Soft Water Basics; Operating Conditions - Hellenbrand Water Conditioning System H-125 Series Owner's Manual

H-125 series

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Specification sheet (2 pages)

Owner's manual (36 pages)

Table Of Contents

Table of Contents

hardness

Hardness in water is the amount of calcium and magnesium

present. A water softener removes the majority of calcium and

magnesium to produce softened water.

Hardness is measured in units of grains per gallon. When

your water is tested the hardness is calculated and expressed as

grains per gallon (gpg). This calculation, as well as the number

of people in your household will help determine what type and

size of water softener will most efficiently soften your water.

Your water softener contains an ion exchange

media (sometimes called resin) which removes the hardness from

water as it flows through the softener tank. Eventually so much

hardness collects on the exchange media that the softener can

no longer soften water. At this point it is considered "exhausted".

Regeneration is now necessary.

regeneration

When ion exchange resin is saturated with calcium and magne-

sium (hard water ions) it must be recharged. This is accomplished

by rinsing the resin with a salt solution. The salt solution removes

the hardness and replaces it with sodium. The exchange media

is then ready to remove hardness from water. The hardness

minerals and excess brine solution are rinsed down the drain.

During the regeneration cycle the softener is also back-

washed. This reversing of the normal flow of water serves to

remove sediment which may have accumulated during the soft-

ening process due to the filtering action of the exchange media.

Backwashing also loosens and fluffs up the bed of exchange

media to insure that during regeneration the brine solution will

come into contact with all the ion exchange media.

Maintenance of Your softener

Salt: Salt to a softener is what gasoline is to a car. Not only must a softener have salt, but it should be the proper type to insure

efficient recharging of the unit. Ask your dealer what type of salt may best suit your needs. Always have an adequate supply of salt on

hand. Check the salt level of your brine tank every couple of weeks initially to determine how much salt you use - this will depend on how

much water you use. As a rule of thumb, with 20 gpg hard water, about a 1/2 lb. of salt per person per day is used. In other words, a

family of four uses 60 lbs. of salt a month. If your household does not use much water, do not fill your brine tank over 1/2 full, salt bridg-

ing may occur in the brine tank. This may result in hard water due to ineffective regeneration. Fill the tank approximately three-fourths

full, with a minimum of 12" of salt. DO NOT USE block salt when the H-125 control is programmed with a brine tank prefill. Block salt

does not dissolve quick enough to provide a good regeneration.

Cleaning Brine Tank: Salt tank may require periodic cleaning. Inspect the brine tank at least once a year for buildup of insoluble

materials. It is recommended to periodically clean the brine tank no matter what kind of salt you are using. See page 15, Miscellaneous

#2 for details on cleaning.

REMEMBER:

Salt is the fuel to run your water softener. Buy the best clean salt available.

Your water conditioner has been designed to adequately

handle up to 100 grains per gallon of hardness that might be

encountered as well as up to 2 ppm of Ferrous Bicarbonate

Iron. This is iron that is dissolved in an oxygen-free water supply.

It is not visible to the eye in a freshly drawn sample because the

water appears clear. But upon standing in contact with air, the

ferrous iron will become oxidized to the ferric state and start to

precipitate as a reddish brown floc. It can then be seen and if

allowed to remain in the supply will cause discolored water. In

order for your conditioner to remove the iron, air (oxygen) must