About the water softener system. | GEAppliances.com |
Service
When the water softening system is providing soft water, it is called “Service.” During service, hard water flows from the house main water pipe into the water softening system. Inside the water softening system resin tank is a bed made up of thousands of tiny, plastic resin beads. As hard water passes through the bed, each bead attracts and holds the hard minerals. This is called
After a period of time, the resin beads become coated with hard minerals and they have to be cleaned. This cleaning is called recharge.
Recharge is started at 2:00 AM (factory setting) by the water softening system control, and consists of five stages or cycles. These are FILL, BRINING, BRINE RINSE, BACKWASH and
FAST RINSE.
Automatic Hard Water Bypass During Recharge
For emergency needs, hard water is available to the home during the recharge cycles.
However, you should avoid using HOT water because the water heater will fill with the hard water.
Fill
Salt dissolved in water is called brine. Brine is needed to clean the hard minerals from resin beads. To make the brine, water flows into the salt storage area during the fill stage.
Backwash
During backwash, water travels up through the resin tank at a fast flow rate, flushing accumulated iron, dirt and sediments from the resin bed and to the drain.
Brining
During brining, brine travels from the salt storage area into the resin tank. Brine is the cleaning agent needed to remove hard minerals from the resin beads. The hard minerals and brine are discharged to the drain.
The nozzle and venturi create a suction to move the brine, maintaining a very slow rate to get the best resin cleaning with the least salt.
Brine Rinse
After a
Fast Rinse
Backwash is followed by a fast flow of water down through the resin tank. The fast flow flushes brine from the bottom of the tank, and packs the resin bed.
After fast rinse, the water softening system returns to soft water service.
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