You don’t need a degree in chemistry to understand how a water softener works, although it is based in chemistry. Without being too technical this article will give you an idea of how this transformation works. If you are going to install a regular water softener in your home you will find that they all basically work the same way. The way that the water is softened is through an ion exchange process.
Hard water has magnesium and calcium ions. These must be taken care of before the water can be soft. Using a water softener the minerals pass through resin beads. These beads hold salt ions. It is when the hard water goes through these resin beads that they go to work. The magnesium and calcium ions are attracted and held by the resin beads. In exchange the sodium ions are released making the water softer.
The resin bed will eventually become loaded with the magnesium and calcium ions. Because this happens the area needs to be cleaned periodically or it won’t soften the water anymore. To clean the built up ions you need a salt water bath. This briny solution will loosen the hard water ions that have collected on the resin beads. Once this has been accomplished the system will backwash and flush the system. When this process is completed the beads will again possess the sodium ions so that the process of softening the water can be repeated.
There are some systems that must be programmed to repeat the regeneration process. This allows you to have softened water all the time; however, there can be some drawbacks to this system. If you have times when you use more water than usual you could wind up with hard water. By the same token if you have less demand at times but you are still on a programmed timer you will be wasting the salt. The unnecessary regeneration will also be costing you money.
Having a water softener that regenerates on demand can be better for many people, especially if there are fluctuations in your water consummation. These systems ensure that you have plenty of soft water whenever you need it without running out. This type of water softener has two resin filled cylinders so that even if regeneration is happening you can get soft water. One cylinder is ready to provide soft water while the second one regenerates.
The water softener needs salt to handle the cleaning process so you must purchase a salt block, bags or tablets. A block of salt is the easiest to use as loading is simple. Salt bags or tablets can spill, which is costly and messy. A measurement system in the water softener will bring the right amount of salt into the cylinder for the regeneration process.
Softening water is a relatively simple process that reaps huge rewards. You can look forward to cleaner clothes, softer skin and hair as well as longer lasting appliances. Once the water softener has a chance to help in the removal of the limescale build up your hot water heater will work more efficiently, too.
