What Is a Water Softener and How Does It Work in Phoenix, AZ?

When you are experiencing problems with hard water, you may wonder how a water softener works and whether you need one. Learn more about the water softener process. If you are considering installing one, count on the premier water softener service in Phoenix, AZ, to answer your questions.

What Problems Does a Water Softener Solve?

Determining whether you have hard water at your Phoenix home or business involves measuring the hardness of the minerals dissolved in your water. Even though you can’t see them, trace metals and minerals like magnesium and calcium appear at measurable levels when you have hard water.

These minerals can cling to surfaces that hold water, causing rings and spots in sinks and on glassware. They may build up inside your plumbing system and appliances while reducing the effectiveness of detergents and soap.

When you install a water softener in Phoenix, this appliance uses additives to reduce the impact of minerals. Benefits you may receive after installing a water softener include:

Longer lifespan for appliances that use water by reducing scale buildup
Improved performance and lifespan of your plumbing system
Using less soap and detergent when bathing or doing laundry
A possible reduction in water and energy usage because of more efficient cleaning
Having a feeling of softer skin and hair after bathing or showering

How a Water Softener Works for Your Phoenix Home

The water softener uses an ion exchange process to remove the minerals dissolved in the water. Here are the steps to understand how this appliance works:

Hard water enters your home or business from the water supply.
It goes into the water softener appliance and flows through resin beads, which usually consist of polystyrene plastic.
The resin beads contain a negative charge through contact with sodium ions inside the appliance.
The negative charge in the resin beads naturally draws the positively charged magnesium and calcium ions. This process pulls the minerals out of the water.
The softened water exits the water softener appliance and travels through your plumbing system.

Why a Water Softener Needs Salt

To operate the water softener, you must add salt pellets to the appliance. The water softener then runs a regeneration cycle, creating the sodium ions the resin beads need.

This regeneration cycle creates a brine solution that the water softener expels as wastewater, which then goes into your septic tank or the Phoenix sewer system.

Parts of a Water Softener

The water softener appliance contains a few primary parts:

Brine tank: The brine tank holds the salt pellets until it’s time to add the sodium ions to the resin beads.
Control valve: The control valve manages the movement of water into the water softener and back into the plumbing system in your home or business.
Mineral tank: The appliance pulls the mineral particles out of the water in the mineral tank.

How Do I Know Whether I Need a Water Softener?

There are some debates over water softeners and whether they’re safe for wastewater treatment systems. Phoenix has no restrictions regarding water softener usage, so you can install and use one safely in this part of Arizona. Because of how a water softener works, its benefits are important for a home with hard water.

How do you know whether you need a water softener? If you notice scale buildup on your appliances, it’s worth investigating your hard water levels. Perhaps you are noticing steadily less water pressure from your plumbing system. Scale buildup inside the pipes can reduce water pressure.

You can purchase a water hardness kit that tests the grains per gallon (gpg) of minerals in your water. Any measurement over 3 gpg is considered hard water, although severely hard water usually requires a measurement over 7 gpg. You can also request a test from a professional.

If you are still uncertain whether you need a water softener, a local plumber can give you advice.

Phoenix’s Zippity Split Plumbing Can Help You Understand How a Water Softener Works

If you still have questions about how a water softener works and whether you need one at your Phoenix, AZ, home or business, Zippity Split Plumbing can help. Our experts provide water softener installation and repair services. Our team can also help with other plumbing repairs, such as cracked sewer pipes, swimming pool leak repair, or pipe descaling.