Water Softeners 101

More than 8 out of 20 homes have a water supply that is considered "hard". Hard water contains all kinds of trace minerals dissolved into it. These minerals usually include calcium, magnesium, lead, limestone, copper, iron and even sulfur. Rather than live with all the many problems hard water causes, there is an easy way to solve the problem on an ongoing basis. All you need to do is have a water softener installed and it will take care of the water day after day.

What Problems are Associated with Hard Water?

Hard water causes all kinds of little headaches that can be very frustrating and expensive. Clothes never quite come clean out of the washer. Dishes are hard to get clean too, even in the dishwasher and it always seems like you have to use more than the recommended amount of detergents when trying to clean anything, even yourself.

Hard water causes problems you cannot easily see as well. Mineral deposits build up on the inner workings of appliances that use water, making them less efficient and decreasing their useful life. Wonder why your home brewed Starbucks coffee never tastes as good as it does in the stores? Its probably because of hard water.

Hard water can also be expensive, far more so than the cost of having a water softener installed. The extra detergent, the extra soap, the ruined appliances, all of these things add up financially. So despite the initial investment the long term prospects for savings are good and a water softener will usually pay for itself rather quickly.

How Does a Water Softener Work?

The main body of a water softener contains lots of little resin beads and it is these sodium coated beads that work the magic. As water flows over them the bad mineral ions are attracted to them like metal to a magnet. The water that leaves the softener and goes off into the house is now free of these minerals and is therefore softer.

The resin beads do have to be refreshed on a regular basis of course. This is where the second part of a water softener, the brine tank, comes in. The brine tank flushes the resin beads on a regular basis, which can usually be a cycle you can “set and forget”. The only thing you do need to remember t6o do is keep the right amount of salt (usually rock salt crystals) in the brine tank at all times. 

To know more about water softeners check up on our site. Also you can find water softener reviews and water softener installation there.

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