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Water Softener For Aquarium

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Water Softener For Aquarium

To maintain peak performance, water softeners require regular regeneration. Essentially, this is the process that ‘cleans’ the resin bed. Over time, the resin bed becomes coated with grains of calcium and magnesium and will be unable to bind more particles. The system will typically monitor how much water has been processed and regenerate as needed. 

Regeneration involves a backwash. An attached salt tank supplies the sodium necessary for the brine bath that washes the resin bed. The ions in the sodium of the brine will bind the calcium and magnesium particles and carry them away with a single or double backwash. 

If your system is failing to perform and you notice hard water flowing from your pipes, you will want to check and see if a salt bridge has formed. This is essentially a layer of crusted salt that prevents the salt from reaching the brine tank and removing hard minerals from the water. Turn off your water supply or engage the bypass valve to divert water from your softener system. Break up the solidified salt using a broom handle or other tool, scoop out the salt that is now floating in the tank, and then vacuum the water in the tank using a wet vac.

The lifespan of a water softener is dependent on the longevity of the resin bed. In a conventional salt-based water softener, the resin bed usually lasts for 10 to 20 years. How long your water softener lasts will largely depend on water hardness and usage. Very hard water and frequent regeneration may shorten the lifespan of the treated resin inside your water softener.

This article was researched by a professional writer that specializes in large and small appliances for the home. She has written more than 200 articles for The Spruce, including articles on water testing kits, water heaters, and filtration systems. 

Very hard water can tax standard duty water softeners, leading to frequent regeneration cycles, increased salt consumption, and shorter media life. Households that have very hard water may benefit from a heavy-duty water softener, which has a higher maximum grain capacity than typical water softeners.  

This heavy-duty water softener from Pelican Water is rated to capture 80,000 grains and process 4,000 gallons of water before regeneration is necessary. Maximum hardness removal is 75 grains per gallon, which is not as high as some other water softeners but is much higher than average water hardness levels in most areas. Regeneration cycles take 105 minutes and use 100 gallons of water, but the system includes a controller for a metered backwash function to reduce the use of unnecessary water. 

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