Kenmore 625.348420 - Manual (Page 11)

HOW YOUR WATER SOFTENER WORKS
SECTION 2
11
2B. SOFT WATER SERVICE AND REGENERATION
SERVICE
When the softener is giving you soft water, it is called
Service". During service, hard water flows through
the house main water pipe and into the softener.
Inside of the softener resin tank is a bed made up of
thousands of tiny, plastic resin beads (FIG. 4). As
hard water passes through the bed, each bead
attracts and holds the hardness minerals. This is
called ionĆexchanging. It is much like a magnet
attracting and holding metals. Water without the
hardness minerals (soft water) flows out of the
softener and into the house soft water pipes.
After a period of time, the resin beads become
coated with hardness minerals and they have to be
cleaned. This cleaning is called regeneration or
recharge. Regeneration is started at 2:00 a.m. by the
electronic timer (see page 13). It takes place in 5
stages or cycles. These are:
FILL
BRINING
BRINE RINSE BACKWASH
FAST RINSE
1
2
3
4
5
FIG. 4 WATER FLOW THROUGH THE
SOFTENER IN SERVICE
ПППППППП
ПППППППП
ММММ
ММММ
ММММ
ММММ
ММММ
ММММ
ММММ
ММММ
ММММ
hard water
IN soft water
OUT
resin tank
brine valve
salt storage
tank (salt
not shown)
resin bed
REGENERATION

FILL: Salt, dissolved in water, is called brine. Brine
is needed to clean the hardness minerals from the
resin beads. To make the brine, water flows into the
salt storage area during the fill stage as shown in FIG.
5. Fill cycle lengthdepends on how muchsoft water
making capacity you have used since the last
regeneration. As you use more water, fill time
increases so more brine is made. The greater
amount of brine cleans more hardness minerals from
the resin bed.
FIG. 5 WATER FLOW THROUGH THE
SOFTENER IN FILL
ПППППППП
ПППППППП
ПППППППП
ПППППППП
ПППППППП
ММММ
ММММ
ММММ
ММММ
ММММ
ММММ
ММММ
ММММ
ММММ
ММММ
hard water
IN soft water
OUT
brine valve
salt storage
tank
fill water