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A Brief Guide to Water Softeners -

Brian Lee BurkeBrian Lee Burke
Aug 2, 2021 5 min read
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A Brief Guide to Water Softeners -

A water softener converts hard water to softened water by eliminating the magnesium and calcium in your drinking water via an ion exchange process. Chilled water, unlike hard water, does not harm your home's plumbing or cause scale to build up in your appliances, decreasing their efficiency and lifetime.

You can safeguard your house from hazardous buildup while also removing limescale (which is only found in hard water) and improving your family's skin and hair by softening your water.

The contemporary house is wrecked by hard water. Scale deposits in your pipes, blocking them and lowering your water pressure. Dishwashers, coffee makers, and ice machines all have a much shorter lifetime due to scale. Hot water appliances are ruined by hard water. Calcium and magnesium will solidify and harden into solid deposits within your water heater as the temperature rises. 

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Problematic water-induced corrosion causes the popping sound. This is because the scale has built upon the heating element. The calcified rock deposits crusted on the heating components start breaking and straining as the temperature of the heater increases and the tank expands. The sound is caused by hard water-induced scaling.

If you don't have a water softener, you'll need to use more detergent to keep your clothes from becoming dingy. Dishes will be smeared and discolored as they come out of the dishwasher. Your shower curtains are covered with filmy scum, and your soap and shampoo are unable to lather. 

When you bathe in hard water, your skin becomes irritated and dry, and your hair becomes lifeless and sticky. It's mind-boggling how much time, energy, and money it takes to clean up the harmful consequences of hard water. The answer to the problem of water hardness is whole-house water softening.

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What Are The Advantages Of A Water Softener?

In this section, we look at the advantages of a water softener. However, it is essential to understand the difference between a water softener and a water filter. A water filter makes the water drinkable by removing contaminants, whereas the water softener removes the hardness from the water. 

Calcium and magnesium ions are removed from hard water by water softeners. The minerals that cause water hardness are calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+). Any positively charged ion will be attracted and eliminated by the ion exchange process (a cation). Other minerals, such as iron and manganese, may be included.

How to install a water softner

Installing A Water Softener Involves The Following Steps:

Place the water softener in the desired location. Make sure the softener is in the right place. The exit should face the direction of the hot water appliances, and the intake should be linked to the water supply.

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Turn off your house's water supply at the mainline. Shut off your home's water supply to avoid leaks from forming during the installation procedure. Ensure the water supply to your water heater is switched off, as well as the power to the device.

Drain the water from your pipes. To guarantee that all water leaves your house's supply pipes, open adjacent taps or faucets on the bottom level.

Cut a hole in the main water supply line. Cut through the water main that leads to the supply line using pipe cutters. Because this is a whole-house filtration system, the inlet and output cables must be connected directly to the main water line.

Pipes must be measured, cut, and connected. Measure and trim your lines to fit before joining them with your water softener. To prevent plastic melting, solder all nipples and fittings on copper pipes before attaching the device to the bypass valve. Using the plumber's tape, secure all threads.

The drain pipe should be clamped. After the regeneration cycle, the water softener must drain the depleted brine solution. The drain hose should be adequately secured and fed into a designated drain, such as a floor drain or utility sink. All drain hoses must include an air gap to prevent the hose from back-siphoning wastewater.

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Connect the overflow tube to the overflow tube. Overflow tubes are a safety feature that prevents the brine tank from flooding and overflowing. For detailed information on how to install this hose, see the manufacturer's instructions. An air gap may also be required for the overflow tub.

Water Softener

Water Softener Cost

Water softener costs vary between systems. Softeners with extra features are priced higher. Expenses for installation and regular maintenance also need to be considered before deciding on a system. Water softeners with a shared resin-brine tank are easier to install than two separate tanks. As for maintenance, critical parts of a water softener need to be cleaned regularly, which can be hard to access. The brine tank must also be filled with new salt every other month. Water softener resin beads last 5-7 years, so they also need replacement further down the line. All in all, $2,000 is a typical price range for new water softeners in the first year (sourced from BOS Water Softener Cost Guide.

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Water softeners usually have a 15-year lifetime, but water softener systems may last much longer if properly maintained. Keeping the brine tank full of salt will help the device last longer. 

The unit will be protected if the resin bed is protected against excessive amounts of iron and manganese. Iron will clog the resin and reduce its ion exchange capacity. Resin cleansers improve the regeneration cycle by removing hardness-causing minerals from the resin beads.

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WRITTEN BY
Brian Lee Burke
Brian Lee Burke
AUTHOR, E-PRO®, REALTOR® BROKER

Brian Lee Burke is the founder and team leader of Kenna Real Estate Group, a real estate team at Keller Williams DTC. A licensed REALTOR® since 2002, Brian helps Colorado buyers and sellers navigate residential real estate, new construction, pricing, and negotiation. He is also the author of The Real Estate Playbook and Mastering Real Estate: Your Guide to Becoming a Top Agent.

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