WHAT IS HARD WATER?
Hard water is simply water that has calcium and magnesium minerals present at or above 200 mg/L and generally comes from our local aquifers from which we get our drinking water. Hard water is responsible for the scaling in our houses and appliances, soap scum, mineral stains and spots that are hard to remove from glassware.
WHAT IS SOFT WATER?
Hard water is simply water that has calcium and magnesium minerals present at or above 200 mg/L and generally comes from our local aquifers from which we get our drinking water. Hard water is responsible for the scaling in our houses and appliances, soap scum, mineral stains and spots that are hard to remove from glassware.
HOW DOES A SOFTENER WORK?
Water softeners work using ion exchange. Man made resin beads that have a high affinity for both calcium and magnesium ions are pre-loaded with sodium ions. When hard minerals pass through the resin, the calcium and magnesium are attracted to the resin and the sodium is released. So its swapping one thing for another.
WHAT IS REGENERATION?
The resin can only swap a certain amount of sodium for calcium and magnesium before the resin becomes ineffective. A brine solution is passed through the resin to effectively force the calcium and magnesium to release its bind by saturating the resin with sodium ions. Once regeneration is complete, the system is ready to start making soft water again.
