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How Does a Water Softener Work?
1-800-Plumber +Air of New Braunfels

  1. What is Hard Water?

  2. Is Hard Water Dangerous?

  3. Signs of Hard Water

  4. What is a Water Softener?

  5. Installing a Water Softener

  6. Caring For Your Water Softener

  7. Signs You Should Replace Your Water Softener

  8. Do You Need to Flush Your Water Heater with a Water Softener?

  9. Need a Water Softener? Call Us!


Hard floors and walls are perfectly acceptable. Hard water, not so much. If you have above-average mineral levels in your water and want to get them under control, you should consider installing a water softener. Let 1-800-Plumber +Air of New Braunfels tell you all about these devices and how they work.

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What is Hard Water?

Hard water is simply water with accelerated levels of minerals, namely calcium and magnesium. Over time, this can be quite disadvantageous. Calcium deposits can reduce the efficiency of washing machines and other appliances. It can also cause low water pressure and reduce the effectiveness of soap and detergent. Hard water is also capable of clogging and corroding your pipes.

Is Hard Water Dangerous?

While hard water can definitely cause harm to your home, it doesn't have any known health consequences. Research indicates consuming hard water doesn't pose any threat to humans, and can even help with their magnesium and calcium levels. However, it can be dangerous to your hair by preventing hair care products from working properly, and your skin can become itchy and dry from soap not washing off properly. If you have sensitive skin, or conditions such as eczema, hard water can make it difficult to go about your day.

Signs of Hard Water

Hard water doesn't feel all that different from soft water. That's why you need to know about all of the biggest signs, such as:

Low Water Pressure

If you feel like your water pressure has been suspiciously low, you're probably not imagining things. Low water pressure can come from numerous sources, but you've ruled out all the other possibilities, such as clogs and aged pipes, it could very well be hard water. Check all of your faucets to see if low water pressure is consistent across the board.

Soap Scum

Does soap refuse to wash off completely, leaving a film behind on your body and bathtub? Soap scum isn't possible without calcium. This is also bad news for clothes and dishes, which can have their appearances marred by soap scum.

Stains

Hard water can cause hard-to-remove stains to appear on your fixtures and various items. You can see spots on your dishes and your bathtub, for instance. The longer you have hard water, the worse these stains can get. You can remove them with home solutions like lemon juice or baking soda and vinegar. However, the best solution is to call a trusted plumbing company, like 1-800-Plumber +Air of New Braunfels.

Strange-Tasting Water

If your water suddenly has an unexplained taste, it's likely due to hard water. It may have a strange taste of chemicals or metal. You might have to use things like fruit juice to make your water more palatable. Notice any strange odors coming from your water, as well. This could be due to a combination of bacteria and magnesium.

What is a Water Softener?

A water softener is a device designed to reduce a water supply's overall water hardness. Let 1-800-Plumber +Air of New Braunfels explain how a water softener works.

Ion Exchange

Water softeners reduce mineral levels through ion exchange. Sodium ions arrive to replace the magnesium and calcium ions. The softener contains resin beads for hard water to go over, allowing the ions to be swapped. By the time the water has come out of your faucet, it's been properly softened.

Installing a Water Softener

You can try to install a water softener yourself. These are some things you should know before trying.

Location

Wherever water first comes into your house is where you should place your water softener. Locate the start of your plumbing line, and place your water softener as close to it as possible. If you don't have a water loop, you should definitely consider installing one. This allows you to conserve more water and keeps your indoor and outdoor water lines separate.

Sizing

You need your water softener to be the right size for your home and water needs. If it's too small, it won't be effective against hard water. If it's too big, it would take too long to regenerate the resin beads. Make sure that your water softener is the right size and is efficient, only using as much sodium as it needs to.

Installation

Before you try installing a water softener, you should find a quality guide about it. Look for professional material that goes into great detail about the process. This can also include videos, made by experienced plumbers who clearly explain and demonstrate every step.

If you've done other installation jobs, installing a water softener can be a fun new project to tackle. However, if you haven't tried anything like this before, it can be very difficult. You'll need experience in soldering, for instance. Call 1-800-Plumber +Air of New Braunfels for safe and expert water softener installation.

Caring For Your Water Softener

Your water softener can be great about getting rid of hard water. However, that's only possible if you're performing all the proper maintenance, such as:

Cleaning

Water softeners can develop their own unfortunate minerals buildups. Salt deposits, referred to as things like "salt bridges," can form and reduce your water softener's effectiveness. When you add more salt to your water softener, see if there's any visible uncleanliness.

