Photo: WIBC
We talk a lot about water softeners on the Home and Garden Show. Problems that come up, the maintenance of a tank, etc. are just a few things we cover. We realize that before you can start asking questions about your water softeners it helps to know the basics of how it works. That’s why Denny puts on his “professor” hat, or what Pat likes to call “nerd pants” and talk you through the basics of a water softener.
What is a water softener?
A water softener is simply a tank device that softens hard water by removing minerals. Calcium and magnesium are the main minerals that affect the water’s ability to be used inside our homes. By removing these minerals and replacing them with salt, your water will not only run but be much more beneficial.
How to know if you have hard water?
If you aren’t familiar with the term “hard water” or simply don’t understand the issue with it, here are a few examples on how that hard water will affect your day-to-day.
The big issue a lot of homeowners notice when they have hard water is the soap or detergent residue. Soap and other cleaning products lose their effectiveness by instead of being able to dissolve and clean things properly the soap combines with the minerals in the water to form a “coagulated soap curd.”
The sticky extra soap bits make washing or cleaning anything seem pointless. It affects your laundry by not washing your clothes well enough. Often times leaving clothes rough or still dirty. It affects your dishes. After you run the dishwasher you’ll notice there is still several spots left on dishes. It can even affect your showers. Not only does hard water leave your hair dull and not as clean, it will also leave behind soap scum build-up in your showers and tubs.
Lastly, hard water is also bad on your home plumbing. You may not notice this issue day-to-day, but over time calcium and magnesium deposits can build up in pipes and in water heaters causing an expensive problem later on.
Now that you know why it’s important to have a water softener, Denny’s here to explain the basic steps a water softener does in order to get rid of those minerals.
Just like that you are a “Bill Nye the Science Guy” of water softeners!
If you have questions about how to install, take care of, or any other water softener questions feel free to send us a message on Facebook or email Denny at denny@wibc.com
