What is a Water Softener?

A water softener is a device that removes unwanted, and potentially harmful minerals (calcium, magnesium, etc.). In order to soften water, a salt solution, or “brine” is used to perform a “scientific swap” between salt and hardness minerals in your water.

How is a water softener beneficial?

Hard water can dry out your skin and hair, cause water spots to appear on freshly cleaned glassware, and cause calcium and limestone buildups within your plumbing system that lead to potentially damaging clogs and low water pressure. In short, choosing to condition the hard water in your home can make cleaning, showering and appliance shopping a whole lot easier and less stressful!

What is the difference between salt water softeners and “salt-free” softeners?

What are the benefits of a salt water softener?

Do all water softeners use the same salt?

What does “grain capacity” refer too?

How much water do water softeners need to regenerate?

How do water softeners save you money?

Does my water softener need service?

While some hard water symptoms will be alleviated by salt-free water softeners, the minerals causing the hardness aren’t actually removed, just restructured. Using a method called Template Assisted Crystallization (TAC), salt-free water softeners charge the minerals with electricity, transforming them into crystals that cannot bind to surfaces. Salt Softeners can be more expensive up front and do require more maintenance than salt-free water softeners. However, salt-free softeners are not actually removing the hard minerals from your water, which means they are not as effective.

With a salt-powered system, you’ll enjoy completely mineral-free water — which means softer linens, hydrated hair and skin, and less stress on your appliances. Also, salt-powered water softeners use about as much electricity as a digital alarm clock. Saltless, electric water softeners on the other hand use a lot more .

Using Potassium Chloride as Substitute for Salt in a Water Softener. ... Potassium chloride may be more expensive than salt and the unit will regenerate more often since potassium chloride is not as efficient as salt. We recommend setting the water hardness 20% higher if using potassium chloride instead of salt.

Pay close attention to this rating when selecting your water softener. “Grain capacity,” refers to the maximum number of grains of water hardness it will be able to remove before having to regenerate. A higher grain capacity rating means your water softener will be more energy efficient!

Typically, regeneration uses about as much water as it takes to wash a load of laundry. That’s why choosing a system with the right grain capacity rating is so important. The less your water softening system needs to recharge, the less water you’ll waste.

By installing a water softener, you are taking preventative measures to eliminate hard water at the source, along with all of the maintenance issues that come with it later down the road. Hard water can add unreasonable wear and tear to all of your water using appliances and plumbing system. Your appliances use more energy when they are required to work overtime, causing energy bills to increase. Additionally, water softeners are considered a valuable upgrade to your home. A water softener can easily add upwards of $10,000 in equity to the value of your home once it is installed.

Is your salt water softener not using a normal amount of salt?
Is your water pressure dropping significantly?
Does your water softener sound like it’s constantly running?

All of these are signs that your water softener may be in distress and needs maintenance.