How Does a Water Softener Work?

Written on: March 6, 2023

Do You Need One?

As you’ve probably already noticed as a resident of eastern Pennsylvania, we’ve got hard water here. In fact, most of our region’s groundwater is hard water. What makes water hard? Minerals, mostly. Fortunately, there’s a solution for hard water. You can probably guess what it is. It’s a water softener.

What’s Wrong with Hard Water?

Hard water can be irritating and affect your plumbing in adverse ways. Here are some of the disadvantages to having hard water and some reasons a water softener can be helpful:

1. Softer water is better for your plumbing. Hard water and the buildup of minerals it leads to can damage plumbing and valves in your home. That means with softer water you won’t have to spend as much on plumbing repairs.
2. Many people don’t like the effect bathing with hard water has on their skin and hair. It can lead to dry and irritated skin and hair. Softer water is less irritating to the skin and hair.
3. When hard water leads to a buildup of minerals in your pipes, it can lower the efficiency of your water heater as well as your boiler. That means with softer water your energy costs are lower.
4. Hard water can also cause damage to your water heater’s storage tank and cause it to fail. With softer water your water heater should last longer. In a similar way, softer water will also be better for the longevity and effectiveness of your washing machine and dishwasher.

Water Softeners

Ace-Robbins sells, installs, and services Master water softeners. We consider them to be the best and most durable water softeners available. How do they work? They’re installed near the point at which water enters your home. In this way, you’re only treating the water you use inside your home and not the water that will be used outside for things like watering your lawn or washing your car. Your water softer will have a mineral tank that contains negatively charged resin beads. Much of what makes your water hard are positively charged calcium and magnesium ions. As you may remember from science class, opposites attract. So as the water passes through the mineral tank, the positive mineral ions get bonded to the negatively charged resin, and what continues on is soft water for use in your home. There’s a regeneration cycle that flushes away the mineral ions and cleans the mineral tank whenever the resin becomes saturated so that it can continue to soften your water.

Do You Have Hard Water?

Wondering if you have hard water? Most Pennsylvania residents do. But here are some signs that you’ve got hard water:

• You and your family members consistently have dry skin and hair.
• You notice stains in your sinks, toilets, showers, and bathtub.
• There’s a buildup of limescale (which looks like a white, chalky film) on your faucets, shower heads, glassware, flatware, dishes, pots, and pans. You may also notice limescale inside certain appliances like your dishwasher and washing machine.
• Your laundry comes out of the wash gray, dull, or rough.

If you’re in the market for a water softener, come to Ace-Robbins and we’ll help you pick the right Master water softener for your home. We’re here to serve residents of Bradford County, Lackawanna County, Luzerne County, Susquehanna County, Sullivan County, and Wyoming County.

Contact Ace-Robbins today to get started on solving your hard water problem.