Water softeners are great when it comes to prolonging the life of your water-using appliances. You’ll also get easier cleaning, healthier hair, and use less dish soap and detergent. If you’re interested in a water softener, there are several things to consider.
Keep reading to find out the 6 things to consider when choosing water softeners!
1. Find Out Your Water Hardness
There are multiple tests that you can do to figure out the hardness of your water. Water hardness refers to the amount of mineral content in the water. These minerals are primarily magnesium and calcium.
Knowing how hard your water is will help you determine what kind of water treatment system you need. Hard water will cause film build-up on tile, scale deposits in water heaters, a build-up in pipes, increased wear on clothing, and spots on dishes.
Keep in mind that although a water softener may help to make your water less hard, it does not make it a cleaner or safer drink. Water softeners do not filter water, they only remove calcium and magnesium minerals to address hard water. In order to remove contaminants so water is safer for drinking, cooking, and showering, you’ll need a water filtration system even if you already have a water softener installed.
2. Water Softener Types
Many different makes and models of water softeners exist on the market. All you have to do is choose the one that fits your water treatment system. There are two types of water softeners to consider.
One of which is a salt-based ion-exchange softener. This cycles the water through two tanks, eliminating mineral residues. One tank contains resin beads and the other tank contain brine.
The other type is a salt-free water conditioner. A water conditioner does not use salt. Also, it doesn’t remove magnesium and calcium, which are healthy for humans. Instead, it changes their behavior to ensure they don’t cause problems. These are much more innovative.
3. Water Softener Sizes
Find out how much softened water you need. There are lots of buying guides that can assist with this. They are rated by hardness grains that they can get rid of between regenerations. So, you’ll need to understand what that means in your calculations.
4. Diet Restrictions
If you have a salt-restricted diet, you should look in the direction of a salt-free water conditioner. Using a salt-based water softener could be potentially troublesome because of the higher sodium content.
5. Review Costs
When you begin your search, you should have an idea of what you are willing to spend. The cost of water softeners can range depending on the specific features and size. The range can start as low at $1,000 and go up to $4,000 or more.
Many providers can help you when it comes to choosing the best water softener for your needs.
6. Maintenance
Just like any other appliance, you will need to maintain your water softener. Even if your water softener is fully automatic, it still requires attention. For the most part, this will consist of salt restocking and cleaning.
Your water softener providers may be able to help you with maintenance.
Choosing Water Softeners for Your Needs
When it comes to choosing commercial water softeners, you may feel like there are too many options! This is wonderful news for you. Now that you know what to look for, you’ll be able to get exactly what you want considering your uses for water softeners.
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