Water Softening

There is a third issue regarding water softening and hard water. The ions in the water can be considered an electrolyte. In this case the water can actually have galvanic corrosion. This problem is when one metal will corrode another metal, breaking it down. The properties of water softening allow for sodium ions to clean the water. The sodium ions or brine as it is called is less active. This means the corrosive effects will not occur even though you are using another ion to clean the water.

The process begins with a tub of resin. Negatively charged resins will absorb and bind ions which have a positive charge. The resin has univalent hydrogen, potassium or sodium. It will then exchange with the divalent calcium and magnesium in the water. The water will pass through a column of resin. The hardness ions will replace the hydrogen, sodium or potassium. The resins can remove carbonate, sulphate ions, and bi- carbonate. It will then replace these with hydroxyl ions. You have a single water softener which uses the same resins as that of the double water softeners.

After the resin process there is regeneration. Regeneration is when cations and anions will lose their effectiveness and therefore have to be recreated. This is when they go through the brine chemical of sodium chloride or potassium chloride. Sometimes hydrochloric acid is used. The salts will get flushed out of the system. Typically this means they are disposed of in the soil or sewer. The process is slightly damaging to the environment, so it is better to have a drain set up that puts it into the sewer. There are also companies that will take the waste from the water softening process.

To install a water softener a professional is needed. Using a professional will allow the system to be set up correctly and thus the resin is stored or released into the sewer properly. The amount of brine needed will have to be adjusted, as well.