Water softeners remove calcium and magnesium from hard water areas using a base exchange resin process.
The process of water conditioning involved the use of ion-exchange resins which remove the calcium and magnesium from hard water sources. The resin beads act like a sponge to collect the hardness salts, and when fully absorbed the calcium and magnesium is flushed to drain. To obtain removal of the hardness salts, the use of salt/brine is used, then the beads are ready for another service cycles.