About Water Softeners

Water softeners are a godsend to people who live in areas with hard water. Although the interior workings of a water softener are a mystery to many people, the process is actually very simple. And the resulting softened water is easier on the home's pipework, and makes bathing more productive.

Prevention/Solution

Hard water can cause enough issues around the home to warrant the use of a water softener. Hard water contains numerous minerals that form deposits on the inside of pipes and water heaters, in radiators and even in pots and kettles. It reduces the lathering ability of soap and clogs showerheads. Water softeners prevent this buildup and other issues caused by hard water.

Function

To change hard water to soft, it must be run through the water softener. Resting on a flat surface within the water softener is a bed of beads called zeolites. The zeolites are full of sodium. When the hard water runs over them, the calcium and magnesium in the hard water trade places with the sodium. Because sodium doesn't build up on pipes or pots, and doesn't affect the lathering of soap, the water is considered "softened".

The zeolites fill up with calcium and magnesium. At that point, the water softener starts regeneration. It creates brine out of the water and salt that the owner periodically pours into the water softener. Once the brine is made, it is flushed through the calcium- and magnesium-filled zeolite, replacing them inside the zeolite. The unit is then ready to soften more water.

Types

Water softeners ultimately produce the same result, no matter how they are made. The newer softeners can do the job without salt, instead using potassium chloride, a salt substitute. Some even have more than one tank, so they can go longer between regenerations.

Size

The biggest difference between various water softeners is their size. The size of the water softener is not determined by how large it is physically, but by the amount hardness it can handle before it needs to regenerate; this capacity is counted in grains. Water softeners can handle as little as 12,000 grains or more than 40,000 grains.

Misconceptions

Many people believe that water softeners add sodium to the diet, which is why some people on low-sodium diets often avoid drinking this water or using it in cooking. In truth, dietary salt is sodium chloride, and the salt produced by water softening is sodium bicarbonate. In addition, the amount of salt needed to soften water is minimal, and will not affect anyone on a low-sodium diet.