNETIC SYSTEMS
These processes have existed for more than 30 years but have never been really convincing in the domestic field. Most of the reasons are due to the kind of pipelines there are, to the properties of certain waters but mostly, to the speed of the water flow inside the installations. Concerning this last point, the speed of 2m/s is most commonly recommended. It is the same as 3 or 4 taps opened at the same time. A very rare situation within a household. This explains why these systems have never been so much developed on the consumer market. The ATEX’s (Technical Experimental Certification) that are delivered concerning theses processes by the CSTB, are never awarded to domestic systems because the speed of 2m/s is always included in the technical specifications during try-outs. They are therefore non included in this comparative, as they are not efficient.