What is in Water Softener?

At Mr. Rooter Plumbing, we take pride in providing water softener installation services. We have the expertise and experience to install different types of water softeners, including salt-based and salt-free softeners. If you’re looking for a licensed plumber to help you improve the quality of your water, we are one phone call away.

A water softener is a device that removes hardness-causing minerals like calcium and magnesium. Essentially, a water softener addresses hard water, which is known to cause limescale buildup, clogged pipes, unsightly white spots on glassware, and more. This device converts hard water into soft water, which cleans better and leaves your skin and hair feeling soft and smooth. Some people tend to confuse a water softener with a water filter, and it’s easy to understand why. A water filter is designed to remove impurities like chlorine, bacteria, and some minerals.

Types of Water Softeners

• Salt-Based Water Softeners

These are the most common type of water softener. They work by using a process called ion exchange to remove hard water minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, from the water. The ion exchange process involves passing the hard water through a resin tank filled with millions of tiny resin beads. The resin beads are coated with sodium ions.

As the hard water passes through the resin tank, the calcium and magnesium ions in the water exchange places with the sodium ions on the resin beads. The softened water then exits the resin tank and is piped to your home. Salt-based water softeners require periodic regeneration, which means that they need to be flushed with a brine solution to clean the resin beads and remove the accumulated calcium and magnesium ions.

• Salt-Free Water Softeners

These are a newer type of water softener that does not use salt. There are two main types of salt-free water softeners: template-assisted crystallization and kinetic water conditioners. Template-assisted crystallization softeners change the hardness minerals into microscopic crystals that are unable to cause scale buildup.

On the other hand, kinetic water conditioners use a process known as templation to alter the growth of hardness minerals as water flows through the unit. This process changes the hardness minerals into microscopic, non-adherent crystals that cannot cause scale buildup.