Everything You Need to Know About Water Softeners
If you live in an area with hard water, it can be challenging to know where to start. There are numerous options for treatment, and each comes with its own set of product options. We’ve put together this comprehensive list of the questions that we hear most often from our prospects.
What is hard water?
Hard water is water with high mineral content, and the desire to soften it comes from the water's adverse effects on one’s overall home. It can cause unwanted buildup on plumbing fixtures, kitchen appliances, and pipes. There are also speculations that water high in minerals is associated with some health problems, but this is not a proven statistic.
How do I know if I have hard water?
To find out if you need water conditioning salt and a water softener system, you should first determine whether the water in your home is hard or soft. Some states are known for having a higher mineral concentration in their water than others. The water in Indiana contains about 200 to 350 milligrams of hard minerals per liter of water, according to Citizens Energy Group. You can have your water tested by our professionals at Advantage Water Conditioning or check it yourself with a kit from the hardware store.
How do I know if I need a water softener?
Some warning signs that you need a water conditioner include:
- - Cloudiness in tap water
- - Hard water stains in the shower
- - Reduced efficiency of household appliances such as the washing machine, dishwasher, or shower
If you see these signs, there's a strong likelihood th
at you need a water softening system.
What is water softener salt?
Salt is an essential, consumable component of a water softener system. We recommend Chemical Equipment solar salt for our customers.
What is solar salt?
Solar salt is sodium chloride crystallized salt that is washed to remove any impurities on the surface, drained, and then dried by solar evaporation.
How is water softener salt used?
To remove the water's "hardness," water conditioner salt is used in a water purifier to stimulate an ion exchange. During the ion exchange, the minerals in the unfiltered water are exchanged with sodium ions from the salt, the hard minerals are flushed out, and the water becomes "soft."
Where can you buy water softener salt?
This type of salt can be obtained from many sources, such as hardware stores, grocery stores, gas stations, or a simple online order. Additionally, water conditioner servicing companies offer softener salt delivery to inspect the softener and reload it weekly. These salt routes usually cost the same or less than buying it yourself and offer the added value of maintenance and replenishment services. If you choose to do it all on your own, consider the time and energy you will spend replenishing the salt and managing maintenance upkeep for the system. If you live in an area where hard water is prevalent, the best place to get specially formulated salt is through your local, specialized water conditioning company.
How much salt should be in my water softener?
Salt consumption varies with the type of softener used. Intelligent softeners like Vesta use the least amount of softener salt, due to customized cycles that match the household. Units from big box stores use salt indiscriminately based on pre-programmed rates, which can be wasteful and negatively impact water quality. Typically, there is an electronic meter on the softener system that measures the levels of minerals and salt by water volume. If your household experiences increased salt consumption with the same water usage, that indicates a problem with the softener system. Similarly, decreased consumption can be an issue, as well.
How long does water softener salt last?
Advantage Water Conditioning outfits all customers with 100 pounds of solar salt, which will typically last two months for a typical household. A water conditioning company, like Advantage Water Conditioning, can also take care of the installation, weekly replenishment, routine operational checks of your system, and emergency repairs.
We’re Here to Help
To find out if you need to have your water softened or if you have questions about our salt delivery services, our certified technicians have the solutions. We can also take care of the installation, weekly salt replenishment, routine operational checks of your system, and emergency repairs.
