SECTION 2
HOW YOUR WATER SOFTENER WORKS
2B. SOFT WATER SERVICE AND REGENERATION
BRINING: During brining, the brine is moved from the salt storage area, into the resin tank. Inside the resin tank, brine cleans hardness minerals from the resin beads and they are discharged out the drain. How much brine is needed to clean the resin depends on:
The nozzle and venturi (FIG. 6) make suction to take brine from the salt tank and put it into the resin tank. They keep the brine flow down to a very slow rate to get the best resin cleaning with the least salt.
BRINE RINSE: After all of the brine goes into the resin tank, the brine valve closes. Water keeps flowing the same way it did during brining except the brine flow has stopped. Hardness minerals and brine flush from the resin tank to the drain. Brining and brine rinse together vary in the length of time they take, relative to the fill cycle length.
FIG. 6 WATER FLOW THROUGH THE SOFTENER IN BRINING AND BRINE RINSE
| hard water | hard water |
| bypass OUT | IN |
nozzle & |
| |
venturi |
|
|
|
| drain |
brine valve | brineÎÎ | |
BACKWASH: During backwash, water flows UP through the resin tank (FIG. 7) at a fast rate to flush iron minerals, dirt and sediments from the bed and to the drain. The bed lifts and expands for good cleaning.
FIG. 7 WATER FLOW THROUGH THE SOFTENER IN BACKWASH
hard water | hard water |
bypass OUT | IN |
drain
resin bed lifted and expanded
ÎÎ
FAST RINSE: Backwash is followed by a fast flow of water down through the resin tank. The fast flow packs the resin bed and gets it ready for return to service (FIG. 8).
After fast rinse, the softener returns to service. Hard water goes into the resin tank where the resin bed again takes out the hardness minerals. Soft water goes to the house soft water pipes.
FIG. 8 WATER FLOW THROUGH THE SOFTENER IN FAST RINSE
soft water | hard water |
OUT | IN |
drain
ÎÎ
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