HOWYOUR WATERSOFTENERWORKS
SECTION 2
13
2B.SOFT WATERSERVICEANDREGENERATION

SERVICE

Whenthesoftenerisgivingyousoft water,itiscalled
“Service”.Duringservice,hardwatercomesfrom
thehousemainwaterpipeintothesoftener.Inside
thesoftenerresintankis a bedmadeup of thousands
of tiny,plasticresinbeads(FIG. 4).Ashardwater
passesthroughthebed,eachbeadattractsandholds
thehardness minerals.Thisiscalledion-exchanging.
It ismuchlikeamagnetattractingandholding
metals.Waterwithout thehardness minerals(soft
water) flowsoutof thesoftenerandintothehouse
soft waterpipes.
Afteraperiodof time,theresinbeadsbecomecoated
with hardness minerals andtheyhaveto becleaned.
Thiscleaningiscalledregenerationor recharge.
Regenerationis startedat2:00 a.m.bythe electronic
timer(seepage15).I ttakesplacein5stagesorcycles.
Theseare:

FILL

BRINING

BRINERINSE

BACKWASH

FASTRINSE

1
2
3
4
5
NOTE:
If theCleanfeatureis set toON,additionalbackwash
andfastrinsecyclesoccurbeforethefill cycle.

FIG.4WATERFLOWTHROUGHTHE

SOFTENERINSERVICE

hardwater
IN
soft water
OUT
resintank
brine valve
saltstorage
tank(salt
notshown)
resin bed

REGENERATION

¡FILL:Salt,dissolvedinwater,iscalledbrine.
Brineisneededtocleanthehardness mineralsfrom
theresinbeads.Tomakethebrine,waterflowsinto
thesaltstorageareaduringthefill stageas shownin
FIG. 5.Fill cyclelengthdependson howmuchsoft
water makingcapacity youhaveusedsincethelast
regeneration.Asyou usemorewater,fill time
increases somorebrineismade.Thegreateramount
ofbrinecleansmorehardness mineralsfromthe
resinbed.

FIG.5WATERFLOWTHROUGHTHE

SOFTENERINFILL

hardwater
IN
soft water
OUT
brine valve
saltstorage
tank
fill water