A water softener has four major components:
- Valve - Determines when unit regenerates
- Resin - Removes the hardness out of the water
- Pressure Tank - Tank that holds the resin
- Brine Tank - Plastic tank that holds the salt
Valve
The valve is the heart of the water softener. Meadowbrook uses quality Fleck valves.
Types of valves:
- Nonmeter (timer)
- Meter
Nonmeter (timer)
A water softener with a nonmeter valve will regenerate after a fixed period of time, regardless of how much water is used.
Meter
A water softener with a meter valve will regenerate based on how much water is used.
The valve is preset via a calculation based on # of people in household and hardness of water.
Both valves are programmed to regenerate at a specific time of day – usually 2 am when the demand for soft water is low.
The meter unit is most popular due to salt and water savings and flexibility (does not regenerate when out of town or regenerates more often when have additional usage).
The nonmeter unit is mainly used when iron is present in the water supply which requires more frequent regenerations.
Resin
The resin is responsible for removing the hardness out of the water through the process of ion exchange. Resin is in the form of tiny beads that have a special chemical property. Once the resin has reached its maximum for removing hard water, the exhausted resin is regenerated.
Pressure Tank
The pressure tank holds the resin. The size of the pressure tank depends on the capacity of the unit.
The capacity required is based on two variables:
1) daily water usage and 2) hardness of the water
| 18,000 |
8 x 35 |
0.6 |
| 25,000 |
8 x 44 |
0.8 |
| 32,000 |
9 x 48 |
1.0 |
| 45,000 |
10 x 54 |
1.5 |
Brine Tank
The brine tank is a plastic tank that holds the salt used in refreshing the system’s resin. Types of brine tank systems:
- Two tank system
- One tank system (cabinet)
Two Tank System
A water softener with a two tank system has a brine tank that is separate from the pressure tank.
One Tank System (Cabinet)
A water softener with a one tank system is referred to as a cabinet unit and the pressure tank is inside the cabinet.
The two tank system is most popular and recommended by Meadowbrook Water. The salt is away from the valve and brine tank is easier to clean.
The one tank system uses less space and some prefer its appearance.