Do You Need a Water Softener?

Why do you need a water softener, and how exactly does it work? A water softener is a machine that removes certain minerals, usually magnesium and calcium, from your home’s water supply, and replaces them with sodium. This is important because the majority of water comes from the ground, which is loaded with minerals that make it hard, with the common culprits being magnesium and calcium. Hard water is impractical for everyday use because soaps and detergents do not easily dissolve in it. Hard water not only leaves an irritating residue on the skin, but it can also create soap scum in sinks, bathtubs, pipes, and showers. In washing machines, hardwater leaves a film on clothing, and in the machine. Ultimately, the minerals in hard water can clog pipes, which results in exceedingly high plumbing bills for the average homeowner. A water softener installation from a professional Marietta plumber at Pell Plumbing will eliminate these problems, so you can enjoy your water the way you were meant to.

How does a water softener work? A water softener contains negatively charged resin beads when positively charged magnesium and calcium ions pass through these beads, they cling to them and are then replaced with sodium ions, creating soft water. As soon as the beads in the device have been saturated with the calcium and magnesium, an internal timer or computer signals to another compartment in the device to inject a large number of sodium ions, usually derived from common salt, that attach themselves to the magnesium and calcium ions. They are then flushed out of the water softener.

A water softener is an immensely practical device, and over the long run, it will save the average homeowner both money and time. A water softener installation from Pell Plumbing is one of the best investments a homeowner can make.