What is Water Softener?

A water softener is a filtration system for the whole house. It removes minerals that cause hardness in the water through ion exchange. A water softener's job is to address the problems caused by hard water by softening it.

Magnesium and calcium are the most common minerals that cause water hardness, which a water softener removes to avoid problems with water.

Problems Encountered Without Water Softener

• needs extra detergent for laundry to prevent it from looking dull and dingy

• streaked and stained dishes after washing

• a build-up of filmy scums on shower curtains

• itchy and dry skin after bathing

• makes soaps and shampoo hard to lather

• lifeless and sticky hair after washing

• destroys appliances like water heaters and faucets

Why Invest in Water Softener?

The reasons are direct and simple. A water softener helps you save money, time, energy, and even protects your property.

Saves Money

You don't have to spend money on replacing your appliances too often because without hard water there will be little to no soapy residue.

Saves Time

It helps homeowners save time because you don't have to spend time scrubbing those residues.

Saves Energy

Without the need to regularly clean shower heads, curtains, and all appliances, it saves energy to homeowners.

Protects Property

To think about the problems hard water causes, it is needless to say that water softener helps protect your property. A professional plumber in Bloomfield Hills, MI says it is always the best for you and your home to have a water softener.

3 Main Components of Water Softener

There are 3 components in a water softener; the control valve, mineral tank, and the brine tank. Here are the main components and their functions:

Mineral Tank

Hard water is softened in a mineral tank. From the water supply line, the water flows to the tank. A bed of resin beads is present in the mineral tank to deposit the ions. After the process, the water that exits the tanks is soft and then flows through the pipes to the appliances.

Control Valve

From the word control, the control valve measures how much water passes through the tank into the house. It has a meter that tracks water that passes through by volume. Overtime, the capacity of resin to soften water depletes. The control valve initiates the regeneration cycle automatically. This is pre-programmed onboard a computer. The maximum capacity to regenerate depends on the size of the house, the number of residents, and how hard the water is.

Brine Tank

The brine tank helps in regeneration. It holds a highly concentrated salt solution that restores the positive charge of resin beads. The salts are added manually, mostly in pellets or block forms. Remember, if the brine tank is out of salt the water will not be softened.