WATER SOFTNER  

What is a water softener? 

A water softener is a whole-house water treatment system that removes hardness-causing calcium and magnesium minerals from your water through a process called ion exchange. A water softener addresses hard water, one of the most prevalent and devastating water problems. Hard water wreaks havoc on a home’s plumbing and appliances, clogging pipes and shortening the lifespan of dishwashers, coffee makers, and ice machines. The higher the temperature of the water, the more calcium and magnesium will solidify and harden into solid deposits inside your hot water heater. If you live in hard water territory, your water heater may sound like it is popping popcorn. This is because scale has attached itself to the heating element. As the temperature of the heater rises and the tank expands, the calcified rock deposits crusted on the heating elements start cracking and stretching.

Without a water softener, laundry demands extra detergent to prevent it from looking dingy. Dishes will come out of your dishwasher streaked and stained. Filmy scum builds up on your shower curtains, and your soap and shampoo will not lather. Bathing in hard water leaves your skin itchy and dry and your hair lifeless and sticky. The amount of time, energy, and money required to clean up the detrimental side effects of hard water can be overwhelming. A whole house water softener is the solution to the many problems hard water introduces to a home.  

How does a water softener work? 

A water softener removes calcium and magnesium from water through a process called ion exchange. When the hard water enters into the mineral tank, it flows through a bed of spherical resin beads. These plastic beads, usually made from polystyrene, are charged with a sodium ion. The resin beads are anions, meaning they have a negative charge. The calcium and magnesium minerals have a positive charge, making them cations. Since opposite charges attract, the negative charge of the minerals is attracted to the positive charge of the resin beads. As the hard water passes through the resin, the beads grab ahold of the mineral ions and remove them from the water. When the bead seizes the mineral ion, the sodium ion is released. The column of resin strips all the hardness out of the water as it passes through the mineral tank, and softened water flows out into your home.