How Does a Water Softener Work?

A water softener is used to soften "hard" water, a term used to describe water that has an excess amount of magnesium and calcium ions. This condition is created by water's excellent ability to absorb material as it passes through it. Put simply, a water softener, or conditioner as they are also known, removes these extra ions.

The process is achieved by passing the water down through the top of the softener through a resin bed that is negatively charged with sodium ions attached. As the water passes through the media the sodium ions trade places with the magnesium and calcium ions in the water removing the hardness in the water. The amount of sodium ions used to remove the "hard" minerals will depend on the levels of your initial water source.

A WATER SOFTENER

Over time the resin media will begin to lose its effectiveness as more of the sodium ions are displaced by the magnesium and calcium ions. Creating a brine solution consisting of the salt that users of water softeners are familiar with solves this situation. The brine tank is connected to the softener through a control valve that manages when the system is to be flushed and recharged. There is also a drain line on the water softener that allows the minerals to be flushed out of the water softener and not through to your faucets.

The two possible types of control valves that your system can use are a timed valve, which is programmed to recharge the system at certain timed intervals, or a metered valve that recharges the system based on the amount of water that has passed through the water softener. The benefit to using a metered valve is that you can adjust the system more accurately to your specific water make-up, whereas the actual amount of water your water softener processes in any given time period could fluctuate greatly, causing you to either overwork the resin media or flush the system too early, reducing either the efficiency or cost effectiveness with the timed variety.

A standard water softener is only designed to remove the minerals that create the hardness. They do not act as a filter for sand or other debris and they do not remove nitrates or nitrites from your water. Also, without the addition of anion exchange media, it will not remove any tannins either. You will notice the benefits though by an increased effectiveness in the soaps and shampoos that you use as the removal of the minerals will allow them to work without binding to the ions in the water. It will also put an end to the hard water stains in your tub and sinks.

How Does a Water Softener Work?

A WATER SOFTENER