How does a water softener work? A water softener is used to soften “hard” water, water that has an excessive amount of magnesium and calcium ions. Such condition is made by the ability of water to absorb material as it pass through. A water softener is also called a condition because it can remove the excessive amount of ions.
Now, for you to thoroughly understand, how does a water softener work?
It is a process when it passes 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 sodioum ions trade places with the magnesium and calcium ions in the water and in this particular moment, it removes the hardness in the water. The number of sodium ions used to remove the “hard” minerals will depend on the initial water source levels.
The resin media will begin to lose its effectiveness overtime as more of the sodium ions are displaced by the magnesium and calcium ions. In this case, the solution will be to make a brine solution that consists of the salt that water softeners users are familiar with. See, a brine tank is connected to the softener through a control valve that manages when the system is to be flushed and recharged. Also, there is a drain line on the water softener that will allow minerals to be flushed out of the water softener and not through your faucets.
Control valves are important parts of a water softener and there are two types of control valves that you use:
- Timed Valve – this is programmed to recharge the system at particular timed intervals.
- Metered valve – this recharges the systemb based on the water amount that has passed through the water softener.
More water softener owners prefer to use a metered valve because they can adjust the system in a more accurate manner to their specific water make-up.
A water softener is a great addition to your household. This is designed to remove the minerals that create the hardness. However, you should know that these water softeners don’t act as a filter for sand and they don’t remove nitrates or nitrites from you water.