How a water softener works is through a process called ionic exchange. Inside the water softener tank is a media called resin. When water passes through this media hard water minerals stick to the resin and leaves the water "soft". Check out one of our earlier blogs for some further information on how they work.
...well why do the hard water minerals stick to the resin?
Well this all comes down to the molecular level. When you get down to the molecular level you will hear of an ion having a particular charge in order to form a bond. In this case resin has a negative charge and the hard water minerals Calcium (CA++) and Magnesium(MA++) have a positive charge, but more importantly resin under a microscope looks like a ball of mesh. This is how the resin will catch these hard water minerals. These ions are charged such that they are drawn towards one another and the mesh of the resin aids in that as well. First the resin holds onto the sodium chloride (NA+) but once the resin comes in contact with hard water minerals, the sodium is detached and the Calcium and Magnesium are exchanged due to their more powerful positive charge. Refer to the picture below.
If you would like to have your water tested for hardness, cruise on over to our shop. We are located on 2775 Kiowa Blvd. North. Make sure to bring your water in a glass jar to get a more accurate reading. We'll even test your water on our site for free!
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