What is Hard Water?
As it leaves the skies in the form of rain, water is soft, meaning it is clear of impurities. But it picks up carbon dioxide and other impurities in the air. It also dissolves calcium and magnesium salts as it soaks through the earth and runs off into rivers or lakes and collects in reservoirs or wells.
How do Softeners Work?
Conventional water softeners have two separate chambers, the resin tank and the brine tank, and use an ion-exchange process to remove the hardness ions calcium and magnesium. Softeners are often able to also remove iron, manganese and radium.
Choose your Softener
There are many home water softeners that trade the calcium and magnesium ions present in the water source with sodium ions (which are chemical magnets), thereby making the water soft. Learn more about how to choose a water softener.
