How Does A Water Softener Work?

A water softener works by removing hard water minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, from the water supply. It does this through a process called ion exchange, which involves passing the water through a bed of small beads made of a material such as resin or zeolite. These beads have a negative charge and attract the positively charged hard water minerals, which become bound to the beads. Once the beads are saturated with hard water minerals, they are regenerated by a process that involves flushing them with a salt solution, which releases the minerals and allows the beads to be reused. The water softener also has a brine tank which holds the salt solution and a control valve that regulates the process of regeneration.