How does water softener work? The way how water softeners work is very simple and easy and it involves some steps of turning the hard water soft.  There are a number of issues that people have to face with the use of hard water. For household use it poses problem of clogging up shower heads and drains as well as it is hard to wash clothes with such water as the clothes turn very stiff. Moreover, the bathroom tiles stain. For industrial use as well, hard water poses some problem such as breaking down boiler and other equipments by clogging them.

How water softeners work? They remove the calcium and magnesium salt which are responsible for causing the temporary hardness. The water softener system, which is used, utilizes the different steps to turn the hard water soft:

1. Ion Exchange: This is most common processes by means of which the hardness is removed. Potassium and sodium salts are used. When the hard water passes, the ions which are responsible for hardness is absorbed in the resin bed. Instead the sodium and the potassium salts are released. Thus water turns soft.

2. Service Cycle: This is the most commonly used system. A valve is present at the top of the system through which water passes and enters a tank containing resin bed. The elements, which are responsible for the hardness are collected within the bed and exchanged with other ions that improve the softness. The soft water then passes through another valve.

3. Backwash Cycle: This is another of the procedure which is used and part of how water softeners work.  There is a riser tube through which the water flows and is collected. During the time when it passes through the system, the water mixes with the resin and thus contaminants as well as the turbidity is removed before the soft and filtered water is drained out.

4. Brine Draw Cycle: This process usually forms the second step in the regeneration cycle. Brine flows through the resin where the hard elements are collected. While the sodium part is left in the tank, the hard part is collected in the brine and processed.

5. Fast Rinse Cycle: This is part of the how water softeners work too. Continuous flow of water is maintained through educator. Brine as well as the hard elements of the tank is also removed.

7. Refill Cycle: This is the last step of how water softeners work process. For every gallon of water about 3 pounds of salt is used. When the tank is filled with water an air-check ball floats, which determines the level and this is the time when the fast rinse is carried out. When tank is refilled the service cycle begins.