Guest Posting Hard water is water that contains a lot of minerals. Calcium and magnesium are the most common minerals to cause hard water. These mineral water softeners can cause household water pipes to clog and appliances to be less efficient when they are found in the household supply.

You can purchase water test kits from pool supply companies or establishments who sell softener units. The amount of mineral in the water is expressed in terms of grains per gallon, parts per million, and milligrams/liter. Up to 1 GPG of water is soft. Water between 1 and 3.5 GPGs is moderate. And water from 3.5 GPG to 7 GPGs is hard.

Water softener machines are devices that filter the water that enters the home. They remove the minerals calcium and magnesium that can cause hard water. Water that is softer means less soap scum and scale.

A home water softener system is typically made up of two parts: a salt tank and a filter. The systems also have a meter that indicates when sodium is needed to recharge.

The filter replaces calcium and magnesium ions with “softer” ones as the water passes through. Salt softens the water as it passes through. The magnesium or calcium ions remain behind. The brine is used to recharge the softener when it has been depleted. The sodium ions replace the calcium and magnesium ions.