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Water softeners: What you need to know about water softeners

Hard water might be a problem if your dishwasher or shower door are clogged up or your shower doesn't clean as well as it used to.

A water softeners hub is a great way to solve the problem. We'll be discussing the benefits of water softeners and why hard water is bad for your home.

Hard water problems

Hard water can be caused by too many minerals or metals in your water. Groundwater is responsible for the formation of these metals through the dissolution and resorption of the surrounding soil and rocks. GPG (Grains per Gallon) and mg/L (Military Grams Per Liter) are the two ways water hardness is measured. A grain is defined as 64.8 mgs of calcium carbonate. If your water tests show that your water has less than 1 GPG, you will have soft water. Hard water is approximately 7-10.5 GPG.

Hard water can cause calcium and magnesium precipitate (scale), to build up inside pipes, water heaters, industrial machinery, etc. Scale can clog pipes and reduce heat conduction and water flow. Hard water can also reduce soap's lathering abilities and react with soap to create a sticky, scum-like substance.

How it works

A water softener is a great way to remove hard water from your home or business. It works on the principle that calcium and magnesium ions will swap places with ions that produce soft water (i.e. sodium, etc.). Your drinking water does not contain any sodium, and it is well below FDA standards.

A tank filled with resin (or zeolite) is used to replace the ions. Because the beads have a negative charge, they bond with the sodium ions. The beads allow water to flow through them, and the sodium and calcium ions swap with each other.

The plastic beads are "the workhorses", but it is important that salt is added to the softener. Calcium and magnesium replace sodium in beads and the appliance won't be able to soften any more water. This problem can be solved by allowing the water softener enter a regeneration mode to soak the beads with sodium chloride (water softening salt). The sodium will cause magnesium and calcium to lose their hold and then the beads will be refilled with sodium. This will produce a lot (approximately 25 Gallons) of salt water.

Softening and conditioning?

Although many people use the terms "water conditioners" and "water softeners" interchangeably, there are significant differences in the uses and benefits of each appliance.

Water conditioners are capable of removing sediment, chemicals, and other foreign material while treating water hardness. A water softener cannot treat water for any other reason than hardness. Each appliance can treat water hardness but each one will produce a different result.