Unlocking the Benefits: How a Water Softener Can Help

If you’ve ever dealt with hard water issues in your home, you may have heard about the magic solution known as a water softener. But what exactly does a water softener do, and why is it essential for households dealing with hard water? In this article, we’ll dive deep into the world of water softeners, exploring their function, benefits, and the difference they can make in your daily life.

Understanding Hard Water and the Effects of Iron and Manganese

Hard water contains high concentrations of minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium ions. These minerals are naturally present in groundwater and can create household problems when they accumulate in your plumbing and appliances.

Hard water-related issues encompass the corrosion and scaling within pipes, pervasive staining in showers, bathtubs, and sinks, and your water heater’s premature wear and tear. Scale build-up inside water heaters can insulate the temperature sensor within the tank, causing them to work harder to reach the desired temperature. Iron and manganese in water can also lead to unsightly rusty or black/brown staining and corrosion within the home.

What Does a Water Softener Do?

A water softener is a household appliance designed to combat the adverse effects of hard water. It operates using an ion exchange process, which involves removing calcium and magnesium ions from the water and replacing them with sodium or potassium ions.

A water softener proves highly efficient in eliminating the presence of hard water minerals, dissolved iron, and manganese in private wells that supply homes throughout Michigan. While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not established specific limits for water hardness, these minerals, namely magnesium and calcium, can significantly compromise the quality of your home’s water. The EPA has set maximum allowable levels for iron and manganese as secondary contaminants at 0.3 and 0.05 parts per million, respectively. Although these concentrations seem minute, their impact can be quite substantial.

When addressing elevated levels of hard water minerals, iron, or manganese in your well water, the recommended solution is water softening.

What Does a Water Softener Remove?

A water softener effectively eliminates dissolved forms of iron, manganese, and hard water minerals. A cartridge filter with an appropriate micron rating becomes necessary to address particulate iron or manganese. Depending on the specific water conditions, this may involve using a series of filters with varying micron ratings to tackle higher levels of these contaminants in the water. A water treatment professional can best determine the suitable micron rating and filter style based on water test results and other relevant indicators.

How Does a Water Softener Work?

  • Ion Exchange: Water enters the water softener tank, flowing through a resin bed made of tiny resin beads. These beads are negatively charged, attracting positively charged calcium and magnesium ions.
  • Removal of Hardness Minerals: As the water passes through the resin bed, the calcium and magnesium ions bind to the resin beads, effectively removing them from the water.
  • Regeneration: Over time, the resin beads become saturated with hard minerals. The water softener flushes a brine solution (a saltwater mixture) through the resin tank to regenerate the resin and continue the softening process. This brine solution displaces the calcium and magnesium ions and recharges the resin beads with sodium or potassium ions.
  • Softened Water: The treated water, now free of calcium and magnesium ions, exits the softener and flows into your home’s plumbing system. This softened water is less likely to cause scale buildup, soap scum, or other hard water-related problems.

The Benefits of Using a Water Softener

There are many benefits to using a water softener, the primary being scale prevention. A softener prevents the accumulation of scale deposits in your pipes, appliances, and fixtures, which can extend the life of your plumbing system and appliances. With reduced scale buildup, your water heater and other devices will use less energy, potentially saving costs. Softened water is also gentler on your skin and hair, leaving you feeling cleaner and reducing dryness and irritation. It allows soap to lather more efficiently, reducing the amount of soap and detergent needed for cleaning and laundry.

A water softener is a valuable addition to any home or office facing challenging water issues. It’s a simple yet effective solution that can make a noticeable difference in the quality of your water. Consider installing a water softener or conditioning system to enjoy the many benefits of clean, softened water.

Contact Reynolds Water Conditioning today to discuss water solutions for your home or office!

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Reynolds Water Conditioning was established in 1931 and is Michigan’s oldest water conditioning treatment company. Still owned and operated by the Reynolds family, we take pride in providing the highest quality products at a cost-effective price. If your tap water lacks the quality you deserve, contact us today at 800-572-9575.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: www.cpsmi.com

Water Softener Basics

A water softener is an appliance specifically made for ridding calcium and magnesium from water. All water is not the same, and it’s dubbed as “hard” when it has high amounts of magnesium and calcium.  Conversely, “soft” water does not have these minerals, or they are barely detectable.

