What does a Water Softener Do?

Does your hair feel lackluster or weighed down with mineral buildup? Does your skin feel itchy and dry after stepping out of the tub or shower? When you’re in the shower or washing dishes, does it take a lot of soap to work up a good lather? Or maybe your dishes have water stains on them? Perhaps you haven’t thought about these issues before and connected the dots to realize that all of this is caused by hard water. The great news is that there’s an easy fix: a water softener. A water softener acts as a silent miracle worker—it’s always there in the background working to improve your water quality. How does water become hard in the first place? As water moves underground, it absorbs naturally occurring minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron. This is the case whether you rely on well water or city water. However, depending on your area, your water may be harder. Different concentrations of minerals in the earth means that depending on where your water comes from, water hardness can vary. To determine how hard your water is, you’ll need to schedule a water test. A water softener does just what it sounds like—it takes hard water and makes it soft. The appliance does this by removing mineral buildup. Once removed, it’s considered soft water. You’ll quickly notice a dramatic change in your water. Your skin will feel smoother while your hair becomes silkier. After being laundered, clothes will be softer, cleaner, and brighter. You won’t need to use so much detergent and soap, which’ll save the environment and you a few dollars. You’ll also save time on cleaning as well, because you’ll notice less soap scum, scale, and iron buildup. Less noticeable but equally exciting will be the benefits on your appliances and pipes. Appliances will save more water and be easier to clean. You’ll also notice less corrosion on pipes and scale buildup in your water heater. Water softeners are notoriously low-maintenance. You might even forget it’s there doing its job in your basement until you have to add more salt. Adding salt is what makes the appliance work; salt dissolves in the brine tank to make a brine that works with resin beads to soften your water. You’ll need to prevent salt bridges and mushing by using the correct kind of salt and managing the humidity level. Using a higher purity salt will leave less storage tank residue and lower the likelihood of other issues. You should also periodically clean the resin bed with a resin cleaner.At Finken, we rely on the American-made Hellenbrand water softeners, and we offer complimentary water tests to determine if you have hard water, how hard it is, and what the best water solution for your home is. Call 1-877-FINKENS for your free water test today!