Hard water is a frustrating and surprisingly common problem in homes. If you’ve ever noticed issues like spots on dishes after you’ve run them through the dishwasher, mineral buildup, or dry skin and hair, you’ve probably tried to find a solution. Not many people know that there’s actually an easy fix for their hard water problem: water softeners.
Water softeners get rid of the minerals that cause problems in hard water. They use special beads to attract and remove these minerals (mainly calcium and magnesium) from your water. The system then goes through a “regeneration” process, where it cleans out the beads with a brine solution.
If you want to learn more about water softeners, how they operate, and why most homes can benefit from having one, keep reading! The Perry Plumbing team will be going over everything you need to know in this blog post.
How Do Water Softeners Work?
A water softener operates based on simple chemistry. Understanding the science behind hard water might just help you grasp how the different parts of a water softener work together. Let’s break it down in more detail below.
Certain minerals, like calcium and magnesium, cause water hardness. These minerals can have negative effects on your health (i.e. skin irritation and dry hair). Not only that, but hard water can reduce soap lathering, and increase the buildup of minerals in your appliances and plumbing fixtures.
Calcium and magnesium are ions with a positive charge, and they can be attracted to a negative charge, similar to magnets with opposite poles. This is where your water softener comes in — it has resin beads with a negative charge. These beads attract and trap the mineral ions, which allows the rest of the water to flow through. Pretty cool, huh? It’s science in action!
In order for this system to remain effective over time, the resin beads need to be cleaned or flushed of the trapped positive ions. As mentioned before, this process is called regeneration. Basically, the softener uses a separate tank with a brine solution containing sodium ions to wash away the hardness minerals.
What is the Difference Between a Water Softener and a Water Filtration System?
When it comes to treating water, it’s important to be able to grasp the differences between terms that might sound alike, but actually have important distinctions — like water softeners and water filtration systems, for example. Let’s take a closer look at the differences below, shall we?
Water Softener
A water softener is specifically designed to make water softer (as the name suggests). Its main job is to get rid of hardness minerals, and deal directly with issues like mineral buildup and dish spots.
Typically, water softeners have two tanks: one for resin and another for brine. The resin tank uses negatively charged resin beads to attract and remove positively charged mineral ions, as mentioned before.
Water Filtration System
A water filtration system is not the same thing as a water softener. While some softening systems may include filtration features, it’s common to use a separate filtration solution alongside a water softener.
Water filtration systems are more comprehensive. They’re designed to filter out contaminants and debris, while water softeners simply soften hard water. Having both a water filtration system and a water softening system is the best way to make absolutely sure that your water is safe to drink.
The Benefits of Water Softeners
Having to deal with hard water can be both time-consuming and costly. It usually requires cleaning or replacing items affected by mineral deposits. Thankfully, installing a water softener can be an effective solution when it comes to tackling these particular issues. Let’s talk about the benefits of water softeners in more detail below:
Improved Hair and Skin Condition
Soft water makes your skin softer and your hair shinier. In other words, it’s a lot better for your physical health and hygiene!
Clean and Spot-Free Dishes
Water softeners help to eliminate mineral residues on dishes. This means that your dishes will be nice and clean (and spot-free) after you run them through the dishwasher. You’ll probably be surprised by the difference it makes!
Brighter and Softer Laundry
Laundry that’s been washed with soft water tends to be brighter and softer. This helps to extend the life of your clothes, and makes your clothing look a little better, too! Not only that, but your clothing will be a lot less scratchy. Sounds pretty worth it, don’t you think?
Improved Appliance Longevity
The decrease in calcium and magnesium in water due to water softeners helps to prevent the buildup of minerals in appliances like water heaters and dishwashers. This will help your appliances last a lot longer, which means you’ll get to save money on repairs.
Reduced Cleaning Time and Costs
Soft water minimizes the need for extensive cleaning, since it doesn’t leave stubborn mineral deposits on dishes, countertops, and other surfaces. This means that you’ll get to spend a lot less time and money on cleaning, which is always a plus!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do water softeners require maintenance?
Water softeners don’t require a ton of maintenance, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t perform maintenance when necessary. Water softener maintenance typically involves adding salt to the brine tank and occasionally cleaning it.
How long does a water softener last?
The lifespan of a water softener depends on how often you use it, the type of system you have, and how regularly you perform maintenance on it. On average, well-maintained water softeners can last 10 to 20 years.
Reach Out to Perry Plumbing For Same Day Plumbing Service
If you’re located in Delaware, Montgomery or Chester County, PA and are looking for “plumbers near me,” then you’re in luck. The licensed plumbers over at Perry Plumbing are the best of the best, and they’re ready to provide you with fast, same day service. If you have questions about water softener installation, hard water treatment, Water softener maintenance, or anything else, don’t hesitate to reach out!