How does a water softener work?
A water softener can prevent limescale build up by removing the hard minerals that cause scale formation. We have outlined how this process works below:
The Water Softener Ion Exchange Process:
- Resin Beads: The core component of a water softener is the internal resin tank, which contains resin beads. These beads are charged with sodium ions. The sodium ions come from the brine tank of your water softener.
- Mineral Removal: As hard water flows through the resin tank, calcium and magnesium ions are attracted to and bind with the resin beads and sodium ions.
- Ion Exchange: An ion exchange process then occurs whereby the resin beads release sodium (Na⁺) ions into the water, as the magnesium and calcium stick to the beads. This ion exchange process effectively removes the hardness-causing minerals from the water.
The Water Softener Regeneration Cycle:
- Brine Solution: Periodically, the resin beads become saturated with hard minerals and the system needs to be regenerated. A brine solution is then flushed by the softener, through the resin tank.
- Ion Displacement: The high concentration of sodium ions in the brine solution displaces and removes the calcium and magnesium ions from the resin beads, replenishing the resin with sodium.
- Rinsing: The waste calcium and magnesium ions, along with the excess brine, are then flushed out of the system into a drain.