SECTION 2
.ow YOUR WATER SOFTENER WORKS
II
2B. SOFT WATER SERVICE
SERVICE
When the softener is giving you soft water, it is called "Service". During service, hard water flows through the house main water pipe and into the softener.
Inside of the softener resin tank is a bed made up of
thousands of tiny, plastic resin beads (FIG. 4). As
hard water passes through the bed, each bead
attracts and holds the hardness minerals. This is
called
attracting and holding metals. Water without the
hardness minerals (soft water) flows out of the
softener and into the house soft water pipes.
After a period of time, the resin beads become
coated with hardness minerals and they have to be
cleaned. This cleaning is called regeneration or
recharge. Regeneration is started at 2:00 a.m. by the
electronic timer (see page 13). It takes place in 5 stages or cycles. These are:
FILL | E] | BACKWASH | |
r_ | BRINING | r_ | FAST RINSE |
r_ | BRINE RINSE |
|
|
WATER FLOW THROUGH THE
SOFTENER IN SERVICE
soft water hard water
OUT IN
salt storage tank (salt
brine valve
resin tank
\\\\\\\
resin bed
AND REGENERATION
REGENERATION
[] FILL: Salt, dissolved in water, is called brine. Brine
is needed to clean the hardness minerals from the resin beads. To make the brine, water flows into the salt storage area during the fill stage as shown in FIG.
5.Fill cycle length depends on how much soft water
making capacity you have used since the last
regeneration. | As you use | more | water, | fill time | |||
increases | so | more | brine | is made. | The |
| greater |
amount | of brine cleans | more | hardness | minerals | from | ||
the resin | bed. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
WATER FLOW THROUGH THE
SOFTENER IN FILL
soft water hard water
OUT IN
!
salt storage
tank ...... _.
brine valv_
\
\
fill water
11
