How to Know if Your Water Softener Is Working
Most water we use today contains a fair amount of minerals like calcium, phosphorous and magnesium. Our body needs these minerals to some degree, but they can leave nasty deposits on your clothes, shower and toilet, as well as your hair and cooking utensils. If the deposits build up enough, they can clog your system's pipes. Water that contains to many deposits is referred to as "hard" water.
That's where water softeners help. Water softeners neutralize the effect of hard water. This article will explain how to tell when your water softener is working.
Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Tap water Water softener Dishwasher Pot and stove Two bars of soap General cleaning supplies
Instructions
-
How To Tell If Your Water Softener Is Working
-
1
Check your water softener beads to make sure the salt levels are appropriate. Water softeners replace calcium and magnesium ions (the two main hard-water culprits) with sodium ions. Beads called zeolite are loaded with sodium ions. When the water passes through the beads in the water softener, they exchange the calcium and magnesium ions with the sodium ones. If your salt levels are too low, there won't be enough sodium ions to perform the exchange.
-
2
Boil a pot of water for 20 minutes and then let it sit until it reaches room temperature. If there is no whitish residue on your pot, your softener may be working just right. You can also test your water softener through your dishwasher.
-
-
3
Run a cycle through the dishwasher without any dishes in it, making sure the food traps are free of debris. Then do a normal load of dishes and dry with heat. Your dishes should have virtually no spots if your water softener is working well.
-
4
Remove your shower head and make sure it is clean from lime or calcium deposits. Shower as you normally would for two weeks, but set a timer to make sure your water is on for a consistent amount of time. Use one bar of soap for one week. Store it in a plastic bag and switch bars. If your second bar looks a little bigger than the first bar or if you've noticed it's a lot easier to lather up, your water softener is doing its job. This is because hard water makes your bar soap dissolve at a faster rate, forcing you to use more soap to lather up.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Follow all instructions and manuals when operating your water softener. Any deviation could result in injury from shock.
