Hard Water vs. Soft Water: How Do Water Softeners in Monroe, NC Work?

If you’re like most people, you may own a water softener in Monroe, NC, but you know very little about how it works. You know water softeners offer advantages, but you’re not sure exactly what they are.

Following are the basics to educate yourself on this useful appliance and what it does for your home.

A Quick Science Lesson

To understand how water softeners in Monroe, NC work, you’ll have to take a trip back to science class. Do you remember ions? These molecules carry a positive or negative charge due to an imbalance of electrons and protons. Water softeners work by removing unwanted ions from your water and replacing them with sodium ions.

Calcium, magnesium and iron, which are present in hard water, are all positively charged ions. With a weaker charge, sodium makes the ion exchange possible.

In with the Old, Out with the New

As hard water enters the water softener, it gets filtered through the pellets or crystals you have added to the tank. Stronger charged atoms like calcium and magnesium are drawn to these salt crystals. The stronger ions replace the sodium ions. These hard minerals remain trapped inside the water softener tank. Meanwhile, the water, along with a few sodium ions, travels out from your tank and through the rest of your home.

The soft water that leaves your tank is not salt water. It simply contains a small amount of sodium ions due to the ion exchange.

Time for Regeneration

If the hard materials get trapped in your tank, why doesn’t it fill up with these minerals and stop working? This is because your water softener also completes a regeneration process. This is how the appliance cleans and recharges itself. Here’s how it works.

You know that tank you’re supposed to remember to add salt to every so often? This storage bin is called the brine tank because it holds a salt solution called brine. The water softener uses this solution to reverse the ion exchange process and get rid of the unwanted minerals.

The water softener uses the salt solution to wash over the hard minerals. The hard minerals are released and the system is restored. The water containing the hard minerals gets flushed away. This process also cleans and disinfects the water softener. Your water softener includes a setting to schedule the regeneration cycle when it is most convenient for you. Most people set it for the middle of the night.

How to Determine If You Need a Water Softener in Monroe, NC

It’s not very helpful to know how a water softener works if you won’t be using one. So, how do you know if you need one? Hard water leaves tell-tale signs. Look for crusty buildup on your faucets and pipes. Watch for a film in your dishwasher and spots on your dishes. Note how your skin feels after a shower. Hard water can cause sticky, dry skin, while soft water makes skin feel healthy and clean. It’s also harder to get a good lather from soap when using hard water.

If you notice these signs of hard water, it might be time look into water softeners in Monroe, NC. Soft water will extend the life of your fixtures and appliances and help you enjoy softer clothes and skin.

If you’re still unsure whether you have hard or soft water, you can contact a water softener technician to perform a water test. The experts at Love Well & Pump Supply, LLC are happy to assist you and answer any additional questions.

Categorised in: Water Softeners

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