Specifications

6
How a Water Softener Works
Softening Cycle
When the water softener is providing soft water, it is called “service” or the “ softening cycle”. During
this cy cle, har d water flows from the main water pipe in the household into the water sof tener. Inside
the resin ta nk is a bed made up of thousa nds of tiny, plastic resin beads. As hard water passes through
the bed, each bead attracts and holds the hardness minerals. Water without the hardness minerals (soft
water) flows from the water softener to the rest of the house .
Regeneration Cycle
Eventually the beads become coated with calcium or magne sium ions. At this point, the water softener
needs to replenish the beads with sodium ions. This process is called “regeneration”.
Regeneration occurs when the resin beads are washed with a strong salt water solution. The sodium
forces the calcium and magnesium ions to be released where they are then discharged as waste during
the regeneration cycle. The beads are then ready to once a gain to collect the hardness minerals
(calcium and magnesium) from the water. Regeneration consists of five cycles; brine fill, brining, brine
rinse, backwash and f ast r inse. The total time o f the regener ation cycle is approximately two hours.
Water Conditioning Information
Water Conditioning
Water conditioning is the treatment of four general conditions. These are:
Hardness
Iron
Acidity
Sediments
1. Hardness is a term to describe the presence of calcium and magnesium minerals in water. A
chemical analysis accurately measures the amount of minerals in gr ain weight. For example, one
gallon of water with 5 grains per gallon (gpg) hardness has dissolved minerals, that if solidified,
about equals the size of one or dinary a spirin tablet. O ne gallon of w ater, 25 gpg hard, has a mineral
content equal in size to 5 aspirin tablets. Water hardness varies greatly across the country. It
generally c ontains from 3 to 100 gpg.
Hardness miner als combine with soap to make a soap cur d. The curd greatly reduces the cleaning
action of soap. Precipitated hardness minerals form a crust on cooking ute n sils, appliances, and
plumbing fixtures. Even the taste s of foods are affected. A water softener removes the hardness
minerals to eliminate these effects, and others.
IMPORTANT: Water softeners using sodium chloride (salt) for rege neration add sodium to the
water. Persons on sodium restr icted diets should consider the added sodium as part of their overall
intake.Water softeners using potassiumchloride (salt) for regeneration add potassiumto the water.
Persons on potassium re stricted diets should consider the added potassium as par t of their overall
intake.