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Ocean Water Softener
What to expect from your water softener?
All water softeners work on the same basic principal. Hard water flows through a bed of resin and the calcium and
magnesium, the minerals that are responsible for hard water, are removed. Unfortunately, the resin cannot perform
this process indefinitely and requires regenerating (refreshing). Most machines perform this process automatically
after a set period, or volume of water, has passed through the resin.
This does NOT affect the ph value of your
water supply.
Salt/Brine Tank
The water softener that you have purchased is supplied with a brine tank; most models have the brine tank
integrated into the softener cabinet (the cabinet space under the lid where the internal tank or tanks are) however
on some units this can be separate cabinet. When filling the tank with salt make sure not to over fill; the tank is
fitted with an external overflow
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never fill above this level. Salt levels should be checked on a regular basis and
topped up when required. There is no right or wrong amount of salt to store in the tank as your softener will use the
salt as required. Most customers will eventually develop a routine and automatically top up after a set period of time
either weekly or monthly etc. If you notice the tank is completely empty of salt, it may be advisable to perform a
manual regeneration a few hours after refilling.
Regeneration Process
The regeneration process is basically a resin clean. You can think of it like a washing machine cycle in that it will
perform several different processes to clean. Most units will have a fast rinse, slow rinse and pause cycle. During
the process water is drawn from the brine tank and flushed through the system. At the end of the cycle, water is put
back into the brine tank in order for the salt to dissolve ready for the next time the machine needs to regenerate. On
some units this is delayed until a few hours before regeneration. The level of water in the tank will depend on the
type, size and water pressure feeding the softener. Dependent on the amount of salt in the softener you may not
even see the water level. Once the regeneration is complete the resin will be able to supply soft water to your
property.
How quickly will it start to work?
The water softener will produce soft water as soon as water passes through it. The size of your property, water
usage and water system will determine how quickly you will notice the results. If, for example, one person lives in a
very large property with water feed from storage tanks (gravity feed system) they may not see the benefit for several
months until all the water that was present in the storage tanks has been replaced with softened. A large family in a
small property with a direct feed system will find the results appear very quickly. The water softener does not show
any visible signs or make any noise during the water softening process. Water will only enter or leave the salt/brine
tank during regeneration. Salt is not used in the water softening process, it is only used during regeneration. The
only time you will see or hear the softener working is during the regeneration process. It is important that you have
your softener regularly serviced; we recommend a period of 24 months between each service. If you require any
additional information regarding your particular water softener, please contact our technical support team via email.
They can be reached at [email protected]
Kind regards
East Midlands Water Company
