Water Softener vs Water Filtration

When it comes to treating the water that comes into your home we know that you have a lot of questions and concerns. With the number of options available in treating residential water quality it can become quite difficult to differentiate between the products available and their purpose. The question we get most often is regarding the difference between water filtration and water softening. In this installment we will look at the differences and how you know what the best option for your home is. Of course, as always FREE water analysis is available through Reynolds Water Conditioning Co; our experts will better be able to evaluate your need in person.

Let’s start by looking at what each system is and what it offers to the quality of water that you will end up with using each specific water treatment option.

Water Softeners

Water softeners are installed to soften the water within your home. They are designed to remove only that materials and containments within the water that create hard water including magnesium and calcium. Two general types of water softening units exist: water softeners that use salt to chemically modify the water and those that use potassium, otherwise known as salt-free water softeners.

Water Filtration

Water filtration is a general term used to describe many different options in removing contaminants from water including rust, iron, arsenic, copper, sediment, pesticides, and even hormones that enter water supplies through industrial or pharmaceutical waste. There are two types of systems to consider in water filtration: whole house filtration and point-of-use water filtration systems.

Although similar in nature you can see how each uses specific technology to improve the quality of water. What option(s) you choose will depend on your specific water quality. Some homeowners may find that even after they have installed a water filtration unit they are still left with hard water. The water quality may be better but still hard affecting their skin, appliances, clothing, and so forth. In this case the best option may be to install a whole house water softener with a point-of-use water filtration system to maximize your homes water quality.

Do You Have Issues With Your Water?

If you suspect issues with your homes water quality, does it smell bad, stain, or create residue build up, or have recently found out through a home inspection that the quality of the water entering your home is sub-par it is imperative that you reach out to the water quality experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning Company.

At Reynolds Water Conditioning Company, we are here to help make sure our clients don’t buy water treatment systems that they don’t need. We are here to make sure you find a water softening system that gives you the results you are looking for, whether it is to remove iron or odor from you water; we have a solution that will help! For more information contact our experts at 800.572.9575 or at our website https://reynoldswater.com.

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What is the difference between purified, Distilled and Tap Water?

Water is life; when you hear this statement it doesn’t always talk about the water around you. It also means that water is a highly significant part of your body and the body necessarily needs it. That is why you should take sufficient water every day.

Talking about the types of water, there are some terms that we often hear such as purified water, distilled water, and regular water. Some people get confused on these types and cannot decide which is the best type to use the water for drinking.

This article is a guideline on the differences of water types to find out which is the most suitable type of water to use.

Purified water

Purified water is used to remove impurities by filtration or any process i.e. chemicals, contaminants etc. Purified water is made from the regular groundwater or the tap water. The purification of water removes many types of the impurities such as;

Bacteria
Fungi
Parasites
Algae
Metals
Chemical pollutants

Techniques to purify water

Using several methods that can be operated commercially or at home for domestic usage does the purification. In most of the countries, the publically available water is usually purified already. It makes it safe for human health.

The water purification standards vary in different parts of the world. Typically these processes are carried out by the governmental regulations following the international standard of purification.

Even after all this, it is estimated by the report of WHO that nearly 2.1 billion population lack an access to clean water drinking. In all these areas where public water is not clean, several methods of purification are used such as;

Coagulation and flocculation

This process adds positively charged chemicals to the water. They bind to the negatively charged particles and are easily filtered out this way.

Sedimentation

For the large size particles, the residues sets at the bottom of the water container and the clear water are separated from the impurities.

Filtration

The water from the topside flows through many filtration processes. These may include sand, charcoal, and gravel. By filtration, the contaminants like bacteria, dust, chemicals, and viruses are removed.

Disinfection

This is a chemical purification that uses disinfectants such as chlorine. Chlorine is added to the water and it kills most of the microbes and contaminants in water.

Benefits of purified water

You may think that tap water is safe to use in many areas but tap water still has a chance of having contaminants in trace amounts. The water safe for human usage must follow the legal limitation by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for having only 90 contaminants in drinking water.

The purified water is free from heavy metals like lead and copper. These are otherwise very toxic to health. The purified water is also free of chemicals and other contaminants that may affect your health.

However, there are a few considerations that need to be addressed for water purification.

Water upkeep
Proper removal of contaminants
High maintenance cost
Waste

Distilled Water

Though not commonly believed the distilled water is a type of purified water. It just follows another process of distillation for removing the impurities. Distillation is a process in which water is boiled and steam is collected. This steam is returned back to the water after cooling.

