How Do Water Softeners Work?

Do You Need a Water Softener?

If you live in South Texas or the Hill Country, chances are you have incredibly high levels of minerals in your water supply, meaning you have hard water. No matter if your water supply comes from the city or a private well, your water contains minerals that can harm your appliances and dry out your skin. Kinetico Water Softeners offer a brilliantly engineered system to transform your water supply into clean, soft water.

Soft water contains less calcium and magnesium, which can have a visible impact on the health of your hair and skin. Not only does soft water feel different, it interacts with soap to create more suds than hard water and leaves less deposits behind. Read on to learn more about how a home water softener works. When you’re ready to make the switch, reach out to the team at Kinetico Water Systems.

Water Softener Ion Exchange Process

The ion exchange process turns your hard water into soft water by trading the hard water minerals for sodium minerals in resin beads. The resin beads are all negatively charged exchange sites, attracting the positively charged ions in hard water, like calcium and magnesium.

As these positively charged hard water minerals make contact with the resin beads, the positively charged salt ions are pushed out, as like charges repel one another and opposite charges attract. As the resin beads become exhausted from this exchange, water softener salt is added to recharge them and continue the process.

Water Softener Salt

Although the salt content in soft water isn’t usually enough to concern homeowners, people who are sodium-sensitive may need to look into one of our saltless tank systems. The more efficient a water system you have, the less salt you have to add to the water. 

A saltless system conditions your water by crystallizing calcium, reducing scale build-up in pipes and appliances and on glasses and dishware. Extend the lifespan of your appliances and consume less sodium with a saltless water softener from Kinetico.

What’s The Difference Between Hard And Soft Water?

If you’re unsure of what kind of water you have in your home, spotting the difference is easy. One of the most common ways to know if you have hard water in your home is the spots on your clean dishes or glassware. This is due to the way hard water and soap interact, leaving behind residue and mineral debris in the form of hard water deposits. Another common sign that you have hard water is stains and buildup in your bathtubs, toilet bowls and sinks. 

Dishwashers, washing machines and other appliances can capture these minerals in their mechanisms, causing these appliances to work harder and break down quicker. Soft water will allow your appliances to be more efficient, your dishes to shine and can save you money in the long run.

Call On Kinetico

Most of the country – 85% of U.S. homes – suffer from hard water, and San Antonio is no exception. If you live in or around San Antonio and the Hill Country and you don’t have a water softener system, it’s time you get one. Stop scrubbing away at hard water stains and paying to have hard water removed from your plumbing.

With a water softener from our team, mineral deposits and hard water issues are a thing of the past. Instead of asking how does a water softener work, start asking what system will work best for you – and contact us today for a free estimate.

Read more Frequently Asked Questions.