Water Softeners

water softenerHard water can wreak havoc on your plumbing system and your appliances. Hard water is typically classified as any water with a high mineral content, usually iron, calcium, and magnesium. These minerals cause buildup on your pipes, shower heads, dishwashers, and more. Over time this can cause your pipes to clog, reduce water pressure, and leave residue on your dishes and your clothing. At American Water, we provide you with the right water softener that reduces or eliminates the minerals, leaving you with soft, clean water.

Water Softening Cycles

The extent of your water’s hardness increases as the concentration of magnesium, calcium, and iron maximizes. At American Water, we work with you to determine the degree of your hard water and to recommend the right water softener solution for your home or office. Water softeners remove hardness and iron from your water through a process that includes six different cycles:

  • Service: Your softener is filled with a media called resin which is charged through sodium or potassium ions.Through the ion exchange, the ions causing the hardness in your water attach and are collected within the resin and replaced by the sodium ions, leaving your water clean and soft.
  • Backwash: One of the first steps to regenerating your resin is the backwash cycle. Through this cycle, the water flows up through the system, cleaning the resin and washing away the contaminants that were filtered out of your water.
  • Brine draw cycle: During the brine draw cycle, the water, saturated in sodium or potassium, in the brine tank is drawn into the softener tank. It flows through the resin providing the media for the ion exchange. The draw cycle continues until the brine tank has been completely emptied into the softener tank.
  • Slow rinse: During the rinse cycle, the excess brine, and what is left of the hardness molecules, are flushed out of the system.
  • Fast rinse: Water is rapidly pumped into the softener tank. This action compacts the bed of resin and rinses away any remaining brine or hardness molecules in the tank.
  • Refill: Before your softener can return to the service cycle, it must refill the brine tank. During this cycle, water is directed back into the brine tank to dissolve the salt and potassium ions needed to complete your water softening process.

If your home or office has hard water, we can provide you with the right water softener solution for you. By implementing a water softener system in your home you save money by using less soaps, shampoos, detergents, and other household cleaners.

At American Water, our experienced technicians install your water softeners at the point the water enters your house. Depending on your needs, we can make any necessary modification. Call or contact us today for your installation.