This process is highly effective for removing contaminants such as bacteria, viruses etc. This form of water is extremely pure. It is more often used in medical facilities and research laboratories.

Benefits of distilled water

Water distillation is the best way to remove all the contaminants that pollute the water. The amounts of pesticide and presence of other chemicals in water sources is mainly determined by where you live. It also depends on local bodies regulating the water safety in your specific area.

There are no contaminants in distilled water. It is very helpful for people with a weaker immunity that are at a higher risk of disease attack. It removes the impurities that possibly cause this contamination.

While distilled water is pure and safest of all it may not be healthiest of all. The process of distillation removes many harmful contaminants. But on the other side, it is not particular in this action. Which means, it also removes the natural minerals and electrolytes found in water.

It means that the beneficial minerals such as calcium, magnesium are also removed during this distillation process. You may not know this but distillation removes around 99.9% of all the minerals in tap water.

Although water is not believed as a good source of minerals a decreased number of minerals may negatively impact the health. One risk with using distilled water is that it removes fluorine from the water.

In this way, it becomes unhealthy for those that are at a high risk of cavities. It is suggested to follow a proper dental hygiene in case an individual is planning to use distilled water.

Which type of water should you use?

In most of the cases, public drinking water is safe for use. It usually has strict contaminant limits, which are set by the health regulatory authorities. But there is still a chance to get affected by the natural sources, human activities that damage the quality of water.

The best idea is to buy an in-home water purification system. For the people with the weak immune system, purified water is the best. As distilled water may make them more susceptible to the diseases.

In all those countries where water contamination is a big problem, the alternative is to use bottled water that could be either distilled or purified. There are many types of purification plants that may help you.

Some of them are charcoal infused filtration and UV filters. These filters remove the impurities that are left behind in basic purification. It shows the effect of the purification plant.

When a regulatory authority governs the water quality, the water quality and safety is not a problem. An individual can drink the tap water too and it is safe for usage.

If you are doubtful about the quality of your tap water the best idea is to test the water by buying a home kit for water testing. You may also take help from a water-testing agency in your area. Then you can decide which type of filtration plant to buy.

Purify your water at home

Purification at home is a better idea than buying bottled water. It is a one-time investment that saves the continuous cost of buying bottles of water. The household treatment units are helping to improve the taste and odor of the tap water.

One option is Point of use (POU) treatment system that only purifies the water for drinking and cooking. Another type of treatment system is called Point of entry or (PUE) and it is applied to all the water that is available in the house.

Some of the most in-home water filtration systems use these techniques.

Filter plant
Reverse osmosis
UV lights

Regardless of which option you select, it is better to look for the brands that come with certification by your native regulatory authority. For example, the authoritative body in the S is American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and NSF International.

Conclusion

The availability of clean water is necessary for a good health. While most of the public drinking water is safe for use, it is better to drink the purified water.

Purified water is comparatively safer and may decrease contact with pollutants that are normally found in tap water. Remember that quality of water is varied in every area. This is a major determining factor to decide using the tap water or purified water.

Original Source: https://reportshealthcare.com/what-is-the-difference-between-purified-distilled-and-tap-water/

Original Date: March 19 2018

Original Author: Nancy Walker

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What Type of Water Treatment System Does Your Home Need?

In today’s world where we are surrounded by all sorts of impurities, filtered water is becoming a necessity. Our health is largely based on the amount of high quality drinking water we take in every day. It is crucial that the water we are drinking does not contain harmful chemicals, pollutants, parasites, organic waste, and other imperfections. There are several ways that one can go about procuring drinking water such as buying bottled water, but a better long run solution is to treat the water that is entering your home. It is also crucial that water treatment systems are maintained and running efficiently to ensure the quality of your families drinking water.

How Water Softeners Work

A water softener is a water treatment device that uses chemical methods to reduce the level of hardness of water. Depending on the type of water flows into your home you may need to use a water softener to ensure that your family’s water is free of excess minerals and elements that cause damage. A professionally installed water softener can drastically remove the hardness factor of the water entering your home and can transform it into soft, safe, usable water.

Hard water is not only harmful to ingest it can give you a tough time with cleaning, washing, soap removal, and maintaining health. If the hardness is removed from the water sufficiently then the soft water that is produced in the process will be as good as any other natural soft water.

