HOW WATER SOFTENERS WORK
Water softeners work by using a negative charged ion exchange resin to collect the impurities from your water. The resin becomes charged when it mixes with a sodium solution. Water softeners don’t work because salt softens the water — the salt is what enables the resin to collect and remove the hardness from your water.
The EcoWater refiner softens your water, and it also removes the chlorine taste and odor, which is often a result of water treated by cities and municipalities.
Regeneration is the term for when the resin is being cleaned and recharged in the sodium solution.
SALT AND YOUR SOFTENER
The preferred salt to get your water softener to work is a clean pellet or nugget type. We offer salt for delivery or pick-up. Contact us to get scheduled for recurring salt delivery or stop by our office to pick it up at no extra charge.
Avoid filling the salt tank completely. Filling to Level 5 is normally sufficient.
If your water does not feel soft, and it appears the level of your salt is not ever decreasing, you could have a “salt bridge.” Schedule a service call with us to solve this problem or give us a call to walk you through it over the phone.
WHEN AND HOW TO BYPASS WATER SOFTENER
A bypass valve’s function is to basically turn your softener “off,” without disrupting the flow of water into your home.
There are a couple good reasons for using your unit’s bypass valve. During summer months, you can save money on salt by using the bypass valve when doing yard work that involves water usage. The bypass valve is also important during emergencies, especially leaks, instead of going straight to your main water line. Whenever your softener is acting up and you need service, it is recommended to bypass your unit.
Using the bypass valve is easy when you know what to check. First, look for the set of pipes that connect to your water softener. One pipe brings water into the unit so it can be softened. (inlet) The other pipe sends the soft water into your home. (outlet) The pipe that connects the inlet and outlet is your bypass valve. It should have a knob or a handle that you can twist or pull to open the bypass setting.
If any of this is unclear, contact us for assistance.
WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR DRINKING WATER SYSTEM AND/OR SOFTENER WHEN YOU WILL BE GONE FOR A WEEK, A MONTH, OR LONGER
Your reverse osmosis drinking water system does not require any adjusting prior to being unused for a short period of time. For longer periods of time, contact us for instructions.
Placing the softener into bypass and unplugging the unit is a safe practice.
REGENERATING YOUR WATER SOFTENER SYSTEM
When your water filtration system is regenerating, the water will bypass the unit.
Avoid using hot water when the water softener or refiner is regenerating, as your hot water heater will refill with untreated water.
If you are experiencing hard water sometimes, but not all the time, your system might be regenerating at an improper time. Check the softener display to be sure the current time is set correctly. Also check the scheduled recharge time. If the times on the display are accurate and you are still experiencing problems, contact us with the problem.
If you are running out of soft water at inconvenient times, let us know. You might need the regeneration cycle to be scheduled more frequently.