Revised August 2011

Agdex 716(D32)

Water Softening
H ard water is very common in many areas of Alberta.
Hard water causes scale to form in pipes, plumbing
fixtures and kitchen appliances. Soap reacts with hard
Operation
Water softeners operate on the principle of ion exchange.
water to form a curd, and hard water can also cause skin A synthetic resin (zeolite) bed is charged with sodium ions
flaking and irritation. More soap or detergent is needed by regeneration with salt (sodium chloride). Hard water,
when washing or laundering with hard water. containing calcium and magnesium ions, flows through the
resin.
Hardness is primarily caused by the dissolved chemical
compounds of calcium and magnesium. The amount of Ion exchange occurs when the calcium and magnesium
hardness is expressed in milligrams per litre (mg/L) or ions attach themselves to the resin, displacing the sodium
grain per gallon (gpg) as calcium carbonate. ions. The resultant water is softened, being free from
calcium and magnesium, but the sodium content is
Table 1.
increased. Usually, the sodium increase will be
Type of water Amount of hardness approximately 50 mg/L sodium per 100 mg/L of hardness.
mg/litre gpg
The amount of hardness a softener can remove depends
Soft 0 - 50 0-3
primarily on the amount of resin in the softener. One (1)
Moderately soft 50 - 100 3-6 cubic foot of a typical high capacity resin can remove
Moderately hard 100 - 200 6 - 12 30,000 grains or about 500,000 milligrams of hardness.
Hard 200 - 400 12 - 23 This means that if water is 500 mg/L hard, 1 cubic foot of
Very hard 400 - 600 23 - 35 resin would soften 1,000 L of water before requiring
regeneration.
Extremely hard over 600 over 35
In Table 2, an estimate of the required water softener size
The level at which hardness becomes inconvenient
is shown. One can see that the required size increases
depends on individual preference; however, water
proportionally with an increase in hardness or water use.
softening is recommended when hardness exceeds
The shaded area identifies the more common sizing range
100 mg/L (6 grains per gallon). Water with a hardness
of water softener sizes, but suppliers can select softener
approaching or exceeding 1,000 mg/L is likely too hard to
sizes and controls to deal with most situations. For
be worthwhile softening.
instance, this table is based on a 3-day regeneration cycle.
If a 6-day cycle is a better fit, the sizes shown would
double.

Table 2. Water softener size (grains) - based on 3-day cycle

Number of persons Litres of water used Hardness (mg/L)

in household per day 200 400 600 8000
2 1,000 7,500 15,000 22,500 30,000
4 2,000 15,000 30,000 45,000 60,000
6 3,000 22,500 45,000 67,500 90,000
8 4,000 30,000 60,000 90,000 120,000
The five-cycle fully automatic water softener 3. The filter head – contains a timer that automatically
It is recommended that five-cycle, fully automatic water operates the control valve that initiates the five cycles
softeners be used for domestic water softening. This type of the water softener. This clock controls the time of
of water softener is automatically and regularly day that regeneration occurs and the number of days
backwashed and regenerated, which is essential for between regenerations.
efficient operation.
Most water softeners can be set to regenerate every 1, 2, 3,
The five cycles are as follows: or 6 days, depending upon the setting of the time clock.

1. Service – the water is being softened.

New controls and adjustments
2. Backwash - the direction of flow is reversed and the silt,
sediment and iron particles are flushed from the resin. Most softeners are adjusted to regenerate around
The backwash cycle on a typical softener requires a 2:00 a.m. when no water is required in the house. Some
flow rate of about 13 L/min (3 gallons per minute). models have a built-in hardness sensor that starts
Water consumption for the regeneration of most regeneration when it is required. Since iron often tends to
domestic softeners is 300 to 450 L (70-100 gallons). foul these sensors, these models are not recommended if
the water contains any iron or iron bacteria.
3. Brine – the brine solution is slowly passed through the
resin, until the resin retains as much sodium as Approximately 6 kilograms of pelletized salt are required
possible. to completely regenerate each cubic foot of resin. The salt
4. Rinse – excess brine is rinsed from the resin. is dissolved in water in the salt tank. To conserve salt,
5. Fast rinse – the resin bed is compacted for maximum softeners are often adjusted to draw about half the full
operating efficiency. dose of salt. A half dose of salt will regenerate a softener
to about two-thirds of its maximum capacity. The salt
The water softener then returns to the service cycle. setting is adjustable on almost all softeners.

The fully automatic water softener consists of the The fully automatic water softener can be obtained in two
following (see Figure 1): styles: side-by-side (twin tank) models (Figure 1) and
1. The resin tank – contains the zeolite resin and cabinet models. The cabinet type has the resin tank
sometimes a sand layer to support the resin bed. located inside the salt tank.
2. The salt tank – contains the salt and saturated brine
solution used in regeneration.