Using Additional Iron Filters

A whole house water softener with an additional iron filter can be effective in purifying your water and improving your health. When your home or business has extremely hard water, a water softener with an iron filter can most often take care of the problem. These units are unlike regular activated carbon filters. They are specifically designed to remove iron and when the filter is full it flushes the iron deposits down the drain and begins the process over again. This seems to be a more common occurrence with drilled wells than municipal water sources.

Iron deposits in the water table often find their way into wells. The amount in water can vary a great deal from different areas. Some areas only have a trace amount of iron while neighboring wells could be producing orange-tinted water that leaves stains on fixtures with in the home. Water softeners that use additional iron filters remove toxic, heavy metals from drinking water. These systems are highly recommended for their ability to effectively block iron, Sulphur, manganese, sediment, and turbidity from water. Before choosing a system, it is crucial to have your homes water tested by a professional water treatment company.

Using Reverse Osmosis to Treat Water

Another option to treat water is reverse osmosis. A reverse osmosis water softening system uses hydraulic pressure is put on the water to act against the osmotic pressure naturally occurring in water. Purified water is then collected on the lower part of the membrane. This three-stage process purifies water, renders it clean, softens water, and then adds necessary minerals that add an amicable taste to the water.

Reverse osmosis water softener produces purified water containing no salts, sugars, ions or molecules that have been dissolved before filtration. With this method water will not have the same pleasant taste of other types of filtration. Over 97% of the hardness in water passed through reverse osmosis water softener is removed by the process. The most vital function of this filtration system is that it kills the bacteria and germs in the water.

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Which Water Treatment System Is Best For Your Home?

Having a water softener installed in your home makes most homeowners feel good about the quality of their drinking water. However, depending on your homes water a softener may not be enough to remove the contaminants that are still in the water that you drink, use to wash food, cook with, and more. A reverse osmosis system can eliminate the contaminants from your softened water including a solid percentage of the sodium left in the water after the softening process.

There are a number of reason that a water softener and reverse osmosis system work well together. A water softener protects a reverse osmosis unit. A reverse osmosis system is not as efficient at removing or reducing calcium and magnesium, the contents of hard water, as a water softening unit. Installing a water softener in combination with a RO system reduces the hardness level in the water acting as a protective level for the reverse osmosis unit keeping it from layer containments within the system and in turn extending the life of the system.

Another reason the two systems work well together is because they improve the quality of the families drinking water. Many people that install a whole house water softener also desire the installation of an under the sink reverse osmosis system in the kitchen. This type of system can be installed to service the kitchen tap, the refrigerator lines, or both.

A reverse osmosis unit takes your water softener to the next level helping to make sure the quality of your drinking water better. A water softener and reverse osmosis system work together. The softener gives you soft water throughout the house by eliminating minerals in the hard water while a RO unit increases the purity of the drinking water by removing impurities.

Once a water softener has been installed homeowners will notice a savings in energy expenses, increased appliance lifecycle, and a decrease in the usage of soaps and detergents. In fact, a water softener quickly pays for itself quickly. Reverse Osmosis owners find the same to be true as well. Once a RO unit has been installed the need for bottled water is non-existent. A water softener and a reverse osmosis system work together to reduce expenses and provide high quality drinking water.

If you already have a water softener installed call a water professional to help you choose the best reverse osmosis system to install. You want the RO unit to work in conjunction with one another and not compromise or interfere with the water softener. A little research will tell you what type of warranty the system has as well as the how filter maintenance exists.

Having a whole house water softener installed in conjunction with a reverse osmosis system allows you to give your family high quality drinking water. RO systems remove impurities that are still found in tap water after it has been run through a water softener.

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In The News… Such Sad News For California

Wildfire intensity impacts water quality and its treatment in forested watersheds

The recent Thomas Fire in California was the largest wildfire in the state’s modern history. It scorched nearly 282,000 acres between December 2017 and January 2018, and serves as a reminder of how devastating such events can be. Now, researchers report that wildfires in forested watersheds can have a variable but predictable impact on the substances that are released from soils and flow into drinking water sources. The new research provides important insights for water utilities evaluating treatment options after severe wildfires.

The researchers will present their work today at the 255th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

“Wildfires can have dramatic effects on watersheds, in addition to destroying personal property,” Fernando L. Rosario-Ortiz, Ph.D., says. “But perhaps less obvious are their potential effects on drinking water sources, caused by altering soils and the fundamental processes of forested watersheds. We find that these fires can cause many substances to be released from soil into drinking water sources, leading to contamination. The nature and amount of the substances depend on the severity of the fire.”

