Understanding Softener Valve Cycles in High-Hardness Make-Up Water: A Shanghai ChiMay Field Guide
Ion-exchange softeners are the workhorse of HVAC make-up water conditioning, and the valve at the top of the resin tank governs everything the operator cares about: throughput, salt use, backwash volume, and resin life. In water systems fed by hard groundwater — often 350–650 mg/L as CaCO3 — the softener valve does not simply “cycle.”…