anyone use a water softener??

People can be nerds in many different ways, IMO. I meant that as a compliment BTW. I think most people just don't remember and use this type of science on a daily basis.
 
Fair 'nough, but it gets a bit wearing, like it's strange in some way to retain scientific information when "normal" people retain tons of pointless facts on a daily basis.
 
My Normal water is terrible..

PH is about 9.. Very alkaline..

I started to do a GH test, but quit counting after 34 drops...
I didnt even bother doing a KH test.

Out of the faucet, the water has so much iron in it, you can almost see it, let a glass of water sit overnight, and its got a amber tinge to it in the morning..

I dont drink it, until Isoften it, filter it, RO it, and filter it again...
 
I live out in the stix..
got me a well...

its 145 feet deep, and the water still stinks...

Me too!

We're kind of in the same area, except I'm on the other side of the lake. East side. My water smells like sulfur, stains everything that's white, and is undrinkable. The fish don't mind it after i pass it through one of those faucet mounted filters.
 
My understanding is that the brine tank is only used in the regeneration of the ion-exchange resin, not the actual softening process. The ion exchange is one step and the water passing through the resin goes right out. So bascially...

H2O with Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions go in, H2O with Na+ or K+ ions go out. Keep in mind that you need two "soft" ions to replace each "hard" ion. The sodium added depends on the hardness of the water entering.

Once the resin is depleted of sodium (or potassium) a separate solution of aqueous salt from the brine tank is flushed back in thus the previously trapped magnesium and calcium are drained out and the resin is recharged with the salt. This is commercial salt added to the tank which in turn the sodium is eventually entering the water supply.

http://home.minneapolis.edu/~boraaski/C1152%20Handouts/7.%20Water%20Hardness%20Determination%20v.1.09.pdf
http://home.howstuffworks.com/question99.htm
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/157/2/218
http://www.qualitywatertreatment.com/faqs_water_softeners.html#7
http://home.howstuffworks.com/question99.htm

Mistake corrected above ;)

Why are people who actually understand some basic science nerds? I often wonder. To me, the "nerds" are people who can remember who plays for which football team; a totally useless collection of information.

:rofl: I guess I'm both
 
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