Forested watersheds supply nearly two-thirds of U.S. drinking water sources and billions of consumers worldwide, according to the National Research Council. Healthy urban and rural forested watersheds absorb rainfall and snow melt, slow storm runoff, filter pollutants and provide critical habitats for fish and wildlife. In addition, forested watersheds provide recreational opportunities and help support local economies.

Following a wildfire, significant changes can occur in source water quality, which can impact water treatment processes. These changes include enhanced mobilization of nutrients, sediments and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which can impact the ability of drinking water utilities to produce water that meets Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. Utilities need accurate information regarding these impacts and how to respond to them.

Rosario-Ortiz and his team at the University of Colorado, Boulder have been studying the relationship between soil transformation and wildfires since 2012, when two wildfires burned the Upper Cache la Poudre River watershed in northern Colorado. The team simulated wildfires of different severities in the laboratory by heating soils to different temperatures and then analyzed the results.

“Up to a point, the warmer the soil gets, the more carbon- and nitrogen-containing compounds are released from soils,” Rosario-Ortiz says. “These compounds, which are generally characterized as DOC, can react with chemicals used to purify water and be transformed into disinfection byproducts, or DBPs, which you don’t want in drinking water.” In fact, the level of permissible DPBs is regulated by EPA. “But we were surprised to find that as a wildfire increases in severity, the amount of DOC released by the soil decreases, and instead you could end up with more sediments in the source waters,” Rosario-Ortiz says.

Now his team is studying how the release of organic compounds from soil into water changes during wildfires. “We found that there is an enhanced release of compounds with a lower average molecular weight, containing both more oxygen and nitrogen functionalities, compared with typical conditions,” Rosario-Ortiz reports. “The results from this work will help us better understand the overall effects that wildfires have on water quality and ultimately on the production of potable water.”

Rosario-Ortiz expects his research to find increasing application as the number and severity of wildfires increases due to climate change, extreme droughts, land disturbances and increased fuel loads.

Original Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180320084403.htm

Date:March 20, 2018

Story Source:

Materials provided by American Chemical Society. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

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One More Reason To Consider A Water Filtration System

Major bottled water brands found to be contaminated with microplastics

Bottled water rose to popularity several decades ago thanks to a number of factors including its perceived superiority to tap water. It is often marketed as pure, clean, natural water thanks to the idea that it doesn’t have to travel through ancient buried pipes before it lands in your cup. It’s as good as it gets, right? Not so fast. A new study of 11 different bottled water brands from around the globe reveals that the crystal clear water we know and love is actually filled with tiny bits of plastic that often go completely unnoticed.

The study, which was conducted by researchers at the State University of New York at Fredonia, hunted for tiny, almost invisible pieces of plastic left over from the manufacturing process. The team looked at several popular brands, including Aquafina, Nestle Pure Life, Evian, Dasani, and San Pelligerino, and the results are rather interesting.

None of the brands that were tested were completely free of microplastics, and some had microplastic densities as high as 10,000 per liter. That’s a whole lot of itty bitty plastic bits that consumers are swallowing, and the verdict is still out on just how damaging they could be over the long term. Studies have shown that many microplastics pass through our bodies with little issue, but a significant percentage might be sticking around for a good while longer.

“Some particles might lodge in the intestinal wall,” Orb Media, a nonprofit organization which performed the research, explains. “Others might be taken up by intestinal tissue to travel through the body’s lymphatic system. Particles around 110 microns in size (0.11 millimeters) can be taken into the body’s hepatic portal vein, which carries blood from the intestines, gallbladder, pancreas and spleen to the liver.”

The tiny plastic pieces are thought to be leftovers from when the bottles and caps are manufactured. The materials were most often found to be polypropylene and nylon, but polyethylene was also detected in the samples. The incredibly wide range of contamination levels — from zero to over 10,000 per liter — suggests that some manufacturers are simply better at cleaning their products before filling them with drinking water, though none of the brands in the tests have made any public declarations of how they intend to use the findings to better their product.

Author: Mike Wehner

@MikeWehner

March 15th, 2018 at 9:18 AM

Original Source: http://bgr.com/2018/03/15/bottled-water-plastics-contamination-study/

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Picking A Suitable Well Water Iron Filter

Using a water softener system has been shown to extend the life expectancy of plumbing because it eliminates scale build-up in pipes and fittings. Not only does hard water clog your plumbing but it also reduces the efficiency of your water heater and other household appliances.

