Many homes in the United States have water that contains higher concentrations of dissolved minerals, which is called hard water. Although there is nothing toxic about hard water, it is less desirable for cleaning, it leaves mineral deposits, and it can shorten the lifetime or efficiency of equipment such as water heaters.
A water softener is a household appliance that commonly exchanges salt for some of the dissolved minerals, resulting in softer water. The salt supply is stored in a brine tank and must be refilled every month or so. If you forget to refill the tank, the water softener is rendered temporarily ineffective.
As you might guess, I often forget to refill the brine tank. My first clue of an empty tank comes when my wife suggests the dishwasher, soap, or shampoo isn’t working very well. I decided it was time to create an electronic sensor to monitor the salt levels.
The Water Softener Monitor device features a color bar graph to indicate the salt level in the water softener brine tank. The color bar graph is better than a numeric display, since colors can be discerned from across the room.
The Water Softener Monitor wall plate includes a photocell to detect a change in room brightness. This allows the LED display to be off until someone turns on the room light or approaches the monitor panel (their shadow trips the light sensor). After three minutes, the display turns off again. This saves electricity and increases LED longevity.
And, finally, the Water Softener Monitor has a remote photocell in the closet where the water softener equipment is located. The Water Softener Monitor will blink if the closet light is accidentally left turned on (I wonder who did that?). This avoids having an unattended light burning in the closet for a month.
A common plain white wall plate was chosen to enclose the water softener monitor display, so as not to detract from the wall decor.
Water Softener
The water softener in my house is located in a closet in the basement where the municipal water supply comes into the house. For some people, the water supply comes from a well.
To the left of water softener is a 200 pound capacity plastic brine tank. The tank is about 3 feet tall. Some people have larger tanks or multiple tanks.
For more detail: Water Softener LED Display
About The Author
Ibrar Ayyub
I am an experienced technical writer holding a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan, Pakistan University. With a background spanning various industries, particularly in home automation and engineering, I have honed my skills in crafting clear and concise content. Proficient in leveraging infographics and diagrams, I strive to simplify complex concepts for readers. My strength lies in thorough research and presenting information in a structured and logical format.
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