Technical Specifications

Q. Does salt soften my water?
A. No. The resin beads inside the water softener are what softens the water and over time the resin
beads become coated with hardness minerals. When the resin beads can no longer remove any more
hardness minerals the softener automatically goes into ‘regeneration’. During regeneration the salt in
the tank is mixed with water to create salt water which is then used to clean the resin beads and remove
the hardness minerals. The last step in a regeneration is the flush out all the salt water down the near-by
drain and then the unit is ready to again provide soft water. Soft water does not taste salty.
Q. What is hard water and how is it measured?
A. Hard water is water containing calcium and magnesium. This calcium and magnesium is what causes
the embarrassing stains in your sinks, showers, and scale build up in your pipes and water heater.
Hardness is measured in grains per gallon or mg/L or PPM. One grain per gallons is equal to 17.1 mg/L or
17.1ppm.
Q. How do I know what my water hardness is?
A. If you get your water from the city or municipality you can call them or if you have a well you can use
the test strip included with the water softener to test the water yourself.
Q. How much salt will I use?
A. Salt consumption will vary depending on how hard your water is and how much water you use. On
average a family of 4 with 10 grain hard water will use between 5-8 bags of salt (40 lb. bags) per year.
You should feel confident knowing that the Morton water softeners are among the most salt efficient
water softeners in the industry.
Q. Will the Morton water softeners remove Iron from my water?
A. Yes. Water softeners will reduce ‘Clear Water Iron’. Clear water iron is the most common and is
identified by noting that when you get a glass of water from the faucet it’s nice and clear but you still see
yellow or red staining in your toilets and sinks. If the water in the glass has a yellow or reddish color
immediately out of the faucet you may have ‘red water iron’ and that will require a dedicated iron filter.
It’s very common for people to use a Morton water softener to remove iron from their water.
Q. What is required where I install the Morton water softener?
A. You will need a drain near-by and also a standard outlet to plug in the Morton water softener.
Q. How much electricity does a Morton water softener consume?
A. A Morton water softener uses about the same amount of electricity as a standard alarm clock. About
$3-$4 per year.
Q. How much water does a Morton water softener use to regenerate?
A. About the same amount of water as doing 1 load of laundry. On average a Morton water softener
uses about $5.50 of water per year*
*Assumes the water softener regenerates every 3 days with average water cost of $1.50/1000gallons.
Source: American Water Works Association.