Water Softener Technical Overview

Water Softener Technical Overview

Water Softeners are used to remove dissolved minerals, mainly Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg), from an incoming water source. These are the minerals that are primarily responsible for the condition that is commonly referred to as “hard water”. A water softener uses an ion exchange process to remove these minerals and the softener system will use a brine (salt) solution to regenerate the ion exchange resin when it becomes saturated.

Hard water is problematic because it will reduce the efficiency of heat exchange systems, such as water heaters and boilers, by creating scale on the heat transfer components of those systems. Hard water will also constrict flow through pipes, cause valves to fail, and damage the finish on plumbing fixtures, such as faucets and sinks.

An important consideration when evaluating Water Softeners is what type of Control Valve to use, Timed or Metered. For all applications Sunaqua’s Metered Valve will be more efficient and cost less to operate.  Our metered valve will regenerate only after 7 days or a specified amount of water has flown through the system depending on the hardness of the water. Using a Timed Valve will usually result in more frequent regeneration cycles, which will consume more salt and more water than the metered alternative.

Water Softeners – DESIGN AND OPERATION

Primary Components of Sunaqua Water Softener:

    1. Autotrol Automatic Digital  Demand Initiated Regeneration Controller
      • The most critical component of a Softener
      • Controls water flow for regeneration cycles
      • Mounts on top of the Resin Tank
      • Metered Regeneration
    2. Resin Tank
      • Tank holds the resin that is used to remove dissolved solids (Ca and Mg) from water
    3. Cation Resin
      • Cation resin in Sodium state
      • Requires regeneration with brine solution periodically to maintain softening capacity
    4. Brine (salt) Tank
      • Brine tank is used to produce solution for regeneration of cation resin
      • Salt inside brine tank is consumable for softener system

 

Operation of Water Softener:

Incoming hard water flows through the Control Valve and into the Resin Tank.  Inside the tank, the Cation Resin absorbs the dissolved Calcium and Magnesium.  This is the process that removes the hardness from the water.  As the dissolved minerals attach to the resin, it will gradually become saturated.  Back-flushing with a brine solution that is produced in the Brine Tank will regenerate the resin to restore the softening capacity of the system.  The entire process is controlled by the Control Valve.

Regeneration Cycles:

      1. Backwash with High Flow from Bottom to Top of Resin Tank
        • Approx 10 minute cycle time
        • Causes dirt to rise and be removed from system
        • Bottom to top flow helps to “fluff” the resin
      2. Brine Rinse with Slow Flow from Top to Bottom of Resin Tank
        • Approx 30 minute cycle time
        • Increased salt level of Brine solution causes release of Ca and Mg that is attached to resin
        • Brine solution with “freed” minerals is sent to drain
      3. Rinse with High Flow from Top to Bottom of Resin Tank
        • Approx 10 minute cycle time
        • Removes any excess Sodium (salt) from the Resin Tank, and “settles” resin bed
      4. Brine Tank Refill with Soft Water
        • Approx 10 minute cycle time
        • Soft water is sent to brine tank to produce brine solution for next regeneration

FYI: Softening adds approximately 80 ppm of sodium to the water during the softening process depending on how hard your water is.