Learn about water softeners and how water softeners work

Water Softeners

How water softeners work

Learn about water softeners and how water softeners work to remove the hardness from your water. This page will help you make the right desision when considering a water softener.

The AquaTek Pro series Hi-Flow water softeners will save you money in a lot of ways. If you want to know how a water softener works, this page will help you understand what a water does and how it removes hardness from your water by using ion exchange resin.

Hard water passes through the ion exchange resin media in the tank located below the controller. The tank that contains the ion exchange resin beads are coated with sodium or potassium ions (depending on salt type used). The calcium and magnesium ions which, are part of the total hardness of the incoming water, are exchanged for sodium (or potassium) ions as the water is used, thus softening the water. The water softening resin drops it's sodium ion and grabs a hardness ion. When the beads have trapped all the hardness they can hold, they need to be regenerated (cleaned). The Aquatek Pro Line control valve, recharges the resin beads by pulling in brine (salt water) from a seperate tank called the brine tank. Water becomes a brine when, water cannot hold any more salt in solution and is thus considered 100% saturated with salt (aka, brine). As regeneration occurs, calcium and magnesium (hardness) ions are freed from the beads and replaced with sodium or potassium ions making the system ready to soften water again.

You want plenty of flow during the first step of regeneration which, is the backwash cycle. During the backwash cycle, the water reverses its direction in the water softener and starts to move upward through the media. You want plenty of flow to left the resin up in the media tank so, any solid particles that could have been cought by the water softener, is able to be flushed out of the unit. The heavier the particles, the more flow you need to remove them. Before purchasing a water softener or other filter that contains a controller, make sure you get the controller that has the highest capable water flow.

If you are on a well, you will have particles that come from the ground that can damage a water softener. If your water system did not include a sand trap filter (STF) and sand has gotton in to your water softener, it is almost impossible to remove it during a backwash, no matter how much flow you have. Sand in a water softener can choke the water flow through the water softener and will eventually stop water flowing through the water softener all together.

A water softnener is really a Hardness filter

All Water softeners have a certain, total amount of hardness they can remove from the water passing through them and this is known as, it's rated capacity. When all of the hardness removing resin beads have dropped it’s sodium or potassium ion and has captured the hardness causing ions, the water softener has reached it’s capacity and cannot remove any more hardness until a regeneration process occures. After a water test determines the amount of total hardness in your incoming water supply, we know what capacity water softener you will need which, will not use a lot of salt. Remember this; you pay for the water softener once but, salt never ends!!!

The average family uses 80 to 100 gallons of water per person, per day on a national average. That means a household of ﬁve requires an average of 400 to 500 gallons of softened water daily. If 500 gallons of water is used everyday and you have a 500 grain unit and your water hardness is 1 grain, your water softener will need to regenerate every day! Always look to the higher amount of water needed because, you don’t want to run out of soft water before the water softener needs to regenerate (clean itself). If your water has a total hardness rating of 30 grains per gallon (gpg), for example, you would need to remove 15,000 grains per day (500 gallons x 30 grains). With a water softener that regenerates every 3 days (time clock valve), your softener’s minimum capacity would need to be 45,000 grains (15,000 grains x 3 days). A three day regeneration interval will cost your more money per year in salt than a water softener with a regeneration interval of 7 or more days.

The total grain capacity of a water softener would be determined by the size of the mineral tank used on the system and how much softening resin it can hold. It is always recommended that the total capacity needed, includes a minimum, 25% reserve in case the occupants of the household uses more water in a day over the households per person, per day average. If the average daily water usage exceeds the 3 day regeneration setup on a time clock valve, the household will run out of soft water allowing hard water to pass to the house. Adding a 25% reserve capacity to a time clock controlled water softener will help get you through the last hours before regeneration on the third day. Adding 25% to a 45,000 grain capacity water softener (45,000 grains X 25% = 11,250 grains) will give you a water softener that has a capacity of 46,250 grains. Therefore, a 46,250 + grain capacity water softener would be our recommendation for your household if it had a time clock control valve.

Time clock control valves are sold by many water companies and should be avoided if, at all possible. Time clock valves regenerate (clean themselves) on a set schedule (every day, every 2 days, 3 days, etc.) no matter if water is used or not. If your water softener is rated to soften 1000 gallons of water every 3 days and you only used 500 in a three day period, it is still going to regenerate; what a waste of salt and money! Time clock control vlaves can lead to a lot of salt usage especially, if you have a large family and some of the kids haven’t caught on to water conservation yet. Avoid time clock control valves, they are old technology and will cost you money! They may be cheap but, will cost you big time!