Lakes and streams naturally have soft water. Underground water is usually hard in regions with high amounts of chalk, gypsum, and limestone. Water softeners remove these mineral components absorbed from the earth, making your water soft. 

Some water softeners work through either an ion exchange or salt-free devices. An ion exchange is the most common type of water softener, using sodium to replace calcium and magnesium metal ions. A large tank is filled with salt pellets, and as the water fills the tank, the sodium ions react with the calcium and magnesium, making it soft.

Salt-free devices use a mechanical filter to eliminate calcium but do not work with magnesium. These devices let water pass through a semipermeable membrane which rids it of roughly 98% of contaminants.  

Some benefits of water softeners include:

– Removing orange or yellow stains on sinks, shower walls, toilets, etc.

– Improving the mineral balance of the water

– Purifying toxins

– Reducing appliance repairs and unnecessary replacements

– Making general cleaning easier  

– Transforming unpotable water into potable water

– Eliminating scale build-up

– Minimizing eczema

Overall, water softeners can be a beneficial addition to your home. By purifying your water, you can effortlessly remove minerals that can negatively impact your home, body, and overall health.

Are you looking for a water purifier or need assistance choosing the best option? Contact the water conditioning experts at Reynolds Water today.

Reynolds Water Conditioning was established in 1931 and is Michigan’s oldest water conditioning treatment company. Still owned and operated by the Reynolds family, we take pride in providing the highest quality products at a cost-effective price. If your tap water lacks the quality you deserve, contact us today at 800-572-9575.

Written by the digital marketing team at Creative Programs & Systems: https://www.cpsmi.com/ 

Types of Salt for Your Water Softener

As being a home owner, certain appliances will need to be maintained in order to keep your house running efficiently including your water softener. Regularly, the salt supply will need to be replenished in order to keep hard water from coming into your water system. While out shopping, you may find yourself questioning what the best choice for salt is exactly to purchase since there is a variety of choices to choose from. In todays article we will discuss the difference between the salt options and help you decide which choice is best for your softener and home.

Sodium Chloride Options

Water softeners or conditioners can be used with either sodium chloride (most commonly called salt) or potassium chloride. When at your local grocery store or home improvement store one thing to keep in mind when looking at the bags for purchase, its important to notice the purity levels. Many of the bags sold in these places will contain high level of water insoluble material. This impurity over time can cause buildup in the water reservoir or cause the water softener to not function properly. If you notice this buildup occurring, the brine tank will need to be cleaned more often to avoid this from happening in future. A closer look at sodium chloride and you will see there are 3 different forms to choose from: pellets, crystal, or block salt. Salt pellets are the most common and typically are the less costly than potassium pellets. Like many things found in the consumer world, spending a little more money upfront for higher quality products is well worth the expense since this typically will mean less maintenance and fewer cleanings needed to keep your softener functioning efficiently.

Potassium Chloride as Alternative

If sodium chloride doesn’t seem to be the right fit for your homes needs, the alternative option can be potassium chloride for your brine tank. Potassium chloride is 99.9% sodium free, so this option is great for individuals who are looking to decrease their sodium intakes. The largest disadvantage with this type is the price tag attached is much higher in comparison to sodium chloride. It can also be less readily available when searching at your local stores and your options are smaller. Switching your home form sodium to potassium may require an increase of salt dosage on the program settings value by an extra 10% to guarantee proper regeneration. If needing assistance with this, Reynolds Water Conditioning technicians can assist with this.

Salt Maintenance Tips

Checking your salt level inside your brine tank monthly is recommended. If your system regenerates more frequently, more checks and salt refills will need to be done more often as well. The salt in the brine tank should be at least 3 to 4 inches above the water level, but less than 4 inches below the top of the brine tank for best efficiency. If regular checks on the salt levels are performed you will begin to have non conditioned water through the household and will notice hard water by orange appearance, smells and taste different from before. Be sure to loosen any hardened salt around the edges of the tank or any large solid masses also known as salt bridges before adding additional salt each time.

The experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning have a solution to your homes unique water quality needs including: arsenic, bacteria, chlorine, rotten egg smell, fluoride, hard water, iron, lead, acid, tannins, radon, and more.  More information on our water treatment solutions including water softeners and conditionerswater filtration and purificationreverse osmosis drinking water, and iron & odor removal can be found online at https://reynoldswater.com.

Basic Water Softener Maintenance

Maintenance and service on water softeners is pretty basic when it comes to the world of appliance upkeep.  The exception to this, however, is the initial installation of the water softener.  Determining the water hardness level, regeneration timing parameters, salt to use, and when to refill the salt so the softener can perform properly can be a bit tricky.  Proper water softener set up can make long term maintenance easier and the softener perform more efficiently and last longer.  

Ongoing Maintenance – Tips for Residential Water Softeners

Avoid Salt Bridges

Salt bridges occur when an empty space is created in the brine tank between the water and the salt.  This prevents the salt from dissolving in the water which is how brine is made.  Without brine the resin beads that soften the water are unable to do their job. 

The most common cause of bridges are high humidity, temperature changes, or using the wrong type of salt.  Salt bridges make it appear that the salt in your water softener tank is full.  Your water, however, will be hard because the salt is not dissolving to make brine.  To remove a salt bridge, use a long handle and slowly push the top of the salt downward.  A little bit of pressure is all that is needed to break up the solidified salt.

Prevent Salt Mushing

Salt mushing is more serious than salt bridges.  This occurs when the salt dissolves and then recrystallizes to form a sludge on the bottom or the brine tank.  This thick layer of sludge keeps the softener from cycling properly during the regeneration process.  Hard water remains and a serious blockage is created in the tank.  If you attempt to remove a salt bridge and it does not break up, salt mushing is probably the cause of your hard water problem. The only way to fix the issue of salt mushing is to drain the softener of all water, remove the old salt and sludge, and replace it with fresh salt. 

To prevent both salt bridges and salt mushing it is important to use high quality salt products as they greatly reduce the potential for problems.  Also, it is important not to overfill the brine tank with salt.  Keeping it only half-fill will prevent older salt from sticking to the walls of the softener tanks.  Preventing humidity around the water softener can also help. An environment with high humidity can lead to condensation in the brine tank which will cause salt to bond together.

Water Softener Salt

In choosing salt to use in your water softener you will be able to choose from rock, solar, and evaporated salt.  Rock salt is the cheapest however contains the highest level of insoluble minerals.  When this occurs, the result is a muddy tank which decreases the softening efficiency and leaves impurities in your water.  Solar salt is more soluble than rock salt.  Solar salt is obtained through the evaporation of sea water and is found in crystal and pellet form.  The best option for salt to use in your softener is evaporated salt.  This is obtained through the combination of evaporation and mining.  Solar salt is 99.99% sodium chloride and is the purest form of salt.

Salt with high levels of purity leave less residue thus lower the likelihood of salt bridging and mushing.  Purer salt results in less maintenance and high-quality salt in pellet form helps to eliminate bridging issues. Water softener salt delivery allows you to order top quality salt brand products that address specific issues such as high concentrations of iron, rust stains, and salt free alternatives like potassium chloride. 

Resin Bed Cleaning

Resin beads are routinely recharged by salt, but this doesn’t mean that the resin bed shouldn’t be flushed every few months with a cleaner designed for water softeners every few months to keep it in top shape.  Water softening units can become polluted with iron, silt, metals, and a variety of different organic compounds which decrease your softeners efficiency.  The process to reduce the ineffective resin is fairly simple.  You will pour the manufacturers recommended amount of cleaner down the brine well and manually regenerate the water softener.  The cleaner will be discharged during the normal flushing process during the softening cycle.  This action cleans the resin and helps the absorbency of calcium and magnesium.

Clean the Venturi Valve

The venturi and nozzle work to create suction that moves brine from the brine tank into the resin tank during regeneration.  Sometimes this valve can become plugged up with sand, sediment, or dirt.  A clean valve is imperative for water softening to occur properly.  This can be accomplished by unscrewing the cover of the valve, removing internal parts, and cleaning them all with soap and water.  Completing this process twice a year will help keep the process running smoothly and more efficiently. 

