Soft Water Basics
Hardness
Hardness in water is the amount of calcium and magnesium present. A water softener removes the majority of calcium and magnesium to produce softened water.
Hardness is measured in units of grains per gallon. When your water is tested the hardness is calculated and expressed as grains per gallon (gpg). This calculation, as well as the number of people in your household will help determine what type and size of water softener will most efficiently soften your water.
Your water softener contains an ion exchange media (sometimes called resin) which removes the hardness from water as it flows through the softener tank. Eventually so much hardness collects on the exchange media that the softener can no longer soften water. At this point it is considered "exhausted". Regeneration is now necessary.
Regeneration
When ion exchange resin is saturated with calcium and magne- sium (hard water ions) it must be recharged. This is accomplished by rinsing the resin with a salt solution. The salt solution removes the hardness and replaces it with sodium. The exchange media is then ready to remove hardness from water. The hardness minerals and excess brine solution are rinsed down the drain.
During the regeneration cycle the softener is also back- washed. This reversing of the normal flow of water serves to remove sediment which may have accumulated during the soft- ening process due to the filtering action of the exchange media. Backwashing also loosens and fluffs up the bed of exchange media to insure that during regeneration the brine solution will come into contact with all the ion exchange media.
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Maintenance of Your Softener
Salt: Salt to a softener is what gasoline is to a car. Not only must a softener have salt, but it should be the proper type to insure efficient recharging of the unit. Ask your dealer what type of salt may best suit your needs. Always have an adequate supply of salt on hand. Check the salt level of your brine tank every couple of weeks initially to determine how much salt you use - this will depend on how much water you use. As a rule of thumb, with 20 gpg hard water, about a 1/2 lb. of salt per person per day is used. In other words, a family of four uses 60 lbs. of salt a month. If your household does not use much water, do not fill your brine tank over 1/2 full, salt bridg- ing may occur in the brine tank. This may result in hard water due to ineffective regeneration. Fill the tank approximately
Cleaning Brine Tank: Salt tank may require periodic cleaning. Inspect the brine tank at least once a year for buildup of insoluble materials. It is recommended to periodically clean the brine tank no matter what kind of salt you are using. See page 15, Miscellaneous #2 for details on cleaning.
REMEMBER: Salt is the fuel to run your water softener. Buy the best clean salt available.
OPERATING CONDITIONS
Your water conditioner has been designed to adequately handle up to 100 grains per gallon of hardness that might be encountered as well as up to 2 ppm of Ferrous Bicarbonate Iron. This is iron that is dissolved in an
be kept from coming in contact with water until after it has been passed through the water conditioner. In some cases, additional equipment may be required to treat water supplies having special characteristics, such as: ferric hydroxide iron, iron bacteria, low pH, taste and odors, etc. If any question should exist, contact your dealer.
This water softener is not intended to be used for treating water that is microbiologically unsafe or of unknown quality without adequate disinfection before or after treatment.
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