Water Softener FAQs

Image: Hard water deposits on faucet

What does "hard water" mean?

It means that there is a higher amount of minerals in the water. Calcium and magnesium are the most common of these minerals.

Why is "hard water" worse than "soft water"?

Higher concentrations of minerals in your water can cause mineral build-up in pipes and appliances. It can also prevent detergents from dissolving properly and can dry out skin.

How does a softener work?

Softeners remove minerals by exchanging positively charged ions with negatively charged ions. For more information on this process, click here for our blog post on how softeners work.

How often does the softener's resin need to be changed?

Resin should be changed every 10 years, give or take a couple years.

How often should I add salt to the brine tank?

The frequency of your tank's regeneration will dictate how often you add salt. Generally, add salt around every 2 months. An easy way to check is to look inside the brine tank to observe the water level. If there is about 6-8 inches of salt left in the bottom, or if the water level is close to the salt, add more.

When should I not use softened water?

Softened water is not recommended for outdoor uses such as lawn care or garden watering. The high sodium content is not ideal for grass, tree, and plant growth. The use of softened water will also lead to more frequent regeneration and therefore higher operating costs.

Is softened water safe to drink?

Softened water is safe to drink in the majority of cases. Softeners replace hard minerals (calcium and magnesium) with soft minerals (sodium) therefore will increase the amount of sodium in your diet if you drink softened water. This is something to be mindful of if you have high blood pressure. If you have a concern, always contact your health care professional prior to drinking softened water.

What should I do if I can't drink the softened water from my tap?

There are several options for drinking and cooking water. The first is having a Reverse Osmosis system (RO) installed at your kitchen sink for drinking water. An RO removes 99% of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) from the water. Another option is to have the cold water tap at kitchen sink plumbed into the line before the softener. Thirdly, some fridges that have a water dispenser are already hooked up to the line prior to the softener. If accessible, the water line to the fridge can also be hooked up to an RO.

Are water softeners noisy?

Softeners make very little noise. If standing next to the softener, the only sound you may hear is the water moving through the backwash.

What is included in a water softener system?

A media tank and valve are one unit. It contains the resin which facilitates the ion exchange. There is also a brine tank that holds salt and water to create a water brine that is used to charge the resin for the ion exchange process.