Periodic maintenance, regular upkeep, and monthly checkups all prevent major incidents from compiling and affecting the quality of the water running through your home.  Hard water leads to major expenses, like new appliances, plumbing issues, and more, when left untreated. 

The experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning have a solution to your homes unique water quality needs including: arsenic, bacteria, chlorine, rotten egg smell, fluoride, hard water, iron, lead, acid, tannins, radon, and more.  More information on our water treatment solutions including water softeners and conditionerswater filtration and purificationreverse osmosis drinking water, and iron & odor removal can be found online at https://reynoldswater.com.



What Do I Need to Know Before Purchasing a Water Softener?

There are several different options when it comes to treating the water in your home.  The decision on whether you choose to install a water softener, water conditioner, reverse osmosis system, water purification, or water filtration system all comes down to the quality of the water from your tap.  Depending on the minerals and contaminants that are in your water the treatment option chosen for installation will vary.  Below are the most commonly asked questions surrounding water softeners and water treatment options.

What is hard water by definition?

All water naturally contains minerals such as calcium and magnesium that dissolve in it.  Water that contains more than one grain of a combination of minerals is considered to be hard.  To determine what level of minerals can be found in your homes water bring a sample from each faucet into Reynolds Water Conditioning Co

What should concern me about having hard water?

One of the biggest concerns when it comes to having hard water is the scaling that occurs in pipes and fixtures.  Scaling occurs when water is heated and minerals re-crystalizing.  These scales then get into appliances that use water such as the washer, water heater, and dishwasher decreasing its lifespan.

Another issue made worse because of hard water is soap scum in showers, on your hair, skin, and even clothing.  Soap combined with hard water forms a scummy substance that accumulates.  Even after rinsing thoroughly soap scum deposits are still present.

Why do I need to soften the water in my home?

When your home has hard water, the installation of a water softener can often help.  Soft water is beneficial for a variety of reasons.  Not only does it prevent scaling, but it also allows you to use less detergent, reduces spotting on fixtures and dishes, helps to increase the longevity of appliances, and more.

Are there reasons I should not use a water softener?

If you are on a low sodium diet, you will want to consider a water softener alternative. Water softeners use a process of ionization using salt to soften hard water. Salt ions attract hard water minerals and deposit them on the water softener resin (simply put of course). Basically, the salt ions and mineral ions trade places with one another which is why the soft water contains extra salt. 

Do I need to soften water outdoors or on my ice maker?

Yes, the water in your ice maker should be softened prior to making ice.  Softened water does not leave scale deposits which water that has not been softened does. 

Irrigation systems are a personal choice.  If water is left untreated there is a high potential for outdoor staining to occur.  Hard water deposits minerals such as iron on to landscaping, siding, and outdoor furniture which overtime discolors the materials. 

The experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning have a solution to your homes unique water quality needs including: arsenic, bacteria, chlorine, rotten egg smell, fluoride, hard water, iron, lead, acid, tannins, radon, and more.  More information on our water treatment solutions including water softeners and conditionerswater filtration and purificationreverse osmosis drinking water, and iron & odor removal can be found online at https://reynoldswater.com.



Steps Involved In Cleaning Your Water Softeners Brine Tank


Part of owning a water softener is maintaining it.  One aspect of water softener maintenance involves cleaning the tank which holds the brine.  Cleaning a water softener tank should be done every five to ten years.  It is time to clean the tank when your water turns hard and the basic tank maintenance doesn’t fix the issue. Older water softening units can benefit from annual cleanings especially electric water softeners. 

The first step in cleaning the water softener tank involves emptying the tank.  This is done by locating the bypass valve and shutting off the water intake.  Water can be siphoned out of the tank.  After this process is completed you will want to remove the leftover salt and safely throw it away.  Water softener salt must be disposed of away from plants.  Water softener salt will kill plants and other landscaping plants and shrubs. Another way to get rid of large blocks of salt or bridges is to dissolve it in hot water. 

Once the water and salt have been removed from the tank homeowners should remove the brine grid that sits at the base of the tank.  Some water softening units have a mesh platform instead.  Set this grid to the side before cleaning the tank.

