A water softening system includes apparatus and process that recycles a substantial percentage of the brine. Advantageous features, relating to a preferred filter cartridge and a preferred slide arrangement, are provided. N is the size of the N-sized frames in bits. The lamp retains its initial light output to a high degree throughout its life. More specifically, the hood plates disclosed herein include means for easily attaching to a wide variety of available angle grinders and are easily configured to work with a soft hood cover to allow both horizontal and vertical movement of the grinding attachment within the hood cover.