You can use bleach, vinegar, or dish soap to clean your water softener. Or, you can use a store-bought cleaner, though you should make sure it's not corrosive to your water softener. To keep up with your water softener, we recommend cleaning it every time you go to replace the salt, generally once a month.

Using the Right Salt

You need to make sure you're using the proper salt for your water softener. This goes in the brine tank and is essential for allowing regeneration to occur. Typically, it's found in the form of salt pellets. The trouble is some pellets have matter that doesn't dissolve in water. As a result, the tanks get dirty more easily and the water isn't softened nearly as well. Make sure you purchase high-quality salt. Even if it's more expensive at the time of purchase, it can help you save money in the long term by extending your water softener's lifespan.

Professional Inspections

You should have your water softener examined as part of an annual plumbing inspection. Even if you've been able to keep it clean, there might be parts that need replacing. A professional plumber, like one from 1-800-Plumber +Air of New Braunfels, can tell you if any part of your water softener needs to be replaced.

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Signs You Should Replace Your Water Softener

Do you want to know when your water softener is ready to go? These are some definite signs you need a new water softener:

Age

If you're moving into a home with a water softener, ask how old it is. If it's 20 years old or older, it needs to be replaced. Aging water softeners are unable to properly fight against hard water. Even one that's 10 years old can have trouble keeping up.

Stains Returning

Once again, you've got soap scum stains on your sink and calcium stains on your dishes. If your water softener isn't working as it should, hard water and minerals are going to wreak havoc once again. Call 1-800-Plumber +Air of New Braunfels, and ask about our water softener installation options.

Household Changes

Let's say you installed your water softener 10 years ago, and you had two children in the home. Now, they've moved out, and you don't have nearly as much water being used as before. Don't keep using an unnecessarily large water softener. Instead, opt for one better suited for your home.

Regeneration Issues

Pay attention to your water softener's regeneration process. If it's been taking longer than normal, This process involves the resin beads, which have accumulated calcium and mineral in the ion exchange, being rinsed with salty brine, ready to go back through the process. If you've noticed other signs of water softener trouble, take a look at the regeneration as well. It might not be regenerating at all or too frequently.

Do You Need to Flush Your Water Heater with a Water Softener?

You might know about flushing a water heater to get rid of excess minerals inside it. But do you need to do that if you have a water softener? It's up to you, but we'd recommend it. Mineral deposits can exist even in soft water, and an annual flushing can keep your water heater operating more smoothly.

Need a Water Softener? Call Us!

A water softener can restore health and happiness to your water and home. If you're in New Braunfels and are looking for a great plumbing company to install your water softener, call us. At 1-800-Plumber +Air of New Braunfels, we're committed to all of our customers, all of the way. Contact us today if you have any additional questions or to schedule an appointment.

So nice and professional.

Sharen B.

1-800 Plumber + Air and Electric has done several jobs for me. They are professional and respectful. Shawn Harvey has been great to work with. Would highly recommend!

Satisfied Customer

Swayze did a wonderful job.

Satisfied Customer

This was THE most painless repair experience! We had a leak in a pipe behind our water heater, spewing water out into space, ugh. Joe and his apprentice, Dan, were here in about an hour or so. They were both so very friendly from the moment they showed up at the front door! After they determined the problem, we discussed the needed repair, and then they began to replace the pipe(s) behind the water heater. This was pretty much an all-day job and I can honestly say it was no problem having them in my home. They were not only professional and courteous employees; they were two very kind individuals, who were also comfortable and friendly around my crazy dogs! I have had nothing but the finest experiences with this company and cannot recommend them highly enough! They are the best!

Barbara H.

Kyle was efficient and professional when handling my faucet water leak. He was an expert problem solver to my numerous problems. Success!

Cheryl S.

Swayze did a wonderful job yesterday, he answered all my questions perfectly, was very respectful and took the time to clean up his mess. I am really impressed and pleased with his work. read less

Satisfied Customer

Emanuel came out to inspect why our commode was not flushing properly. After an inspection he describer the options. Since the commode was over 40 years old we picked the option to replace the commode with a new one. He Asked several questions about what we would like and the showed us two options. We picked the one that we liked and he obtained the commode from the ware house and installed it the same afternoon.. He completed the installation and did a great clean up of the area and answered answered all of our questions. I fully recommend Emanuel and 1-800-Plumber +Air

Steve E.

Thanks for getting here so quickly and finding the issue. Also thanks for suggesting the locking caps - Hopefully this will prevent theft of the freon.

David P.

He was everything you want in a employee!!! He was professional, kind, informative, patient, and very clean.

Ann B.

Had a problem with my drain. Representative came out and knew exactly what was wrong. They fixed it the problem fast and customer service was great! Will definitely use them again!

Adrian B.

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