What Does a Water Softener Do?

You've probably heard of a water softener and maybe even own one but what do they do? The simple answer to this is they soften hard water. But what is hard water, and how do you go about softening it?  These are very good questions that we will go about answering below.

What is "Hard Water"?

Hard water is water with a high mineral content. Magnesium and calcium are typically the two most common minerals in hard water. These minerals are dangerous because they can cause scale build up in your homes plumbing, which can ruin pipes, appliances and more. These are the two minerals that your water softener primarily targets.

How do I Know if I have Hard Water?

Not sure you have hard water? Well roughly around 85% of the USA has hard water, so there is a good chance you might. According to a US Geological Survey, Indiana, Wisconsin, Florida, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona are the states with the hardest untreated ground water. To confirm whether you have hard water or not contact your local water utility company and ask.

How Does a Water Softener Work?

Water softeners have resin tanks with thousands of tiny resin beads that hold electrically charged ions. When you put salt into your water softener the beads become full of sodium ions. When hard water enters your plumbing it must pass through your water softener before entering the rest of your homes plumbing.  As the hard water passes through your resin tank, the hard water ions are attracted to the resin beads. The sodium ions in the resin beads are then exchanged for the hard water ions creating soft water. To make sure this happens you must make sure your water softener is kept topped off with salt.


Running out of salt and overfilling are two common mistakes with water softeners. To make sure you are adding the proper amount of salt consult your systems manufacturer or hire a local pro.

10 Steps to a Healthy Happy Home!

Having a happy healthy home should be the goal of every homeowner and renter. The question now is how does one go about maintaining a healthy happy home?

The answer? Preventive maintenance, or as we like to call it Healthy Home Services. This includes but is not limited to changing air filters, cleaning your grill, dryer vent, air ducts and definitely replacing your water filters, and smoke detector batteries.

Here are 10 steps to a happy healthy home!

Step 1: Replace your air filters every month! This will help keep your indoor air clean and prevents your HVAC system from wasting energy trying to pull air through a dirty filter.

Step 2:  Clean out your vacuum every couple weeks or at least once a month.  Your vacuum takes care of some of the dirtiest jobs your home has to offer.  Keeping it clean will help make sure it keeps doing its job to the best of its ability.

Step 3: Change/replace any burnt out light bulb. This should go without saying since no one like tripping and falling or stubbing their toe because the lights don't work.

Step 4: Top off your water softener salt. Having soft water prevent scale build up in your hames plumbing and it is good for your hair and skin.

Step 5: Change your water filters. Most of the more common home water filter systems like fridge filters and RO systems are recommended to have their filters replaced every 6 months. Doing this prevents the filters from leaching and helps ensure your water stays healthy and clean.

Step 6: Change out the batteries in your smoke detectors every 6 months.  Not only is this recommended by the fire department to help avoid a tragedy, but it will also help prevent those annoying low battery beeps at 2am.

Step 7: Clean your dryer vent. A dirty dryer vent is an energy drain and a fire hazard. That is why the fire department recommends cleaning it at least once a year.

Step 8: Keep your grill clean. Keeping your grill clean by quickly cleaning after every use and by doing at least 1 deep clean a year. This can help to extend the life of your grill and keep it grilling in tip top shape. Plus nobody wants to see their burger coming off a nasty dirty grill!

Step 9: Have your air ducts cleaned. Most homeowners are unaware that the EPA reports air pollution levels inside our homes can be 2 to 5 times higher than outside. An air duct cleaning is one of the most effective ways to improve air quality.

Step 10: Install a Nest Learning Thermostat. The Nest Learning Thermostat learns what temperatures you like, turns itself down when you’re away and connects to your phone. This will help you save energy and will send you safety alerts to your phone even if you are not home!

Need help checking these steps off your Honey-do list? Visit joefilter.com or give us a call at (480) 813-9494!
Keep your home happy and healthy by putting it on Joe Filter Autopilot today!

5 Ways to Make Your Home Healthier.

Here are 5 quick and simple ways to keep your home happy and healthy!

Keeping a healthy home is important, but how do we do it! The majority of the air we breath and water we drink is at home.  If we want to take steps to making our homes healthier we should start with the air we breath, water we drink and lets throw in fire safety just for fun!
Below are 5 quick and simple ways to keep your home healthy.

1.) Change your air filters:

Did you know the EPA reports that air pollution levels inside our homes can be two to five times higher than outdoor levels. This is why we recommended to change your air filters once a month. Being on top of your air filter changes will help to minimize the amount of air pollutants being circulated through your home.

2.) Clean out your vacuum:

Your vacuum does all the dirty jobs in your home causing it to become full dirt from weeks of use.  When it becomes too full it will begin putting all this dirt and dust back into your homes air. This is why it is important to empty the bag or canister of your vacuum before it become full.  You will also want to check and clean/replace your vacuum's filter when you do this, if your vacuum has one.

3.) Top off your water softener salt:

Did you know a water softener helps to prevent scale build up within your homes plumbing.  This helps to prevent leaks and extends the life of appliances like dishwashers and washing machines.  A water softener can only do this if it is properly maintained by topping off its reservoir with the water softener salt.

4.) Change your water filters:

If you put off changing your water filter too long they could begin leaching contaminants back into your water. This means everything they've collected could be put back into your drinking water in higher quantities. Most water filters are recommended to be changed every 6 months.

5.) Test your smoke detectors: 

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) says to test your smoke detectors at least once a month and to change their batteries every six months. It may seem like a menial boring chore but it just may save your life some day.

Want a simple way to check these items off your to-do list visit JoeFilter.com to learn about our healthy home services.

Why is Soft Water Important for a Healthy Home?

Soft water is important for your health, and the health of your home. 

Hard water has been linked to damaging effects on your hair and skin but it also leaves scale build up (mostly calcium) in your homes plumbing.  This can result in reducing the longevity of appliances like your dishwasher, and water heater.  It can also have damaging effects on your pipes, causing leaks and other problems.  If you have a water softener, simply topping off the salt once a month can reduce the likelihood of these problems happening.

How does a water softener work?

Hard water is water that has a high mineral content, typically calcium and magnesium that can cause scale build up.  A water softener has a resin tank that contains thousands of tiny resin beads that hold electrically charged ions. When you put salt into your water softener the beads become full of sodium ions. As hard water passes through the softener, the mineral ions are attracted to the resin beads. Then the sodium ions are then exchanged for the hard water ions creating soft water.

Soft Water Benefits-

• Healthier skin.
• Healthier hair.
• Reduces scale buildup on shower heads and faucets.
• Reduced scale build up in pipes.
• Silverware and glassware get cleaner and shinier
• The lifespans for all water using appliances (ie. coffee makers, dishwashers, etc.) increases.
• A water softener will also reduce the yearly energy cost of your water heater by 22%-29%.

Do you want soft water but don't want to worry about remembering to go to the store and/or lifting those heavy salt bags?  Give Joe Filter a call (480) 813-9494 and ask about our water softener salt top off service!

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