A Closer Look at Whole-House Water Softener Components
For homeowners in the Denver Metro, Boulder, and Loveland area, by far the most common water quality issue that our team at Save Home Heat Company has observed is hard water. That doesn’t mean that people don’t also have concerns about substances such as lead, PFAS chemicals, unhealthy bacteria, and more, but hard water tops the list of what we’re seeing as we visit homes around the area.
What Is a Whole-House Water Softener?
When we talk about hardness in water, we’re referring to minerals in the water supply, primarily calcium and magnesium salts. While having low levels of these minerals is normal and nothing to be concerned about, too much hardness in your water can cause a host of problems, including water valve failure in various locations, scaling, piping issues, taste and smell impacts, poor soap performance (minimal suds) – as well as hygienic issues with skin, hair, nasal passages, and more. For some people, hard water can be downright unhealthy!
A properly sized, professionally installed, quality whole-house water softener is the best solution for hard water. They’re designed to effectively remove hardness minerals from water as it enters your home, before entering your water heater or being drawn for many household uses. In this post, we’ll look closer at the primary components in a water softener – but first, let’s revisit the benefits and operation of these common water quality products.
The Benefits of a Water Softener
If you’ve ever noticed white buildup on your shower door or around faucets, sinks, or showerheads, you’ve seen one example of what hard water can do. This is mineral buildup, and it does more than just affect the aesthetics of your plumbing features. As alluded to above, hard mineral buildup can cause premature failure of automatic water valves in appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, and water and ice dispensers. It can also negatively impact the performance and lifespan of everything from water heaters to coffeemakers – even the very copper piping in your home can suffer.
When you stop to consider the potential costs of service calls to remedy nuisance valve failures or leaks around your home – much less replace a water heater before its time – investing in a quality whole-house water softener can yield significant savings over the years.
Simply put, with effectively softened water, you will not experience the range of undesirable impacts described above.
How a Whole-House Water Softener Works
A whole-house water softener removes hardness minerals through a process called “cation [pronounced ‘cat ion’] exchange,” which makes use of the properties of oppositely charged particles to attract and draw hard water minerals out of the water stream, adhering to resin beads in the softener. The resin beads are located in the softener’s mineral tank, and are made from a specially formulated, highly durable plastic.
The Primary Components in a Water Softener
Here’s a breakdown of the major components in a whole-house water softener, and their function:
Mineral Tank
The mineral tank in a water softener, also called the media tank or resin tank, is one of two fluid tanks located in the unit. This is where the stream of potable water entering the home has its hard minerals removed by entering the proximity of the resin beads in the tank. The resin beads are located in the mineral tank in the “resin bed.”
The mineral tank is typically constructed of a reinforced plastic material.
Brine Tank
The brine tank contains a special salt water “brine solution,” which is used to clean and regenerate the resin beads located in the mineral tank, in an automatic process. The brine solution washes (displaces) the hardness minerals off the beads, removing those minerals and enabling the beads to continue softening water. The brine tank is where the special salt is periodically added. Household water does not enter or flow through the brine tank.
The construction and materials of brine tanks are similar to mineral tanks, with variations depending on the manufacturer.
Control Valve
The control valve on a water softener, often a ‘smart’ solid-state control, manages the flow of water through the system and the regeneration process when the resin beads need to be recharged. The control valve’s job is to ensure that potable water entering the home is properly routed through the mineral tank, and it triggers the regeneration cycle when necessary. Think of the control valve as the brains of the operation. Depending on the specific model of water softener, some control valves also monitor water usage and salt consumption, and now we’re starting to see Wi-Fi connected units that can even notify you when salt needs to be added. Currently, we’re taking a conservative approach to offering enhanced, connected features, while they initially settle in and spend more time ‘in the field.’ Time, of course, will tell the tale.
What About the Salt?
Water softeners do not use common, iodized table salt. That kind of sodium chloride salt simply will not work. Rather, water softeners use sodium chloride that is specifically formulated for use in water softeners. Our team strongly recommends using sodium chloride in pellet form, as opposed to granular or something similar. When dissolving for use in the system, pellet salts perform more efficiently and consistently, and help reduce related issues that may arise. Pellet sodium chloride is our water quality team’s go-to salt for servicing softeners.
Key Components Working Together to Soften Your Water
Here’s an overview of the components in a water softener working together for your benefit: Before being used for any household purposes – other than sprinkler systems (not normally included) – water from the municipal supply or your well enters the mineral tank in the softener, where hardness particles are removed. The softened water is then drawn into the household water stream as usual, as demand dictates (someone turns on a faucet, shower, appliance, etc.). The brine tank periodically supplies salt water solution to the mineral tank for the resin bead cleaning and regeneration process, helping to keep the unit functioning effectively. The control valve monitors and controls these processes.
Routine Maintenance for Whole-House Water Softeners
There’s not as much routine maintenance needed for a water softener as many homeowners might think. Salt needs to be added to the brine tank periodically; how often depends on a number of factors, including the hardness level of the water. In general, with newer units, salt should need to be added approximately every six months. With older softeners, the numbers may be different (i.e. need salt more frequently), due to factors such as age, condition, or less efficient design.
Other than periodically adding salt to the system, very little routine maintenance is required. Occasionally, it may be appropriate to clean the resin tank (and resin bed), the brine tank, and the control valve injector. The procedures for the two tanks are not the same, and are typically best performed by an experienced water quality pro – like our team at Save Home Heat. Our team feels that this maintenance is not usually required annually; more on an as-needed basis.
Our water quality team routinely fields calls from homeowners who’d like a highly qualified plumber to take a closer look at their water softener and determine if it’s doing its job properly.
Complimentary In-Home Water Testing in Metro Denver, Boulder, and Loveland
In the Metro Denver Metro, Boulder, and Loveland area, our staff Master Water Specialist and his team provide free, complimentary in-home water testing for hardness, as well as for eight other potential water quality concerns. We’re glad to answer any of your questions and provide a professional assessment of your water quality. Our process is fully transparent, with zero pressure or sales hype.
In the realm of hard water, if the water serving your home measures in the 6.0 grains per gallon (gpg) range or higher, we recommend learning more about the impacts of hard water and whether a water softener installation makes sense to consider. If the numbers are significantly higher, our level of concern of course goes up – but our customer always makes the call on how to proceed. Providing accurate information that enables our customers to make informed decisions is how we do business.
High Quality Water Softeners for Homes In Metro Denver and Surrounding Areas!
Our water quality team at Save Home Heat is led by a Water Quality Association certified Master Water Specialist. The WQA is an established, highly reputable global organization for the water quality industry, and Master Water Specialist certification is the highest level of training and recognition provided by the WQA. The experience and expertise that our water quality division leader brings to the table are virtually unsurpassed in our region.
Whether you’re curious if a water softener makes sense for your home, or if you want to upgrade to a more effective, more efficient unit, our team at Save Home Heat Company is here to provide dependable, professional service that you can trust and will appreciate. Please reach out to us today!
Please keep us in mind for all your home plumbing needs, too!
