Water is an essential commodity that we need in our daily lives. The quality of water we consume can make a profound impact on our lives, even if it is not immediately apparent. Hard water has many dissolved minerals, such as magnesium and calcium. These hard minerals are not harmful to human health, per se. However, they can shorten the lifespan of household appliances and plumbing infrastructure.

Hard water can also affect your cleaning capabilities since it does not react well with cleaning agents like soaps, shampoos, and detergents. To preserve their infrastructure and appliances, several households are opting to install water softeners that can convert hard water into soft water, which is safe drinking water and will meet your water consumption needs. Softened water also preserves pipes and plumbing systems.

There are so many water softener systems currently on the market. It can often be confusing to narrow them down into a final choice that is perfect to improve your water quality. This article offers a comprehensive guide on choosing a water softener based on the factors that are relevant to you.

When do you need a water softener?

The first indication of water hardness is noticing its effects on your household. If you see lime-scale deposits on your pipes and appliances, it indicates that you have hard water.

Another simple test you can conduct is comparing soap results with your tap water against bottled water. If you notice that the soap does not lather up much in tap water, it is a good indication that your water has hard minerals. If these tell-tale signs are predominant and easily observable, it may be time to get a water softener.

The next step is to determine what kind of water softener you need. You can decide this by conducting a simple water test. This test will let you know how hard your water is, which is measured in grains of hardness per gallon of water or gpg in short. It will let you know the magnesium and calcium minerals concentration in your water.

This test will confirm the presence of hard water instead of any other kind of contamination. It will also give you the information you need to choose a water softener that can handle the hardness minerals of your water.

Observing the effects of water hardness in combination with a simple water test to determine hardness levels will let you know whether you need a water softening system.

BluePrint To Buy The Perfect Water Softener For Your Home: 7 Expert Tips

When buying a new water softener system, there are several factors to consider. You can determine which water softener is right for your household by following the tips in this water softener buying guide. You can start with answering a few questions, such as:

Do you need a water softener?

Hard water pertains to the levels of minerals like magnesium and calcium in your water and varies depending on your specific water source. It is possible that some of the contamination in your water is not due to hardness but from other contaminants in your water.

Water softeners are only helpful for specifically handling hard water. The first step is to determine your water’s hardness level, which can be done with home testing kits or professionally for more accurate results.

Once you know precisely how hard your water is, you will be able to choose a water softener that can cater to your needs.

How much water does your family consume?

Your water softener must successfully provide enough soft water for your entire household’s consumption. Water softeners come in various capacities and sizes. It is measured in grain capacity, which indicates how many grains of hardness your water softener can remove before regenerating.

The amount of water your family consumes is essential to measure because your water softener should be able to provide the equivalent amount of soft water daily.

The hardness of your water and the amount of water you consume daily should help you determine the correct size of water softener you need for your household.

What type of water softener should you use?

Water softeners use different types of technologies to soften water. Which type of water softener you choose depends on your household’s specific water treatment needs. Each has different merits and demerits, so you should choose one based on your needs and requirements.

Salt-based water softeners operate based on an ion exchange process to replace the magnesium and calcium in your water with sodium or potassium. For instance, the softening process involves swapping salt for the hard minerals with the help of the resin bed.

This technology has existed for decades and is one of the most reliable and efficient ways of softening water that will last for several years.

Water conditioners do not soften water but condition the magnesium and calcium minerals with chelating agents to convert them into an inert and insoluble form that will not cause damage.

Water conditioners offer the same benefits of softened water but keep the minerals in your water which can be good for health. They are less expensive but do not last as long.

Template-assisted crystallization (TAC) is a relatively new technology that converts magnesium and calcium into microscopic crystals that are insoluble in water and enter the water flow without causing damage to your appliances. It is a modern way of conditioning water to prevent the ill effects of hard water.

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems push water through an RO membrane at high pressure to remove contaminants at molecular levels. This system can remove a wide array of pollutants, not just the minerals that cause hard water.

RO water is neutral as it doesn’t have harmful or beneficial minerals in it. RO systems can be quite expensive and produce a lot of wastewater, but they are the most efficient at removing various contaminants from your water.

How much space will it take?