You know that the water you are using is hard if soaps and detergent do not dissolve or lather easily and you have probably noticed that your once shiny silverware now appear dull and do not have that sparkle after washing them. Hard water is also known to dry the skin and hair and leave white mineral deposits on your surfaces.

Some homeowners don’t mind using hard water, aside from the annoying scale buildup in the plumbing system. However, if increasing the efficiency of your appliances, plumbing, and heating is your goal installing a whole house water softener with a special filter for iron will get the job done.

The whole house water softener with a special iron filter, is a chemical and maintenance-free process designed to remove water hardness including iron that causes the red staining and rust in your toilet bowls, sinks, and appliances. The system eliminates that iron-tasting and rotten egg odor which originates from well and city water that has high amounts of iron and manganese.

A water softener with an iron water filter unit is economical, it requires much less space and it’s easy to operate because it replenishes itself on demand in a process that washes the stored iron out of the filter bed and down the drain. Every home needs something unique to their water needs and therefore only after a water analysis is performed should a water treatment system be purchased.

A reverse osmosis water softener is a home water filtration system that uses pressure to force water through a semi-permeable membrane that allows it to pass through while blocking up to 99% of impurities and contaminants. In addition to producing safe, clean, and the purest quality of water, the reverse osmosis water softener is convenient to use. It is easy to clean and only requires a periodic replacement of disposable filters.

A reputable water conditioning company will be able to assess your family’s needs and install a water treatment solution that is designed specifically for your water and usage. Quality drinking water is a need for all homes. A proper water softener can not only improve your homes water quality.

At Reynolds Water Conditioning Company, we are here to help make sure our clients don’t buy water treatment systems that they don’t need. We are here to make sure you find a water softening system that gives you the results you are looking for, whether it is to remove iron or odor from you water; we have a solution that will help! For more information contact our experts at 800.572.9575 or at our website https://reynoldswater.com.

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How do Water Softeners Work?

A water softener is a special type of filter that eliminates calcium and magnesium in hard water and replaces them with sodium through the ion exchange system. Since calcium and magnesium interfere with the action of soaps and detergents while sodium does not, a water softening system is important to ensure detergents are able to eliminate dirt and oil stains more effectively. It also provides a slippery feel to the skin when you wash.

Components Of A Water Softener

A water softener is made up of three major components –a resin or mineral tank, a control valve, and a salt-water tank. The mineral tank is the area where water softening takes place and incoming water passes through plastic-like beads also known as resin and made of polystyrene. These beads have a charge that is negative, attracting calcium and magnesium from the water since they are positively charged.

The attraction ensures calcium and magnesium adheres to the plastic beads as water flows through the tank. As the water gets to the bottom area of the tank, “softening” would have taken place. The “softened” or conditioned water now passes through a riser tube and outlet manifold, before it is distributed through a cold-water pipe to the house.

Over time, the resin droplets become caked with calcium and magnesium and must be “recharged” or cleaned to be as efficient as it should be. The control valve exerts some form of control in the system since the recharge process is designed to take place based on the amount of water processed. Each cubic foot of resin can efficiently eliminate calcium and magnesium minerals from about 3,200 gallons of hard water. By contrast, about 750mg of sodium is in turn added each water gallon. This sodium content is considered as low range. However, for people who are concerned about sodium intake in general, resins that release potassium is the best option – although it is expensive.

A Process Of A Brine Tank

In association with the mineral tank, a brine tank helps with the regeneration process. During the “brine cycle”, salty or brine water is pumped out from the brine tank into the mineral tank. As water passes through the plastic beads, sodium is exchanged with the ions in the hard water, regenerating the attraction of the plastic beads in the process. When the brine tank is empty, a “slow rinse process” begins, which is followed by a more forceful rinse. These two cycles allow fresh water to rinse excess salts from the mineral tank, expelling it down the drain before the brine tank is refilled.

After the washing away of the hard water ions and any excess sodium, the brine tank is refilled, returning the system back to service cycle to begin the water softening process again. Since the regeneration process allows for the dissolution of salt in the brine tank, it is important that salt is replenished from time to time.

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Reasons to Purchase a Whole House Water Filter

One of the most vital elements that homeowners need to think about is the water in their home. Is the water safe? Can you drink water from the tap? Is the water hard? Does it leave stains on clothes or landscape? The water in your home is important and its importance increases every day because our water supply can be severely impacted due to several different elements. Contaminants can find their way into a homes water supply either by accident or by incident. Unfortunately, this keeps happening and at quiet an alarming rate. It is important for homeowners to be more aware of what is in the water coming from their homes.

