Pentair Residential Systems catalogue 2023

28 CATALOGUE 2023 PENTAIR RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS POUSYSTEMS UNTREATED WATER IN Magnesium Sodium Ions Magnesium Calcium TheWater isSoftenedbecause CalciumandMagnesiumHave BeenRemoved Resin Beads Swap Calcium OUT TREATED WATER Brine In Brine In Used Brine Out Brine In Used Brine Out Used Brine Out Countercurrent Cocurrent Up flow regeneration Down flow regeneration Besides its undeniable advantages, a softener is a piece of technology, which specificationsmight be hard to fully understand. This section therefore explains themost popular technical termswhich are related to a softener. A happier, healthier andmore affordable home Softenedwater makes great scum-free drinks too. So, while you read on over a coffee, consider that awater softener could be a great investment – not just a ‘nice-to-have’. By removing theminerals that makewater hard, a Pentair softener will reduce scale build-upwhile providing thewhole family with a steady streamof clear, clean and fresh feelingwater, throughout the home. Softening Chemically speaking, softening is an exchange process between hard ions contained in thewater (Ca2+ andMg2+ cations) and a cationic resin loadedwith sodium (Na+) ions. Simply said, it is the process of turning hardwater into soft water. Particles of Calciumand Magnesiumare exchanged into sodium thanks to the action of the resin contained in the softener. Those ions of CalciumandMagnesiumwill eventually saturate the resin, which needs to be cleaned. This calls for a newprocess, called regeneration. Regeneration When the resin in the softener has exchanged all sodium ions towards Ca2+ andMg2+ cations, it is exhausted. It must be regenerated and filled againwith sodium ions. This is achieved by injecting brine , a solution of water and salt, into the softener. Once this is done, the systemwill automatically rinse itself twice before reverting back to normal operation. The complete regeneration process also includes a backwash phase to clean up the resin. These different cycles are automaticallymanaged by the valve of the softener, the heart of the system. UF/DF (Up Flow/Down Flow) This refers to the direction the brine flow injected during the regeneration process. Up flowmeans it is injected from the lower part of the resin bed up via the riser tube. Down flowmeans it is injected from the top of the resin bed down. This flowdepends on the valve hydraulics. Down flow type regeneration is usually the standard as it is the easiest to set in place. On the other hand, up flow requiresmore carewhen sizing a softener and configuring the valve, but allows up to 10%regeneration optimization. It also allows towork in variable briningmode and in specifically critically applications reducing and postponing ionic leakages.