Today, water softeners are very common. In fact, the majority of homes throughout the Oswego area have a water softener. However, this was not always the case.
In fact, up until very recently, many humans were forced to drink and use hard water exclusively. It wasn’t until the last century that water softening became a more widely accepted solution to water problems.
Wondering what the evolution of water softening entailed? Read below! We’re going to cover the history of water softening in Oswego, Illinois.
The Discovery of Water Softening
For thousands and thousands of years, there was no concept of “hard” or “soft” water. Water was water and that’s all there was to it.
This all changed in the mid-19th century. During this century, an agriculturist named Harry Stephen Meysey Thompson and a scientist named John Thomas Way stumbled upon the idea of “hard” water. They did so after running a fertilizer through soil and noticing the formation of a calcium sulfate solution.
After making their discovery, they alerted the Royal Agricultural Society of England. They concluded that minerals present in the soil were responsible for creating the calcium sulfate solution. With that inference, the idea of hard water was born.
Water Softening Innovation Through the 20th Century
There was no legitimate attempt to soften water throughout the 19th century. However, as time went on, water softening technology began to progress in the 20th century.
1900 – 1920
The early part of the 20th century saw the invention of the first known water softeners. These softeners were inspired by the idea of desalination and did a fairly reliable job of removing hard minerals.
Unfortunately, in order to operate, they needed to be cleaned every few hours or so. Because of this, they were unable to soften water consistently over time. As a result, they were used primarily in commercial capacities. While some homeowners did own water softeners during this time, it was only the wealthiest of the wealthy that could afford one.
1921 – 1940
In the 1920s, water softeners started to become more accessible to the general public. In 1924, noted water softening company Culligan opened its doors.
1941 – 1960
While the concept of ion-exchange discovered previously, it hadn’t really take off until the 1940s. During this decade, chemists began to understand how the concept could play a part in water softening.
By the end of the 1940s and the beginning of the 1950s, the concept of ion-exchange was the dominating concept in water softening technology. It had become clear that ion-exchange was the most effective water softening option available.
1961 – 2000
By the early 1960s, water softener manufacturers were designing their softeners to operate through regeneration processes. In doing this, they were creating softeners that could soften water consistently throughout the day. For the first time, homeowners were able to gain access to a steady stream of soft water.
At this point, the modern-day water softener had arrived. All of the concepts were in place. They just needed to be tweaked a bit in order to improve the overall efficiency and consistency. This tweaking and innovation would occur consistently throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, turning the water softener into the reliable home water conditioning system we’ve all come to depend on.
Modern Water Softening
Today’s water softeners aren’t that much different than the ones produced in the 1980s. They still function in the same basic way. Where they differ is in their lifespan and in their size. Modern water softeners are both longer-lasting and take us less space than water softeners of the past.
Reap the Benefits of Water Softening in Oswego
Is your home or business without a water softener? Looking to reap the benefits of water softening in Oswego, Illinois? DuPage Water Conditioning has you covered.
We manufacture water softeners to accommodate water supplies of all sizes. Regardless of the size of your water supply, we can help.
Contact us today to discuss your water softening needs!