how does a water softner work?

Answer 1

Simple one. here is a web site that will make it simple for a lay person to understand. (www.home.howstuffworks.com/question99.htm) Good luck I learned a couple of things about them myself.

Answer 2

it runs the water thru a filter media,
[like resine or lime stone ] That removes almost every thing out of the water, and then uses salt water to flush it self, [when it cycles]