Most Indian cities suffer from hard water problems. Hard water is not only a concern for drinking but it can drastically affect the performance of washing machines.
It is always better to use a softener to reduce the TDS in water and then use that water for washing machines if you want your washing machines to last long and give you better wash.
Installing a softener is not always a viable solution as it needs a good amount of investment and regular maintenance is required.
To solve this problem, IFB came up with an inbuilt softener called Aqua Energie in some of their washing machines that soften the water before it reaches the drum.
Let’s learn more about the Aqua Energie feature here in this article.
Table of Contents
Why Hard Water Is A Problem For Washing Machines?
Hard water brings a plethora of problems for washing machines. First of all, detergents do not dissolve easily into hard water. The result is, you will get a very poor wash and you may notice detergent residues on the clothes.
Those detergent residues are an eyesore and may cause allergies to your skin. Often those residues are removed during the spin cycle but if the water is too hard, you may end up getting detergent residues on clothes.
The other problem with hard water is that it may clog the inlet and outlet of your washing machine. Over time, scale may form on the inlet and outlet pipes and that will badly affect the washing performance. Hard water can also damage the drum if it is not cleaned regularly.
What Is Aqua Energie?
Aqua Energie is a physical device installed on the inlet path of a few IFB washing machines that softens the hard water automatically as it enters the drum. Please remember that it can work efficiently only when the TDS level is within the reasonable limit. If the TDS is more than 1000, the Aqua Energie is of no use.
So Aqua Energie is basically an inbuilt softener found in many IFB washing machines to soften the water before it enters the drum. It provides a better wash and improves the longevity of the washing machine.
What the device does is break the salt and minerals into fine particles so that it is easy for water to flow without forming any scale in the washing machine.
By breaking the bi-carbonates in water into microscopic crystals it reduces its tendency to stick to the fabrics or other surfaces of the washing machine.
As it reduces the surface tension of water, detergent can easily dissolve into it and provide you with a far better wash. The flow of water also gets better as there won’t be any scaling on the inlet or the outlet.
Benefits Of Aqua Energie
Aqua Energie is a must-have feature in washing machines as it reduces the formation of scale in washing machines and thus improves its performance.
Since the detergents dissolve better in soft water, you won’t see the problem of detergent residues left on the clothes.
One downside of this feature is that you need to change the filter cartridge every few months depending on the TDS level in your groundwater. So, regular maintenance is a must if you use this feature.
Conclusion: Do You Really Need Aqua Energie In Washing Machines?
The question is more reasonable when you ask me, do you really need the Aqua Energie feature if you are not getting hard water?
The answer would be YES.
Aqua Energie does not harm your clothes in any way. If you are getting soft water, the device does not do anything. But if not, it reduces the hardness of water. So basically, it acts as a protective device in your washing machines that saves you from scaling.
If you are asked to pay a premium for this feature and you are getting soft water, then probably it would be a waste of money to invest in such washing machines.
Remember, the Aqua Energie device can not completely remove the TDS from the water as a typical water softener does. It just reduces the hardness to an acceptable range. A water softener is still preferred for a complete peace of mind.
