A water softener is a device that is used to remove excess minerals, particularly calcium and magnesium, from hard water. Hard water can cause a variety of problems such as buildup of limescale in pipes and appliances, and can leave stains on fixtures and clothing. Water softeners work by passing hard water through a resin bed filled with small beads that have a negative charge. The positively charged calcium and magnesium ions in the water are attracted to the beads and exchange places with sodium ions, which are much smaller and do not cause the same scaling issues. The water that exits the softener is referred to as “softened” and will have reduced mineral content.

Hard water contains high levels of minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium, which can cause various problems like soap scum on dishes and lime buildup on bathroom fixtures. It can also lead to mineral buildup in pipes, appliances, and water heaters, reducing water flow and efficiency. Hard water can cause laundry to become stiff and dull, and can lead to dry, itchy skin and lifeless hair.

A water softener uses a medium that exchanges ions of calcium and magnesium with sodium or potassium. It goes through four steps: ion replacement, regeneration, backwash, and rinsing. The resin beads are covered with sodium or potassium ions and as the water flows, ions swap places. Once the beads are full of calcium and magnesium, the regeneration process starts. The beads are flooded with a brine solution to regain sodium or potassium ions, and the calcium and magnesium, dirt and sediments are flushed out in a process called backwash. The final phase is the rinsing of the mineral tank with fresh water. Automatic water softeners are usually programmed to recharge at specific times and metered models only regenerate when required. It is more water-efficient to have a metered model that will regenerate only when required.

Water filters are known to remove chemicals and contaminants from water. Water softeners, as their name implies, are supposed to remove minerals from the water that cause hardness and scale such as calcium and magnesium.

Grain Capacity is the maximum number of water hardness grains per gallon that the unit can remove before it automatically regenerates. For example: if your family uses 400 gallons of water per day and you have 10 grain per gallon hard water, you would need 4,000 grains of water softener capacity per day (400 gallons x 10 grain hard water).

All water softeners are designed to use salt to regenerate the system. For proper operation of a water softener, the brine tank should be at least 1/3 full of salt at all times.

Salt used in water softeners may contain insoluble particles that accumulate at the bottom of the brine tank, making periodic cleaning necessary. To maintain optimal performance, we recommend using Windsor Clean & Protect Water Softener Salt Pellets. Avoid rock salt, as it can introduce dirt and other impurities that may affect your system.

It’s also important to monitor for salt bridging, a condition where salt forms a hard crust above the water level, preventing proper brine formation. This issue is often caused by high humidity or certain salt types and should be addressed promptly to ensure efficient operation.

Your unit is equipped with a battery backup system. In the event of a power outage, the control valve will remember all settings and time of day. For an outage over long hours, the only item that needs to be reset is the time of day, which will flash when a reset is required. All other settings are permanently stored in the nonvolatile memory.

An Alka Water Softener uses about the same amount of electricity as a standard alarm clock. 

An Alka Water Softener uses about the same amount of water as doing 1 load of laundry.

It is normal to have 5 to 10 inches of water at the bottom of the salt storage tank.

Demand Regeneration monitors your water usage and only regenerates as needed. While if you have visitors over and use more water than usual, it will regenerate more often. All our Water Softeners have Demand Regeneration to maximize water efficiency.

If you get your water from the city or municipality, they can provide your water hardness level and this information can be found online as it is all public information. If you get your water from a private well, you will need to get your well tested for hardness and iron levels/types.

The ideal location for your Alka Water Softener should be near the incoming water line, with a standard electrical outlet and drain nearby. The water softener will need a clean, level spot to sit. If the floor is uneven, it can be levelled with a piece of plywood and shims underneath the plywood to level the surface. We recommend plumbing the water softener such that all the hot and cold water in the home is softened. Water to the outside spigots can be left unsoftened.