A large family’s daily water demand can change from day to day making a meter controlled valve a better choice. The meter reads how much water is being used, the electronic control board on the valve will know how many gallons of water has been softened and when it will need to regenerate. On single tank systems, the regeneration generally happens when the household is asleep and the time at which, this occurs, is adjustable on computerized systems. Multiple tank systems operate differently and are always metered. When the electronic control board determines a tank has reached it’s capacity, it automatically switches the household to a clean tank and regenerates the dirty tank, never leaving the household without soft water.

Metered control valves will save you money!

The electronic control valve only sets up to regenerate when it hits a predetermed amount of water used. Having a control valve that can count the gallons used, will save water and up to 40% in salt usage. Now that our new solar powered control valves are available, you can also save money on your electric bill.

Which water softener control valve is best for you?

There are 3 basic types of water softener control valves that are used in residential applications to manage the regeneration process. The control valve will manage the frequency of recharging the resin beads that clean the water and flushing the contaminated water out of the system.

Computerized / Metered Control Valve for water softener or flushing whole house filter

The most popular of the 3 types, computerized systems regenerate based on actual water usage. The gallons of water used are counted by a meter in the out flow of the water softener or whole house filter. If you are away on vacation or if you have guests staying, the control will adjust accordingly. Computerized controls are programmed with the grain capacity of the softener or filter, water hardness and how many people are in the home. Since, this type of unit only regenerates when capacity in gallons is used, it is the most efficient in salt usage thereby, saving you money. Selecting this type of control valve that comes solar capable, will save you even more money!

Timer Controlled water softener control valve

This type of system regenerates based on a time clock (i.e. every 3, 4, or 5 days). The control is set to run at a predetermined time generally while everyone in the house is sleeping, regardless of the actual amount of water that has run through the system. Timer controlled systems tend to be less costly than computerized / metered control valves, however salt usage tends to be higher and there may be times when hard water is delivered due to higher than expected demand.

Manually Controlled water softener control valves

Although rare, there are some applications where a manually controlled system is needed. Manual systems simply use a lever controlled valve that regenerates the system when you want it to. An example of a manual control application is when a permanent drain is not available and a hose is temporarily used to flush the water softener or filter. It’s best to oversize the system in this case so that the system doesn’t need to be regenerated as often.

Consider this important information before buying a water softener!!!

In the market for a water softener? If you are on a well in Florida, the first thing most people on wells need is a water softener due to the hardness of the water here. If you try to save money on the water softener itself, it will cost you more per year to run than if you had bought a more expensive, high capacity water softener and the difference in price is generally only $100.00 to upsize.

A water softener removes hardness and iron from the water flowing through it and must clean itself (regenerate) now and then to remove the impurities it captured from the water. A water softener uses salt to clean itself. If your water softener is a small unit, it will need to regenerate more frequent than a larger unit. To save money in the long run, you want a unit large enough to extend the time between regenerations. A water softener uses sodium or potassium chloride (salt) to clean itself.

On average, salt runs about seven dollars per 40 lb. bag if, you go and buy it yourself and lug it home. The more salt you use each year, the more your system will cost you and even more so if, your water softener is an under sized, unit.

Buying a water softener due to the expense of the unit should be examined very carefully or it will cost you more per year in salt than the unit itself.

This is how a 10″ x 54″ water softener can save you money!

40 lb. bag of regular crystal salt = $7.00 on avg.

$7.00 / 40 lbs. = .175 cents per pound

10″ x 54″ unit uses 20 lbs. avg. salt per regeneration

20 x .175 = $3.50 per regeneration

Regeneration interval in days:

every day – cost per year $1277.50 savings $0

every 2 days – cost per year $638.75 Savings $638.75

every 3 days – cost per year $425.84 Savings $851.66

every 4 days – cost per year $319.38 Savings $958.12

every 5 days – cost per year $255.50 Savings $1022.00

every 6 days – cost per year $212.92 Savings $1064.58

Obviously, you want a large enough unit to handle your water conditions and extend the regeneration interval enough to save you a lot of money in salt every year. Remember, the initial cost of the unit is a one time thing, while the cost of salt is not and fluctuates. Don’t be fooled by the low priced units, they will cost you in the end! If a water company is not going to help you save money, find one that will!!!

Our units are professional grade and built to handle Florida’s water conditions. AquaTek water softeners have a 5 year warranty, they are built in the USA and certified by the Water Quality Association.

Call us today and schedule a free water analysis!

772-538-0284