In order to keep your homes water, it is essential to remove what is lurking in your homes water. One of the best ways that this can be accomplished is by installing a water softener, purification, arsenic removal, or filtration system. These water treatment solutions help keep your homes water safe for drinking, cooking, bathing, laundry, and a host of other activities.

Water treatment systems including a whole house water filtering system are important for a variety of reasons including:

First Line of Defense

A whole house water filter is important when it comes to the drinking water quality in your home. The water treatment systems that are in place within the house are the first line of defense in eliminating contaminants within your homes water supply.

High Mineral Content

If your homes water has high levels of minerals it can result in hard water throughout the home with can be a real problem for homeowners. Hard water allows plaque to build up in your homes plumbing equipment, is unhealthy to drink, wears out clothing quickly, reduces the later in soap, and causes stains to clothe and landscape. Having a whole house water filter and water treatment system is a good investment not only for your home but for your health and wardrobe as well.

Convenience

Water treatment systems removes the stress of having individual point of use products. Having a different filter for the shower, the garden, the bath, the water pitcher, and so on can be quite exhausting. A water treatment system for the whole house, at the point of entry to your home is the best way to go.

Everyone understands the importance of having a quality water supply throughout the house. The risk of an unhealthy water supply is completely eliminated by having a whole house water treatment and filtration system.

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How It Works: Water Softener

While water is in the ground, it picks up soluble bits of whatever it passes through. While this can mean contamination that makes the water unfit to drink, in many cases it simply means that the water contains minerals found in the earth. Of these, calcium and magnesium are of particular importance because they affect the water’s ability to function in our homes. These minerals make our water hard.

One effect of hard water is that soaps and detergents lose some effectiveness. Instead of dissolving completely, soap combines with the minerals to form a coagulated soap curd. Because less soap is dissolved, more is required. And the sticky insoluble curd hangs around–it clings to the skin and may actually inhibit cleansing. Washed hair seems dull and lifeless.

In the laundry, things aren’t much better. The soap curd can work its way into your clothes as they’re being washed in your automatic washing machine. This can keep dirt trapped in the fibers, and it can stiffen and roughen the fabric.

In addition to affecting the actual washing process, insoluble soap deposits leave spots on everything you wash–from your dishes to the family car–and a soap film will build up in your bath and shower.

Another reason to be concerned about hard water is its effect on your plumbing system. Calcium and magnesium deposits can build up in pipes, reducing flow to taps and appliances. In water heaters, these minerals generate a scale buildup that reduces the efficiency and life of the heater.

The Fix

The solution to the problem is to get rid of the calcium and magnesium. While there are chemical treatments that do this, the most popular answer is a water softener.

The typical water softener is a mechanical appliance that’s plumbed into your home’s water supply system. All water softeners use the same operating principle: They trade the minerals for something else, in most cases sodium. The process is called ion exchange.

The heart of a water softener is a mineral tank. It’s filled with small polystyrene beads, also known as resin or zeolite. The beads carry a negative charge.

Calcium and magnesium in water both carry positive charges. This means that these minerals will cling to the beads as the hard water passes through the mineral tank. Sodium ions also have positive charges, albeit not as strong as the charge on the calcium and magnesium. When a very strong brine solution is flushed through a tank that has beads already saturated with calcium and magnesium, the sheer volume of the sodium ions is enough to drive the calcium and magnesium ions off the beads. Water softeners have a separate brine tank that uses common salt to create this brine solution.

In normal operation, hard water moves into the mineral tank and the calcium and magnesium ions move to the beads, replacing sodium ions. The sodium ions go into the water. Once the beads are saturated with calcium and magnesium, the unit enters a 3-phase regenerating cycle. First, the backwash phase reverses water flow to flush dirt out of the tank. In the recharge phase, the concentrated sodium-rich salt solution is carried from the brine tank through the mineral tank. The sodium collects on the beads, replacing the calcium and magnesium, which go down the drain. Once this phase is over, the mineral tank is flushed of excess brine and the brine tank is refilled.

Original Source: http://siouxcityjournal.com/ads/service/plumbing/how-it-works-water-softener/ad_e67e0c36-15ae-11e8-94c2-932b5e9b7c8a.html

Original Author: Popular Mechanics

Original Date: Feb 23 2018

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