Once the water softener tank is empty and the brine grid or mesh has been removed it is time to clean the tank with a good amount of soap and water.  This mixture should be scrubbed all around the interior of the tank with a long-handled scrub brush.  After the tanks has been thoroughly cleansed the soapy water can be dumped out and rinsed with clean water.

After this has been done the homeowner should clean the tank with a combination of bleach and water. Stir the bleach/water combination in the tank and let it sit for fifteen minutes to completely disinfect the tank.  Organisms have a difficult time to grow in the concentrated brine however the bleach and water mixture makes sure.

Once this process has been completed and the bleach/water combination has been rinsed out it is time to replenish the tank with water and salt.  First replace the grid into the bottom of the tank.  Add water softener salt and water back into the tank when it is back in place.  Give the tank a couple of hours before you regenerate the water softener as this time is needed in order to dissolve the salt within the tank. 

The experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning have a solution to your homes unique water quality needs including: arsenic, bacteria, chlorine, rotten egg smell, fluoride, hard water, iron, lead, acid, tannins, radon, and more.  More information on our water treatment solutions including water softeners and conditioners, water filtration and purification, reverse osmosis drinking water, and iron & odor removal can be found online at https://reynoldswater.com.



Improving Water Quality Through Filtration


Take a minute to look inside the tank of your toilet, what do you see?  Do you see a collection of rust, sediment, and/or sand? That same collection of debris is accumulating inside your plumbing and water heater.  It is pretty standard to assume that when any mechanical system in your home becomes saturated with gunk build up the quality of the system and the products of the system are compromised.  The goal for homeowners is to avoid situations where this occurs.  One way this happens is with the installation of a whole house water filter.

When a whole house water filter is installed it can act as a barrier that quietly protects your home.  A filter will prevent crud from settling into the systems throughout your home such as the toilet, water softener, and hot water tanks. 

Benefits of Installing a Water Filter System for Your Home

Layered Protection

With the installation of a whole house water filter system you are layering the protection to your appliances.  You are preventing the sediment from reaching your appliances, plumbing, water softeners, toilets, and such.  Many appliances have small plastic and rubber pieces that are used in the use of different household appliances.  Small amounts of debris will damage seals in appliances over time.  When a seal becomes damaged it will leak and as we all know this ends up costing us time and money.  A filter removes the gunk such as sediments, debris, dirt, and gunk in general.  For homeowners there is an increase in appliance longevity and a piece of mind that your equipment will be reliable for longer. 

Eliminate Unexpected Water Surprises

Both city and well water sources can become compromised from unexpected elements in the system.  When this occurs homeowners can receive quite the surprise at the tap. 

City Water Issues

  • Water Main Break
  • Hydrant Flush
  • New Construction and New Water Connections

All of these events will knock iron and sediment buildup into the water supply.  This in turn creates sludge, orange water, and dirt from coming into your home.

Well water quality is affected by outside sources as well.  The quality of the water can change from season to season. 

A whole house water filter helps to remove the iron that exists in some water sources.  When a water filter is installed the iron in the water is filtered out.  This helps to prevent the staining that occurs on laundry, appliances, faucets, and more.

Filter Operation and Maintenance

Filtration systems function without electricity, without salt, and without waste.  There are no controllers to worry about, batteries to change, or clocks to reset.  In fact, whole house water filtration systems are simple to install and can be added to any water treatment system.  In order to properly maintain a filtration system for your home you will be required to change the filter periodically.  The number of times a filter needs to be changed depends on the quality of the filter, use, and the filters rating.

When choosing a filter consider the following: the physical size of the filter, the Micron rating, flow rate, and filter life.  Larger filters naturally have more surface area which often means that they last longer, increase the quality of the water and water pressure. Larger filtration systems are needed in homes with more than two family members.

The experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning have a solution to your homes unique water quality needs including: arsenic, bacteria, chlorine, rotten egg smell, fluoride, hard water, iron, lead, acid, tannins, radon, and more.  More information on our water treatment solutions including water softeners and conditioners, water filtration and purification, reverse osmosis drinking water, and iron & odor removal can be found online at https://reynoldswater.com.



