How a softener plumbs in — and where "grains" comes from
Hard water passes through the mineral tank between regenerations; the brine tank only feeds it during regeneration. Grain capacity sizes how much hardness it removes before needing to regenerate — not the tank's physical volume.
What this diagram shows
A plumbing schematic showing hard water entering a bypass valve, then flowing through a mineral (resin) tank and out as softened water, with a dashed bypass path that lets the house run on raw water during service by skipping the tank entirely. A separate brine tank holding salt connects to the mineral tank by a dashed line labeled brine draw, used only during regeneration, while a drain line carries the backwash and rinse water away. A formula strip below works a sizing example: 4 people times 82 gallons per day times 15 grains-per-gallon compensated hardness equals 4,920 grains per day, which times 7 days between regenerations times a 1.25 safety buffer is about 43,050 grains, rounding up to the next standard size, a 48,000-grain system.
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Water Softener Calculator
Free water softener sizing calculator — grain capacity from household size and hardness, with ppm conversion, iron correction, and WQA hardness classes.