Figure 1. Water softener, twin tank type

2
Iron removal third tap for hard water. Softened water is usually harmful
Up to 3 mg/L of iron can readily be removed with a to plants because of its high sodium content.
five-cycle fully automatic softener. If the water supply
contains iron, a sodium hydrosulphite resin cleaner
(“Ferrid”, “Iron-out,” “Lykopon,” “Sofnergard,” etc.)
should be used regularly according to the manufacturer’s
More information
instructions. If the iron is not cleaned from the softener, Additional information is available through health
its capacity will be drastically reduced. inspectors, agricultural water specialists or on the web.

The Rural Water Quality Information Tool (http://www.

General agric.gov.ab.ca/app84/rwqit) on the Alberta Agriculture
Before purchasing a water softener, the water supply and Rural Development website can help assess water test
should be chemically analysed to determine the hardness, results and provide links to additional fact sheets and
iron, sodium and sulphate content. See Agdex 716 (D04) websites regarding water treatment.
Chemical Analysis of Farm Water Supplies. Water that is
already high in sodium or sulphates should not be Additional information is available through Agricultural
softened for drinking purposes, since softening increases Water Specialists or on the Alberta Agriculture and
the sodium concentration. Excessive levels of sodium in Rural Development website.
water my be detrimental to persons on sodium-restricted
diets. People on sodium-restricted diets should consult Agricultural Water Specialists can be contacted through
with their physicians if the water supply contains more the Alberta Ag-Info Centre at 310-FARM (3276).
than 20 mg/L sodium. Softening water high in sulphates
may increase the laxative effect and also cause an Prepared by:
unpleasant taste. Farm Water Supply Branch
Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development
If you do not want to drink softened water, bypass the
softener for the cold water tap in the kitchen, or install a

Troubleshooting guide
Problem Probable cause Remedy
1. Softener will not automatically generate a. Timer, meter or sensor inoperative a. Replace or repair defective part
b. Defective wiring between timer and sensor b. Repair connections
or timer and motor
c. Defective power cord c. Replace cord
d. Softener is plugged into intermittent power d. Connect to constant
source (i.e. socket or light switch)
e. Cord unplugged e. Plug in
f. Timer pins or screws not set f. Set pins
2. Conditioner regenerates at wrong time of day a. Timer improperly set a. Reset timer according to instructions
3. Water runs to drain from softener during a. Defective drain valve a. Repair or replace drain valve
service cycle
4. Water runs to drain from brine-tank overflow a. Float valve obstructed or makes faulty a. Remove obstruction or replace seal
lower seal
b. Cracked or defective brine riser pipe b. Replace brine riser pipe
c. Defective timer of seal within valve c. Repair or replace timer or seal
5. Softener does not draw brine a. Softener drain hose kinked or plugged a. Remove obstruction or replace hose
b. Softener drain hose elevated too high b. See manufacturer’s height specifications
causing back pressure
c. Brine line and/or fittings plugged or c. Remove obstruction; replace as necessary
obstructed
d. Aspirator plugged or defective d. Repair or replace
e. Restriction in brine riser or brine tube e. Clean or replace
f. Low water pressure f. Increase pressure
Continued

3
 Troubleshooting guide (continued)
6. Hard water bleed or bypass during service a. Manual bypass valves open or defective a. Close, repair or replace valve
b. Defective bypass seal or seal in main valve b. Clean, repair or replace
c. Internal dip tube cracked or not properly c. Repair or replace
secured
d. Improper regeneration d. Check brine draw system for sufficient
volume
e. No salt or salt bridge in salt tank e. Check salt
f. Softener too small f. Install larger unit
g. Softener not regenerating often enough g. Reset timer
h. Softener fouled by iron h. Use resin cleaner
7. Salt in lines after regeneration a. Low water pressure a. Adjust pressure to minimum recommended
b. Restricted or plugged backwash or rinse by manufacturer
valving b. Clean or replace
c. Top distributor plugged c. Clean or replace
d. Softener drain valve or hose plugged or d. Clean or replace
restricted
8. Using too much salt a. Improperly adjusted brine valve or tube a. Adjust to specification
b. Defective float seal b. Clean or replace
c. Water leaks in brine c. See 5 A, B, C
d. Regenerating too frequently d. Reset timer
9. Low water pressure a. Municipal pressure low, low pump pressure a. Investigate and correct as necessary
or defective well pump
b. Restriction in water lines or other water b. Investigate and correct
equipment
c. Distributors and/or riser pipe plugged c. Clean or replace
d. Plugged resin d. Clean resin bed (See 10)
10. Iron bleed a. Iron-fouled resin bed a. Clean iron from softener
b. Too much iron in water for softener to b. Install iron removal equipment
remove
c. Iron bacteria c. Shock chlorinate well
11. No soft water after regeneration a. Unit didn’t regenerate a. See 1 and 5
b. No salt or salt bridged in tank b. Check salt tank

08/11/100