What is a water softener and how do they work?

These posts are part of a series to introduce you to different forms of treatment for common water issues.

Scaling, hard water, mineralization, white build up, calcium, lime are just a few of the terms used when people have this issue.

Water softeners are devices that are used to remove minerals such as calcium and magnesium from hard water, which can cause a variety of problems such as clogging pipes and leaving deposits on fixtures and appliances. Water softeners work by passing the hard water through a bed of resin beads, which are charged with sodium ions. As the hard water passes through the beads, the minerals in the water are attracted to the charged ions and are exchanged for the sodium ions, leaving the water soft and free of minerals. The process of removing the minerals from the water is known as ion exchange.

This simple process of the water softener is still the most effective way to remove hardness from your water.

Here are some examples of the water softener.

TWG