HOW A WATER SOFTENER WORKS

  • Nozzle/Venturi Assembly - Consists of Screen, Venturi, Gasket and Fill Flow Plug.
  • Main Valve - Consists of the Timer, Motor, Cam and Gear, Microswitch, Rotor and Disc, Metering Assembly (demand units only).
  • Top Distributor - Disperses even water flow during service and regeneration, inhibits resin from escaping to the inlet side of valve during backwash and filters service water.
  • Riser Pipe - Transports water from bottom distributor to valve.
  • Resin Tank - Holds resin media.
  • Resin - Ion exchange media.
  • Bottom Distributor - Disperses backwash flow and inhibits resin from escaping to the outlet of valve.
  • Salt - Regenerant for resin usually sodium or potassium chloride.
  • Brine Valve Assembly - Consists of Brine Tube, Air Check Float Assembly and Safety Shutoff.
  • Brine Well - Container for the Brine Valve Assembly.

1. The valve controls the water flow into and out of the water softener. As untreated water flows through the resin tank the resin beads remove the hardness minerals from the water through a process called ion exchange. Softened conditioned water then flows from the softener into your home.

2. As the resin tank’s capacity is used, regeneration, or cleaning, is required. Regeneration is initiated by the electronic controller.

3. During regeneration, water is introduced into the salt storage tank to make a brine solution. This solution is then drawn into the resin tank, removing the hardness minerals from the resin. The resin is then backwashed and given a final rinse, restoring the softener to its full capacity.

HARD WATER

A glass of hard water is a glass of dissolved rocks. You can't see the hardness in the water until the water evaporates. What once was invisible is now easily seen on everything the water touched- clothes, dishes, food, hair and skin:
  • Film or spots on glassware
  • Ring around the bathtub
  • No soap suds
  • Dingy clothes
  • Clothes that wear out quickly
  • Scale formation on plumbing
  • Loss of water heating efficiency
As you can see, the major disadvantages are both aesthetic and economical. Water softening has been used routinely since the 1950s in both commercial and residential application. Today, it is estimated that over 10 million households have operating water softeners.

SOFT WATER

A water softener uses a treatment method known as ion exchange to soften water. The exchange material (cation resin) has a negative charge. The hardness ions (calcium, magnesium, etc) which are dissolved in the water, have a positive charge. As the water flows over and through the resin, the hardness ions are drawn to the resin.

At the same time, sodium ions (which have a less positive charge) are knocked off the resin into the water.This exchange process occurs billions of times during the softening process. As the exchange takes place, a hardness band forms in the resin bed. The band expands in the same direction as the service flow. Eventually, hardness blankets the resin to a point where it is not capable of exchanging. The resin is considered "exhausted" and any water passing over the resin remains hard.

Regeneration must occur to revive the resin. A brine solution is introduced into the mineral tank. Brine solution can be either sodium or potassium salt dissolved with water. The brine solution is rich in sodium or potassium ions and will exchange off the hardness ions. The hardness ions and unused brine solution is rinsed down the drain. The resin is backwashed and rinsed to complete the regeneration process.

UPFLOW VS. DOWNFLOW BRINING

DOWNFLOW BRINING (CO-CURRENT)

The service water flow is downward over, around and through the resin. A hardness band will gradually form and move downward through the resin. When regeneration occurs, the brine solution also flows downward.

In this method, the brine solution must pass through feed water diluting the brine in the beginning of the regeneration cycle. Also, at lower brining levels, some of the resin bed may not be fully regenerated leaving a layer of resin that can permit hardness bleed.

Downward Service Flow results in resin exhaustion occurring from the top down.

Downward Brine Flow pushes hardness band through regenerated resin resulting in high water usage.

During regeneration cycle, Fill cycle is last resulting in poor salt efficiency.

UPFLOW BRINING (COUNTER CURRENT)

The service water flow is downward over, around and through the resin. But the brine solution flow is the opposite way - UP.

    In this method, there is no feed water to break through, so the bottom of the resin bed gets a non-diluted brine solution. When the softener returns to Service, the water leaving the tank will last pass through the most highly regenerated section of the resin with no hardness bleed.

    Downward Service Flow resulting in resin exhaustion occurring from the top down.

    Upward Brine Flow resulting in brine passing through regenerated resin first before pushing hardness band to drain resulting in low water usage.

    Fill is the first stage in regeneration cycle resulting in maximum salt efficiency.

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