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What does a water softener do to the water?
First, you have to distinguish between conventional water softeners that use the big bags of salt (sodium chloride or potassium) and the newer saltless varieties. Conventiona…l softeners filter water over resin beads packed with sodium. The sodium ions take the place of hard water ions in your water (calcium, magnesium, and other minerals). These minerals aren't in rain water, but they dissolve in water as it passes through the ground and eventually makes its way into your home. Since you've exchanged these hard water ions with sodium, your water naturally tastes a little salty after installing a water softener. And of course, you have to recharge those sodium beads every so often - which is why you have to keep feeding salt to the water softener. That is, unless you have a saltless water softener (you'll also see the terms no-salt and salt-free water softener thrown around). These devices claim to work through a variety of means, but the thing they have in common is that they don't remove hard water minerals. Instead, they treat the water so that it no longer forms scale on pipes and appliances. Some of the ways they do this include bombarding the water with electronic pulses, and running it through various filter media. Whether saltless water softeners actually work - or at least work as well as conventional, salt using water softeners - is a matter of debate. (MORE)
