Plumbing Tip: Water Softeners Worth The Cost
A water softener provides water that is better for your hair and skin and does not leave water deposits on your shower or bathtub.
But just how does a water-softening system work and why can it be an important part of your plumbing system? Water softeners replace the ions in water.
Resin, a petroleum industry product, attracts hard ions, such as calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium.
Resin is negatively charged and the hard ions are positively charged.
A water softener uses resin to replace the hard ions with sodium ions which have a much less positive charge.
Occurring billions and billions of times during a softening cycle, the ion-replacement process causes much softer water.
Because the resin can wear out, allowing the hard ions to continue flowing in the house's water system, a brine system is used to regenerate the resin.
A brine solution, rich in sodium or potassium salt, helps regenerate the resin and draws the hard ions to it, making the resin able to return to its full potency.
As the home water system and the brine system both flow downward through the softener, the softener needs to regenerate periodically to bring the brine back to the top so it can continue to work.
How frequently the system must regenerate and how much salt is needed depends on the size and strength of the system.
Oftentimes, a chemical analysis of the home's water is performed to determine the regeneration and salt requirements.
Regeneration normally ranges from every one to seven days.
It consists of five steps: service, fill, brine rinse, backwash and fast rinse.
When the water softener's valve is in the 'Service' position, water enters the system, the hard water is ionized as it passes over the resin, and the soft water is cycled through the home for use.
When calcium is not replaced - when a water softener is not used - it can leave spots on tubs, showers and sinks.
When calcium builds up, it can limit the effectiveness of cleaners.
Rings around bathtubs, spots on washed glasses, dingy clothes, clothes wearing out quickly and loss of water-heating efficiency are all downsides of hard-water use.
Since the 1950s, water softeners have become more common in households and now an estimated 10 million homes have water softeners.
The four major components of a water-softening system are: the controller, brine system, and the mineral and brine tanks.
The brine tank can also be called the salt-storage system as that is where salt for the system is kept.
A float is located in the brine tank to keep the system from overflowing.
You may have a problem requiring plumbing assistance if you have a discharge of water at the source to the water-softening system or an outside source of water in the brine tank.
Also note that if the water line in the brine tank is not at 2 inches or the motor is energized while the system is in service that also may mean plumbing help is required.
Also, if the fill cycle does not finish within eight to 12 minutes that is also a sign that the system should be checked.
But just how does a water-softening system work and why can it be an important part of your plumbing system? Water softeners replace the ions in water.
Resin, a petroleum industry product, attracts hard ions, such as calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium.
Resin is negatively charged and the hard ions are positively charged.
A water softener uses resin to replace the hard ions with sodium ions which have a much less positive charge.
Occurring billions and billions of times during a softening cycle, the ion-replacement process causes much softer water.
Because the resin can wear out, allowing the hard ions to continue flowing in the house's water system, a brine system is used to regenerate the resin.
A brine solution, rich in sodium or potassium salt, helps regenerate the resin and draws the hard ions to it, making the resin able to return to its full potency.
As the home water system and the brine system both flow downward through the softener, the softener needs to regenerate periodically to bring the brine back to the top so it can continue to work.
How frequently the system must regenerate and how much salt is needed depends on the size and strength of the system.
Oftentimes, a chemical analysis of the home's water is performed to determine the regeneration and salt requirements.
Regeneration normally ranges from every one to seven days.
It consists of five steps: service, fill, brine rinse, backwash and fast rinse.
When the water softener's valve is in the 'Service' position, water enters the system, the hard water is ionized as it passes over the resin, and the soft water is cycled through the home for use.
When calcium is not replaced - when a water softener is not used - it can leave spots on tubs, showers and sinks.
When calcium builds up, it can limit the effectiveness of cleaners.
Rings around bathtubs, spots on washed glasses, dingy clothes, clothes wearing out quickly and loss of water-heating efficiency are all downsides of hard-water use.
Since the 1950s, water softeners have become more common in households and now an estimated 10 million homes have water softeners.
The four major components of a water-softening system are: the controller, brine system, and the mineral and brine tanks.
The brine tank can also be called the salt-storage system as that is where salt for the system is kept.
A float is located in the brine tank to keep the system from overflowing.
You may have a problem requiring plumbing assistance if you have a discharge of water at the source to the water-softening system or an outside source of water in the brine tank.
Also note that if the water line in the brine tank is not at 2 inches or the motor is energized while the system is in service that also may mean plumbing help is required.
Also, if the fill cycle does not finish within eight to 12 minutes that is also a sign that the system should be checked.