What Is the Purpose of a Whole House Water Softener?
A whole house water softener system ensures softened water flows to every faucet and appliance in your home, including your kitchen sink, bathrooms, laundry area, and even outdoor spigots. It reduces mineral content in your water supply to eliminate hard water issues.
What Exactly Is Hard Water?
Hard water contains elevated levels of minerals like calcium and magnesium. While not harmful to your health, these minerals can create build-up inside pipes and appliances, leading to clogs or even water heater failure. Hard water also interferes with soap rinsing, causing residue on your skin, clothes, and dishes. This can result in dry skin, dull clothing, and spots on glassware.
Why Should I Install a Whole House Water Softener?
Installing a whole home water softener helps remove excess minerals from your water, reducing the risk of scale build-up in your plumbing system. It also prevents soapy film in showers, on dishes, and in laundry, leaving everything cleaner and fresher.
How Does Water Softening Work?
Water softeners use a process known as ion exchange. The system contains resin beads charged with sodium or potassium ions. These beads attract and replace the calcium and magnesium ions in your water with sodium or potassium, keeping your water soft while preserving essential minerals.
How Does a Water Softener Know When to Soften?
Most water softeners operate on a set schedule using a timer. Advanced systems, however, use sensors to detect water usage and mineral content, softening your water only when necessary for maximum efficiency.