What are the pros and cons of an electronic “softening” system?
Question: We’re building a new house and trying to decide if electronic “softening” systems would be a good purchase for us. Illinois water is very hard on appliances plus we’re tired of hoisting those bags of salt. Do you have pros or cons on this electronic system? Answer: Softening is a chemical process—period. When hardness, in the form of calcium and magnesium ions, is dissolved in water, it has a positive charge (+2). As water is passed through a softener resin bed, those ions attached themselves to the resin, releasing 2 sodium ions (+1, each). Now, the soft water no longer has hardness ions to create hard deposits in your appliances and on surfaces in your home. The salt you hate to lug (and no one likes to do it) is used to make a strong brine solution to regenerate the resin. As the strong brine passes over the resin, it forces the calcium magnesium off of the resin and replaces them with sodium again, ready to soften more water. There is NO SUCH THING as electronic, magnetic
