How does it work?
Water hardness in Salt Lake County can exceed 19.2 GPG, which is considered "extremely hard" water. Hard water contains high levels of dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium. Although safe to consume, these minerals leave deposits on everything water touches: pipes, faucets, shower heads, appliances, dish ware, and bathroom surfaces. Every water spot in your home is due to hard water. But there is a solution: the water softener.
Many people have a water softener. Unfortunately, most softeners are not kept adequately stocked with salt. This results in a poorly functioning softener, which means harder water and all the nasty gunk that comes with it. Keep reading to learn why softeners need salt.
Why do softeners need salt?
In order to avoid replacing costly resin, a process called resin regeneration is used. After the resin beads have become saturated with hard water minerals, a brine solution is pumped through the tank. The sodium in this brine displaces the calcium and magnesium that was absorbed earlier, restoring the beads' ability to soften water. This process is triggered by either a timer or a water use threshold, and can occur several times a month.
Importance of salt levels
The second tank in your softener, called the brine tank, is where the brine used to clean the resin comes from. It is crucial that this brine is suitably concentrated, and its concentration is primarily affected by the amount of salt in the tank. That is why the brine tank must be kept at the right salt level.
The right amount of salt for your brine tank depends on the exact make and model of your water softener, but as a rule of thumb, the tank should be:
At least 1/4 full
At least 5 inches above the water level
No less than 5 inches below the top of the tank
Regularly filling your water softener with salt will ensure you always have soft water. Make it easy with salt delivery today.
