Anyone that’s experienced hard water in their homes or businesses understands the problems that it creates. If you’re in this position, you’re not alone and although some effects can be mitigated the core problems must be addressed or they will continue. For this reason, many people choose to install their own water softening system. The most effective method uses an ion exchange process to make the water softer and easier to use. If you’ve ever wondered what hard water is and how water softening works, this is the article for you.
A Brief Hard Water Primer
So, what is hard water and how does water become hard in the first place? We all learn about the hydrologic or hydrological cycle in basic science and this process is commonly known as the water cycle. This is the continuous movement of water from rain to surface or groundwater and evaporation to form rain clouds again. The cyclical nature of the process adds and subtracts other substances along the way.
As the water falls as rain, it can pick up certain atmospheric contaminants. When it hits the ground, it can trickle along the surface of rocks or seep into the soil. The water often passes through multiple strata of sand, soil, limestone, rocks, and other mineral deposits. Water is an effective solvent, and some of these substances are added to the water makeup as it passes over and through them. If there are extensive deposits of certain minerals in an area, the water that passes through there may be harder.
The minerals that make the water harder are calcium, magnesium, and to a certain extent, iron too. Hard water is a problem for private well and public water users alike. A water treatment plant will not remove hard water minerals from your water supply. Hard water can corrode your plumbing pipes and fixtures and damage water using appliances. Energy bills increase because hard water forms scale on the surface of heating elements which increases the heating times and degrades their energy efficiency.
Although hard water consumption is not a direct threat to our health, it can affect us in other ways. Hard water minerals inhibit the formation of soap suds, which degrades the effectiveness of soap, detergents, shampoos, and other cleaning products. When we bathe with hard water, the minerals that cause scale are present in our hair and on our skin. This can cause breakouts, dry skin, brittle hair, and even brittle nails.
What is an Ion Exchange Water Softener?
Many people believe that an ion-exchange water softener adds salt to the incoming hard water to make it soft. This is incorrect, the softening salt is used to clean and charge resin media beads which facilitates an ion exchange process. The basic setup for this type of water softener is a media tank and a separate brine tank. They are connected, and the brine tank periodically directs salt water to the resin media tank. The water softening salt can be sodium or potassium-based, and it comes in a variety of formats. It’s always a good idea to invest in high-quality salt because it’s purer and easier to use.
The resin media beads are charged with the salt ions, and when the hard water passes through the tank the mineral ions are attracted to the media beads. As they reach the surface, an ion exchange process takes place. The mineral ions are stuck to the resin media, and the salt ions are added to the water. This takes place on a minute scale, and only people on very strict low-salt diets or with extreme salt sensitivity are likely to notice a difference.
What is Water Softener Regeneration?
Like the water cycle, the water softener is cyclical in nature to provide soft water for the entire home. Every water softener has a capacity to meet the demand and it’s important to choose one that’s right for your home. Choosing a water softener that’s too large is a bad idea because it will waste too much water during the regeneration cycle. If you choose a water softener that’s too small, it will not produce sufficient soft water to meet all your needs. So, what is water softener regeneration, and how does it work?
Water softeners have a control valve that sets the regeneration cycle with a time or demand-initiated system. In the past, a time-initiated system was the only option, and the regeneration would occur at night at a set time during the week. This was wasteful in terms of water consumption because the regeneration would occur automatically. The volume of water used was not taken into account and regeneration may happen prematurely for no reason. In recent years demand-initiated systems have gained prominence because the regeneration cycle frequency is determined by the volume of water used.
A regeneration cycle is necessary because the surface of the resin media beads becomes clogged with mineral ions over time. This lowers the efficiency of the media, and the mineral ions must be removed to restore them. During regeneration, the water softener goes into bypass mode, and for the duration of the cycle, hard water is available in the home. For this reason, the regeneration is set for a time when the occupants of the home are asleep or away from home. The resin media tank is flushed clean with brine, and the mineral ion waste is directed to the drain.
During the regeneration cycle, the fresh salt water ions are left behind on the surface of the resin media beads. This recharges the beads to prepare them for future ion exchanges and the process continues until the water softener is ready for a replacement. A water softener can last 10-20 years, and equipment that’s regularly serviced will be at the upper end of that age range. If you have a problem with iron contamination, there are water softeners with a built-in iron filter. If the iron concentrations are very high it may be necessary to install a dedicated iron filter instead.
If you want to learn more about choosing and installing an ion-exchange water softener in your home, contact your local water treatment specialist today.