Hard water can be an issue in homes and commercial buildings due to the high number of dissolved materials. Calcium and magnesium levels can build up in the form of deposits in pipes and appliances.
Softened water replaces the excess calcium and magnesium ions with salt after going through the softening process. While magnesium ions can interfere with soaps and detergents, sodium will not. Penn State University has noted that water softening has been used in homes for over 65 years and works to extend the life of appliances and reduce cleaning time.
You may need a water softener if you notice cloudiness in tap water, hard water stains, or issues with your appliances. You can test your water yourself, or our team at Advantage Water Conditioning offers hassle-free water testing.
How Water Softeners Work
To remove magnesium and calcium, there is an ion exchange that occurs with salt. During this process, a negatively charged polymer resin bed attracts the water minerals to replace them.
This process does not introduce a significant amount of salt into your water, and softened water is classified within the FDA category of “very low sodium.”
Salt-Free Softening
A salt-free softener does not remove the magnesium and calcium; it transforms them chemically so that they cannot cling to anything. Unfortunately, this process does not have all the benefits of a salt softener.
Maintenance
Maintaining your water softening system is a simple process and can be done by yourself or with help from one of our Indy Water Pros.
Benefits to Your Home
Soft water can benefit your hair, your pets, and your family. Learn more in any of the blogs below:
- • How Soft Water Can Benefit Your Pets
- • 4 Ways Hard Water is Affecting Your Hair
- • How Does Hard Water Affect Your Skin?
- • Effects of Hard Water on Household Appliances
- • Should You Use Hard or Soft Water on Plants
- Water Softener Salt Options
Water softening salt is very different from the table salt you reach for to season your food. Industrial salt can be created by solar evaporation, rock salt mining, and solution mining. At Advantage Water Conditioning, we offer many salt types, including Rock Salt, Solar salt, and evaporated salt. These can also come in crystal or pellet forms, depending on the tank you have and the water consumption levels in your home.
We recommend Chemical Equipment Labs solar salt for our customers.
Learn more by reading the Types of Water Softener Salt.
Work with Us
To find out if you need to have your water softened or if you have questions about our salt delivery services, get in touch. We can also take care of the installation, weekly salt replenishment, routine operational checks of your system, and emergency repairs.
