What is a Water Softener? The Complete Guide
Are you constantly struggling with stains in your showers and sinks? Your water may be the problem! A whole-home water treatment system, such as a water softener, may be just what you need to defeat hard water stains.
Learn more about these helpful plumbing appliances in this guide from H&S Heating and Air Conditioning (we do plumbing, too!). Contact us today if you need a water softener system service or installation.
What is a Water Softener For?
Simply put, water softeners transform hard water into soft water by removing minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron. This can improve the taste of drinking water, soften skin and hair, improve dish cleaning, prevent scale buildup, and make clothes brighter and softer.
What is “Hard Water”?
Hard water contains minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron that can cause more problems than stains in showers and sinks. These minerals can contribute to water spots on dishes, slimy soap film left on hands after washing them, dry skin, and large deposits that can shorten the life of appliances like water heaters.
What Does a Water Softener Do?
A water softener takes water flowing into your house through supply pipes and uses a unique chemistry process to remove calcium, magnesium, and iron from the water. The hard minerals are replaced with harmless sodium.
How Does a Water Softener Work?
You might know what a water softener does, but how does it work?
What are the Parts of a Water Softener?
Most water softeners consist of three main components, each with a job to do during the softening process.
Mineral Tank
The mineral tank is the chamber where the hard water is softened. The water supply line feeds the hard water into the tank, and soft water flows out of it to the rest of your home. The mineral tank contains resin beads that remove calcium, magnesium, or iron.
Control Valve
The control valve, attached to the mineral tank, measures the amount of water passing through the tank and into your house. After a specific volume of water has passed through, the valve initiates a regeneration cycle so that the resin beads don’t become too “full” to continue effectively softening the water. This maximum capacity is based on several factors, such as house size and average water hardness, and the valve has the water volume pre-programmed. This is how it knows when it’s time for regeneration.
Brine Tank
The brine tank is a shorter tank that sits next to the mineral tank and aids in regeneration cycles. This tank is filled with a highly concentrated solution of sodium and water, where softener salt pellets or blocks are manually added. The solution is flushed through the mineral tank during regeneration to “recharge” the resin beads with sodium ions that are needed for removing the hard minerals.
How Does a Water Softener Turn Hard Water into Soft Water?
A water softener removes calcium and magnesium from water through ion exchange. The resin beads mentioned before, inside the mineral tank, are charged with a sodium ion from the regeneration process. The resin beads are anions, meaning they carry a negative charge. In contrast, hard water’s minerals are cations, as they possess a positive charge. Since opposites attract, the negative charge of the resin beads draws in the positively charged mineral ions. As hard water flows through the resin, the beads capture and remove these mineral ions from the water. When a bead captures a mineral ion, it releases a sodium ion. This process replaces the hard minerals with sodium ions, effectively “softening” the water.
Do I Need a Water Softener?
If you’ve noticed any of the issues listed above, such as water spots on your dishes, slimy soap film left on your hands after washing them, or dry skin, a water softener may be a good addition to your home! Many areas of the country have varying water hardness levels, so even if you haven’t noticed issues, contacting a plumber for a consultation may be a good idea.
The St. Cloud metro area has moderately-hard to very-hard water, varying based on your exact location.
Contact H&S Heating and Air Conditioning for Your Plumbing Needs
H&S Heating and Air Conditioning has partnered with the plumbing experts at Jensen Andersen to provide excellent service for all home systems. We are your one-stop shop for all your questions about heating, air conditioning, plumbing, and more!
If you ever need repair, maintenance, or some good ol’ advice, H&S Heating and Air Conditioning is here. We’re just a call away at (320) 654-1522. Or, if you’re more of a keyboard warrior, fill out our contact form. We’ve got you covered!
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