How does a softener actually work? A water softener uses a process called ion exchange to remove hard minerals like calcium and magnesium from your water supply.
A standard water softener system has two main parts:
-Resin Tank (Mineral Tank): A tall tank filled with thousands of tiny plastic or resin beads that are negatively charged.
-Brine Tank: A smaller side tank filled with water and salt (sodium chloride or potassium chloride) to make a concentrated salt solution.
The Ion Exchange Process:
1. Attracting Hard Minerals: As hard water flows into the resin tank, the negatively charged resin beads attract positively charged hardness minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
2. Releasing Sodium: The beads hold onto the calcium and magnesium, releasing sodium ions into the water in their place.
3. Delivering Soft Water: The treated, mineral-free water continues through your home’s plumbing.
Over time, the resin beads become completely coated and saturated with calcium and magnesium, losing their charge. To fix this, the system automatically runs a cleaning cycle called regeneration: The main parts of the regen process are:
-Backwash: A flush of the system
-Brine Draw: Recharging the resin beads with negative sodium ions
-Brine Rinse: Freshwater rinses away the sodium saturated water
-Brine Refill: Water is added to the brine tank to allow for full saturation, for the next regen. To learn more, contact AquaCheck Water Conditioning today!