Hard water contains excessive calcium and magnesium, a water softener in Jacksonville FL removes these unwanted minerals through a process called “ion exchange.” Although hard water has certain benefits, overly hard water can make common household cleaning chores difficult as it leaves spots on freshly washed dishes and scum on bathroom and kitchen sinks and fixtures.
Hard water originates in the aquifer because minerals such as calcium and magnesium dissolve into the water from the rock which surrounds it. It is these minerals that cause the characteristics of what is known as hard.
A high quality water softener is an effective appliance that uses salt to treat the hard water. The minerals found in hard water; calcium, magnesium, iron and manganese are found in the underground aquifer, as the water leaches through the rock these chemicals are dissolved into the water. When the water is used in the home these minerals crystallize, sticking to all the surfaces. Sodium chloride, otherwise known as simple salt is what replaces these minerals.
A water softener in Jacksonville FL is stocked with salt. The hard water enters the water softener and travels over a bed of resin, it is the resin that performs the ion exchange by chemically attracting the minerals which are unwanted and exchanging them for sodium ions. Eventually the resin bed becomes flooded with the unwanted minerals, when this happens the water softener automatically flushes them from the system using brine. Once the minerals have been flushed the process simply repeats itself. The only thing the homeowner has to do is once in a while add salt to the system, the water softener does everything else with no need for further intervention.
The easy way to determine if the water in your home is hard is to bathe. Soap will not lather well if the water is hard and once you have finished bathing there will be a ring of soap scum that tends to be difficult to remove. Although this is called soap scum it is actually mineral deposits that are left behind by the hard water. It is this mineral buildup that shows in the dishwasher, coffee pot and even on clothing.
It is more than just soap scum that causes the homeowner to install a water softener in Jacksonville FL. The minerals also build up inside pipes and water heaters. Eventually the build-up interferes with the proper function of the plumbing; water pressure drops and the build-up can actually result in pipes which are totally blocked.
