The Real Deal About Water Softeners and Why You Need One

Water can seem pretty straightforward, but what many don't know is that it holds a bunch of minerals that can change the way your appliances work, how your food tastes, and more. When your water contains excessive levels of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, then you have hard water in your property.

This is quite common since it makes up about 85 percent of the United States and Canada. Sadly, hard water can cause plumbing emergencies if you don't deal with your water situation.

Fortunately, some interesting mechanical systems can address this issue, such as a water softener. Water can already seem soft on the surface because of its physical attributes, but what triggers the issues are the minerals that it contains.

What is Hard Water?

Hard water is household water that has high concentrations of dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium. Although these minerals aren't toxic and aren't harmful to drink, they can be quite destructive to your home's equipment and appliances.

When you have hard water, you'll always notice white, cloudy spots on your dishes, utensils, bathtubs, and sinks. In your teapots and kettles, you'll find crusty deposits at the bottom.

Besides that, hard water can also make lathering and rinsing much more challenging as it can make your items look faded and gray. Additionally, people with sensitive skin can experience irritation because of the high mineral content found in water.

What is a Water Softener?

Water softeners come in various sizes and types, so finding the perfect one for your home won't be as tricky. The water softener is installed by a home plumbing service in the basement, utility closet, garage, or wherever water enters your property.

Usually, a water softener will have a narrow water softener tank and a wide brine tank. These tanks connect to your home's water supply line, and a discharge hose runs to the softener tank to a nearby dry well or drainpipe.

Inside the softener tank, you'll find resin beads permanently sealed inside the tank. Since the brine tank has a removable lid, you can easily fill up the tank with salt pellets and potassium chloride pellets. These can help balance your water's mineral content, allowing you to soften your water.

How Does a Water Softener Work?

Your water will enter the water softener tank and trickle down through the resin beads. The resin beads have a negative charge, so it attracts positively charged minerals in your water. After that, the mineral deposits stick to the resin, and the softened water exits the tank and can flow through your house.

Once your beads have reached their maximum capacity, you'll have to regenerate your tank and flush it clean — this is where the brine tank gets to shine. The onboard computer of the tank will then calculate how much water has flown through the softener, and regeneration will begin automatically.

During the regeneration process, it slowly dissolves the potassium chloride and salt pellets in the tank. This is important because this mixture is responsible for washing your resin beads clean and will automatically revert to producing soft water.

Because of the complexity of the equipment, it's best to have a 24-hour plumber install the water softener for you. This way, you won't have to worry about experiencing tank issues and minimize the risk of water damage.

The Bottom Line: Do I Really Need a Water Softener?

If you want to protect your appliances, equipment, pipelines, silverware, and other metals in your home, having a water softener is ideal. Besides having to drink softer water and managing the amount of damage you get in your home, you'll also rest well, knowing you're eliminating certain health risks and plumbing issues.

Of course, you need to ask your 24-hour plumber if your home is eligible to have a water softener. And if you need it, it's best to have them install it themselves for your safety.

How Can We Help You?

If you're looking for a 24-hour plumber, look no further because we're here to help.

Here at 24 Hour Plumbing and Heating, we can solve your plumbing, heating, and air conditioning problems. Our team of experts provides various emergency services, such as sump pump installation, water softener and filter installation, drain cleaning, heating and air conditioning, septic tank repairs, and more.
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Learn more about how we can help you by booking an appointment with us today!