Hard water can negatively impact the appliances and plumbing in your San Jose home. To prevent this issue and improve your water quality, water softeners are an effective option. Learn more about water softeners, how they can benefit your home, how they work, and how to maintain them.
Understanding Hard Water
Hard water has high concentrations of minerals, particularly magnesium and calcium ions. These minerals — found in the ground — dissolve into water as it flows through soil and rocks.
When you have hard water in your home, it can cause a variety of issues. It can reduce your water heater’s efficiency. In addition, scale can build up in your appliances and pipes. In the bathroom, it encourages the accumulation of soap scum. Hard water also decreases how effective your cleaning agents are, causing you to use more for basic cleaning tasks.
How Water Softeners Work
One of the most common water softener systems uses an ion exchange process. The softener system has a resin tank that contains negatively charged resin beads. Hard water flows through this tank, and the magnesium and calcium ions gravitate toward the resin beads. The resin beads replace these with sodium ions.
Magnesium and calcium ions eventually saturate the resin beads, causing the softener to go into a regeneration cycle. During this cycle, saltwater, which is a brine solution, replenishes the ions with sodium ions, removing the accumulated minerals.
Water Softener Benefits
There are many benefits to using a water softener in your home. Water softeners help to prevent scale from forming. Scale is a type of chalky, hard deposit that can build up in your water heaters, pipes, and appliances. Over time, it can result in decreased efficiency and water flow.
Softening your water will help your soap lather better. This is true for household cleaners and the soaps and shampoos that you use to bathe. You will likely need to use less soap in general.
Soft water can help your dishwasher, water heater, washing machine, and other water-based appliances last longer. This is because they will not have the scale buildup that can shorten their lifespan.
You may save energy by using water softeners, too. When you’re using soft water for your water heater, your water heater won’t need to work as hard since scale buildup is no longer present.
When you bathe in soft water, it can help to promote softer hair and skin. This is because it won’t leave behind the residue and soap scum that hard water does.
Choosing a Water Softener
When you measure your home’s water hardness level, you would measure it in grains per gallon. You need to know the hardness level to choose the right type and size of water softener.
Next, you need to know your house’s water flow rate. This is how much water per minute you need the water softener to treat. Consider factors like the number of bathrooms, occupants, and appliances in your home.
Look at whether you want a salt-free or a salt-based softener. With a salt-based softener, you will need to periodically replenish your salt, but it is effective for removing minerals. The salt-free softeners are also called conditioners or descalers. This softener prevents scale formation but does not remove the minerals. It may be less effective for some homes, but it tends to require less maintenance.
Think of the water demands of your household when choosing the right capacity and size. If your softener system is too big or small, it may not work as efficiently.
There are different regeneration modes that you can choose from, as well, including meter-based, timer-based, and on-demand. You may get the most efficiency out of a meter-based system since it works based on your home’s actual water usage.
In addition, you have to think about the installation process. Consider the plumbing configurations, how much space you have to install it, and whether you prefer a point-of-use system or a whole-house system.
Water Softener Installation
Choose where you want to install your water softener and ensure that you have adequate space. In most cases, you will want to place it where water gets into your home. The installation location should be accessible for maintenance and have sufficient ventilation.
Our plumbers will connect the system using bypass valves to the main water supply line. The unit should go before your water heater but after your pressure tank. During the regeneration cycle, there is a discharge of wastewater, so we make sure to connect it to a drain.
An electrical connection is necessary for some water softeners. In these cases, it connects to the control panel. Our plumbers always ensure it’s in compliance with your local electrical codes and that it’s grounded.
If you choose a salt-based softener, we will ensure that the brine tank is set up correctly. Use the manufacturer’s instructions regarding the amount and type of salt to add to the tank. Before you use the system, we do an initial regeneration cycle to ensure it works properly.
If you need a water softener installed in your home, talk to our team. We will be able to do it professionally and efficiently so that you get all the benefits.
Water Softener Maintenance
If you are using a salt-based system, it is important to monitor the salt levels. Add more salt to the brine tank as needed. This maintenance task is critical for the regeneration process since an incorrect salt level can interfere with your system.
Inspect the resin tank periodically to look for leaks, contamination, or signs of damage. Replace any damaged parts, and clean the tank when necessary.
About once a year, you should schedule an appointment with a professional to clean the brine tank. This is necessary to remove any accumulated debris or sediment. We will make sure that there are no salt bridges in the tank since these can cause problems with the water-softening process. Salt bridges prevent the salt from being able to dissolve.
We will also inspect the control valve to see if there are any malfunctions or leaks. It’s important to maintain optimal performance by replacing or cleaning parts when necessary.
Check the settings for your water softener periodically, including the water hardness settings and regeneration frequency. Changes in household water usage or water hardness may require you to make occasional adjustments.
When our plumbers install your system, ask them how often you should schedule a professional servicing. They will be able to tackle the maintenance tasks, make any necessary repairs and adjustments, and help to ensure that your system continues to work effectively.
Plumbing Experts in San Jose
Water softeners can offer a variety of benefits when used correctly. We can help you choose the right one and show you how to best utilize it. Our team is also available to help you with all of your other plumbing needs.
Contact Plumbtree Plumbing & Rooter in San Jose to learn more about your home’s water softener options. We offer comprehensive plumbing services, such as water services, sewer, rooter, gas, and water heaters.