Water softeners come in different forms and do not take up the same amount of space in your home. Magnetic descalers are the most compact type of water softeners and simply attach to your pipes. Water conditioners are a little bulkier as you will need enough room to store them.

Salt-based water softeners are the biggest and will require a dedicated space created for them. The space around a unit will help with installation and service. Once this space is created, the water softener will last for several years, even decades.

What is your budget?

Even if you find the perfect water softener, you should be able to afford it. Luckily, water softeners come in different price ranges, and you should be able to find one within your budget that caters to all of your needs.

For budget-conscious people who still want the best cleaning possible, renting a water softener temporarily instead of purchasing one may make sense. It makes sense if you frequently move houses but still need soft water. Renting water softeners will become expensive in the long term.

These products can last for decades, so if you have a permanent residence and no plans for moving, it is more economical to buy a water softener, even though it is more of an upfront cost. This initial investment will provide for the next couple of decades and is worth it if you need a long-term water treatment solution.

Durability and maintenance

Water softeners have different levels of durability and maintenance requirements. Water conditioners are mostly maintenance-free.

Conditioners that use chelating agents can last up to 5 years, and TAC water conditioners will need the TAC media replaced every 6-8 years.

Salt-based water softeners need more maintenance due to refilling salt levels periodically, but they can last for decades and are very reliable devices.

Additional features and ease of use

Modern water softeners come with several additional features that make operating them much easier. You can get water softeners with Bluetooth connectivity for easier interaction.

Some water softeners come with a digital valve and display system that will let the system regenerate only when needed. Other water softeners have a metered regeneration option. It minimizes salt and water usage and is very useful for busy people who may neglect their water softener’s regeneration cycle.

With so many options available, you can choose the right water softener that will be a fit for your household.

The above steps can make it easier for you when you are ready to shop for the best water softener for your home.

What are the good brands of water softener?

Several good brands of water softeners make sturdy and reliable devices. The following points are what these brands have in common and what you should look out for.

• High-quality materials with NSF certification – NSF stands for National Sanitation Foundation. Brands that use these materials will ensure that they are food-grade and safe to use.
• Warranties for up to 10 years on the product
• Additional features that promote ease of use.
• Easy installation and operation.
• Water flow rates that match the grain capacity of the water softener.
• Durable and long-lasting performance.

A few brands that have all of these points covered are Pentair, AFWFilters, Fleck, FutureSoft, and SpringWell, amongst many others.

So, which water softener do we recommend?

After careful deliberation, we have concluded that our top pick is Durawater Fleck5600sxt water softener. It has a respectable 48,000-grain capacity that is capable of catering to a family of four. It comes with everything you need in the box and is easy to install and operate. 

Durawater has included the popular Fleck5600sxt digital metered valve, which will automatically regenerate your system only when it is needed. This can save a tremendous amount of salt and water. The unique valve also has a digital display to monitor your water quality at all times.

To further enhance the user experience, A Youtube video is provided by the supplier through which you can control the system and provides access to detailed configuration, technical installation steps, and more.

It includes a five-year warranty for ease of mind and will ensure the smooth operation of your water softener with good customer care.

Do salt-free water softeners really work?

The ion-exchange technology depends on salt to provide the sodium ions that are replaced by magnesium and calcium. If you don’t want sodium in your water, you can use potassium in regular ion-exchange water softeners.

Water softeners advertised as salt-free can be misleading and ineffective in softening water. Instead, they offer water conditioning. In the case of ion-exchange water softeners, you also have the option to go salt-free involves using potassium pellets instead of salt. 

Water conditioners are salt-free and work well, as do RO systems. A salt-free water softener will work as long as it is used as described above. You cannot expect your regular water softener to work without salt intake, but there are several technologies that can soften water without using salt.

Conclusion

Hard water is a problem that is important to address before it is too late. Long-term hard water exposure can cause long-lasting and permanent damage that becomes very tedious and expensive to fix.

Preventing the problem before it escalates into irreversible and unwanted consequences is always preferable. The best and easiest way to tackle hard water is to invest in a water softener.

Different water softening systems use different technologies. It can be confusing to peruse this wide catalog of products to select one that is appropriate for your household.

We have tried to give you all the pertinent information in this water softening buying guide to make the best decision you can to have a steady supply of softened water for your family.