Water softeners are devices that remove hardness from the water in your home. Water becomes hard due to a buildup of certain minerals, like calcium and magnesium, that are present. These minerals can be hard on your pipes and dry out your skin and hair.

How Do Water Softeners Work?

Water softeners remove hard water through a process called ion exchange. First, the water flows into the softener tank, which includes resin beads that contain sodium ions. The beads are surrounded by several different minerals, depending on the water quality. These include a combination of magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, and potassium sulfate. When the tap water comes in contact with the beads, positively charged ions attach to them. Since they are negatively charged, they pull in buildup from limescale and iron, helping to improve water quality.

Why Are Water Softeners Important?

Water softeners make the water in your home better for everyday use and can prevent major plumbing issues. Here are a few reasons they are important:

• Improved skin health: Installing a water softener helps make the water you use feel softer on your skin and more enjoyable to drink. When you bathe in hard water or use it to wash your clothing, it can leave behind residue that leaves your clothes feeling stiff and your hair and skin brittle and dry. Hard water can also leave an unpleasant taste in your mouth if you choose to drink it.
• Reduces buildup of minerals in appliances: Water softeners help you avoid mineral buildup in your appliances and pipes. Over time, the minerals dissolved within hard water will build up on your appliances and plumbing fixtures, which can cause them to stop working properly or completely break down. When you install a water softener, you’ll avoid major issues with your appliances and other fixtures, ensuring everything runs smoothly.
• Helps maintain plumbing system: The calcium, magnesium, and iron in hard water can build up within your pipes, which eventually causes clogs or burst pipes if you fail to maintain your system by regularly flushing out these harmful minerals. Both of these issues can be expensive to fix, so it’s helpful to have a water softener installed to help avoid them altogether.

If you have hard water in your home, a water softener should be an important part of your plumbing system. The professionals at Parobek Water Solutions in Austin, TX can help with all your water softener needs. Contact them today for more information.