Preserving Your Water Softener Brine Tank


Hard water is known to contain higher than normal levels of calcium and magnesium.  This causes issues with lime scale build up that interferes with household and daily functions.  Issues range from clogged plumbing to soap’s ability to clean properly.  For most homeowners the installation of a water softener system is vital in bringing higher quality water to the household.  Most water softening units will continue to function for years with little maintenance.  Regular check ups and cleaning does help to improve their lifespan.

One important aspect in maintaining your water softening equipment is caring for the systems brine tank.  In order to properly maintain the tank, the salt levels should be checked and if low replaced on a monthly basis. Salt is essential in the ion exchange process that takes place in water softeners.  As the system regenerates the hard water will flow through resin in the softener and the hard ions trade place with the soft ions on the resin beads.  This creates soft water.

Your specific softener should come with a manual that instructs you on the perfect level for the salt in your brine tank.  Generally, the tank should be kept half way full and three inches above the water level.  High levels of salt can improve the overall efficiency however should be reduced is the salt sticks to the sides of the unit.  If salt is allowed to build up in the brine tank users should carefully separate the salt to avoid thick bridges from forming. 

It is also important that you put the proper water softener salt into the brine tank.  The manual should explain if your system best operates using granular, tablet, or block salt.  Granular is the most common as it easily dissolves.  On top of different types of salt there are grade variances as well.

  • Water Softener Rock Salt: This is a cheaper source of softener salt and therefore contains more impurities.  These impurities often decrease the efficiency of the softener, dirties the tank, and requires more regular cleaning and maintenance than other salt grades.
  • Water Softener Solar Salt: This option is purer than rock salt.  For most water softeners this salt option is chosen by homeowners
  • Water Softener Evaporated Salt: This option is the highest quality grade of water softener salt that can be purchased.  It is also the most expensive.

If a salt bridge occurs, it is important that it is broken up and not allowed to “build up”.  A solid layer of brine known as a bridge occurs when the salt in the brine tank binds together preventing loose salt on top from mixing with the water below the bridge. This of course prevents the softener from properly functioning.  These bridges can be broken up using a large broom handle and tapping it around the tank several times. If the layers are not easily broken with a long handle a homeowner can pour hot water over the bridge.  If bridges become a common issue in your water treatment system you can try using less softener salt which would allow the salt to drop between refills.  Cleaning out the brine tank also helps.

Another common issue with salt inside of brine tanks is that the salt can become a mushy pile at the base of the tank.  This causes the water to rise around the salt instead of mixing in with it.  A large broom handle can be used to break up the mush mound.  Mush should be scooped out, dissolved in a bucket of hot water, and then poured back into the water softener tank. 

The experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning have a solution to your homes unique water quality needs including: arsenic, bacteria, chlorine, rotten egg smell, fluoride, hard water, iron, lead, acid, tannins, radon, and more.  More information on our water treatment solutions including water softeners and conditioners, water filtration and purification, reverse osmosis drinking water, and iron & odor removal can be found online at https://reynoldswater.com.



Ways To Improve Your Homes Water Quality


Homeowners that are looking to improve the quality of the water in their homes are often confused between the available water treatment options.  There is a big difference in how you treat your homes water based on the issues it has.  Your water may contain containments, be high in harmful minerals, or may just smell and taste off; depending on the exact issue you can determine what type of water treatment system will bring the highest quality water to your family.

A Look into Water Softeners and Reverse Osmosis Water Systems

Reverse osmosis is described simply as a system that provides filtration.  RO water filtration units are extremely popular amongst homeowners as they provide a point of use system that brings better tasting, healthier water.  RO systems are especially popular amongst homeowners with wells.  A reverse osmosis water treatment system removes the contaminants and dissolved minerals in your water by forcing them through a filter.  Benefits of including either a point of use RO or whole home RO include:

  • Flavorless Water: A RO system will remove the funny taste in your homes water by eliminating the source of the taste within the water.
  • Doesn’t Use Chemicals: Reverse osmosis water treatment systems are environmentally friendly as they do not use chemicals to filter water.
  • Soft Water: Minerals cause hard water; reverse osmosis systems filter and remove the minerals in the water that cause hard water.  Whole house reverse osmosis systems can eliminate corrosion in pipes.
  • Odor and Color Removal: Occasionally contaminants and dissolved minerals in the water will cause a strange smell and odor.  RO systems work to filter these pollutants and minerals giving you a higher quality water supply.

