Maintenance & Service, Whole House Filtration
Water Softener Top 5 FAQs
1. Can I just install the water softener?
- Unfortunately, a water softener can’t be installed by itself. Softeners require filtered water for the softening resin that lies inside. As tap water or town water contains chemicals, and other disinfectants that oxidise and damage the resin, a Pre-Filtration System is always required to meet the water quality standards required by water softeners’ manufacturers in installation manuals. Otherwise, the original warranty is void. See water softener installation guide.
2. Can install a water conditioner instead of a water softener if my water is very hard?
- Salt-based water softeners are one of the most prevalent methods for achieving water softening. Unlike water conditioners, which primarily target scale buildup, salt-based water softeners excel at genuinely softening water. They offer the unique advantage of being measurable and verifiable through laboratory testing, which confirms their effectiveness in reducing water hardness. In contrast, other alternatives, such as salt-free softeners or “water conditioners” on the market, lack a scientifically established method to demonstrate their efficiency. See what to look for in a water softener with this essential checklist.
3. What’s inside a water softener?
- Salt Based Water softeners consist of a cylinder filled with ion-exchange resin beads that are capable of hardness ions from water and replacing them with softer ions, such a sodium.
4. How does a water softener regenerates the resin?
- The cylinder is connected to a brine tank that’s filled with salt, which periodically regenerates the resin beads. The cylinder’s tiny beads attract and hold onto calcium and magnesium ions as water passes through them. When the beads become so saturated they can’t hold any more, the unit rinses them with a brine solution (salty water), which scrubs off the mineral deposits (calcium) and gets them ready to absorb hardness ions again.
5. Where is the water softener installed?
- The location of the water softener will depend on your pipes arrangement. It will be connected before the pipes divert into your house. Usually, water softeners are installed in the garage or in one of the side walls of your house. See water softener installation images.
