Author: George Saprito
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Water Heater and Softener Bundle
Over time, due to build up from Spokane’s hard water, you may experience less hot water, higher energy bills, and leaks and costly damage.
Hug Plumbing is offering a new water heater and water softener bundle that would extend the life of your plumbing, and provide better-tasting water.
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All About Water Softeners
What is a Water Softener?
A water softening system is a set of components designed to treat hard water by removing hardness-causing minerals like calcium and magnesium.
How Does It Work?
Water softeners use a process called ion exchange where negatively charged resin beads attract and trap positively charged mineral ions, effectively softening the water.
Components of a Water Softener
In general, a water softener system consists of three main components: the resin tank, the brine tank, and the control valve.
- The Resin Tank
- The main component of the system, responsible for the actual water softening.
- Contains a bed of resin beads (small, negatively charged plastic beads).
- The beads attract and hold onto the calcium and magnesium ions in hard water and release sodium or potassium ions in their place.
- The Brine Tank
- This tank holds salt, which is used to regenerate the resin beads.
- When the beads are full of hard water minerals, a brine solution is sent through the resin tank to flush out the trapped minerals.
- The salt also helps to restore the resin beads’ ability to exchange ions.
- The Control Valve
- The valve controls the water flow and directs it through the different stages of the softening process.
- Manages the regeneration cycles, ensuring the resin is replenished with salt.
- Typically located on top of the resin tank and operates the system’s various cycles.
- The Resin Tank
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Seeing Spots?
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Spokane’s hard water
According to King Soft Water, Spokane’s water is considered hard, typically falling in the “moderate” to “hard” category. This can significantly affect the lifespan of your water heater.
What is hard water?
Hard water is water with a high concentration of dissolved minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium, in contrast to soft water.
These minerals can cause various issues like:- interfering with soap and detergent effectiveness
- limescale buildup on appliances, pipes, and fixtures
- dry skin and hair
- mineral deposits on glassware and metal cutlery
- reduced water pressure in plumbing
Where does it come from?
Hard water forms when water percolates through geological formations like limestone, chalk, or gypsum, dissolving minerals along the way.
Spokane’s primary water source, the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, contains high levels of calcium and magnesium, contributing to water hardness typically ranging from 7 to 11 grains per gallon (gpg).A Water softener Can Help!
Water softeners can mitigate the effects of hard water.
Read all about them here.