The quality of your homes well water is often improved with the installation of a RO filtration systems.  Whether you install a whole house or point of use reverse osmosis unit your homes water will taste and smell better. 

Water softeners are often described as water conditioners.  Unlike a RO in which a filter physically removes contaminants and dissolved minerals from the homes water, a water softener processes water through an ionization process that replaces magnesium and calcium ions with sodium ions. 

Hard water is known to contain increased levels of dissolved minerals such as magnesium and calcium.  The water softening unit softens the water by exchanging these minerals with sodium, a less destructive mineral.  Hard water can cause a great deal of problems in the home and water softeners help to mitigate them.  If you notice plumbing corrosion because of hard water a water softening unit can help.  It is important to note however that a water softener is not a filtration system and does not remove other contaminants.  Benefits of water softened using a water softener include:

  • Natural Tasting Water
  • Stain Free, Brighter Laundry
  • Spot Free Cleaner Dishes
  • Longer Lasting Appliances
  • Fewer Clogged Pipes

The experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning have a solution to your homes unique water quality needs including: arsenic, bacteria, chlorine, rotten egg smell, fluoride, hard water, iron, lead, acid, tannins, radon, and more.  More information on our water treatment solutions including water softeners and conditioners, water filtration and purification, reverse osmosis drinking water, and iron & odor removal can be found online at https://reynoldswater.com.



Hard Water Myths Dybunked


There are many myths surrounding hard water.  Although hard water is often not detrimental to your health it can be a considerable nuisance.  Below we will look further into the most common hard water myths and debunk them.

Myth #1: Hard water is responsible for clogging ALL types of plumbing materials

Truth: Hard water contains minerals including calcium and magnesium both of which are known to stick to the interior of galvanized steel pipes which leads to build-up and in turn clogs pipes.  Galvanized steel plumbing is commonly found in homes that were built between 1940 into the late 1970’s. 

Homes built after the late 1970’s or homes that have had their plumbing replaced most often use pipes that are made from copper.  Copper plumbing does not allow for calcium or magnesium build up to form.  Thus, not ALL types of plumbing materials are responsible for hard water clogs.

Myth #2: Hard water minerals are contaminants

Truth: Hard water does contain a number of minerals however, minerals are not contaminants, minerals are nutrients.  Drinking water that is rich in essential minerals like calcium and magnesium is healthy for individuals.  Mineral rich drinking water helps protect the health of individuals and can lead to lower risks of heart disease and stroke. 

Myth #3: Water softeners produced filtered water

Truth: Water softeners do not in fact filter water at all.  Softeners use a process of ion exchange which is used to exchange minerals in the water for sodium.  Water softener units take “tainted” tap water and create water that can be used for drinking, cooking, showering, laundry, dish washing, and more.  The water processed through a water softener is NOT filtered and can often have a salty taste depending on a number of different variants.  To remove the saltiness from water that has gone through a water softener a point of use filter can be installed to faucets.  Most individuals are not bothered by the taste of drinking water that comes from a softening unit however a filtration system does remove the sodium in water if a homeowner is bothered by the taste.

Myth #4: Hard water works well for bathing, cleaning, and laundry

Truth:  Hard water often leaves behind a residue that contains minerals which are not the best for bathing, cleaning, or laundry.  Water that goes through a water softener is known as soft water.  Soft water is ideal for bathing, hard water is known to create dry hair and skin because of mineral deposits that it leaves.  In laundry and household cleaning hard water is known to leave stains and create a filmy residue that is not found in water that has gone through the rejuvenation process that takes place within water softening units.

The experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning have a solution to your homes unique water quality needs including: arsenic, bacteria, chlorine, rotten egg smell, fluoride, hard water, iron, lead, acid, tannins, radon, and more.  More information on our water treatment solutions including water softeners and conditioners, water filtration and purification, reverse osmosis drinking water, and iron & odor removal can be found online at https://reynoldswater.com.