Which Water Softener Is Right For Your Home?
Posted on: 5 July 2022
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Are you unsatisfied with the quality of your home's water, and are considering a water softener to improve it? You may not be aware that there are multiple ways to soften the water coming into your home; each method has its own pros and cons. Here is what you need to know about different options for water softeners.
Salt-Based Softeners
Salt-based softeners work by using an ion exchange process. They essentially take the magnesium and calcium in the water and replace them with salt. Some people do not like this method because it adds salt to the main water supply, but most people do not notice the difference in water quality. The ease of using this type of water softener system is often the reason that people install it in their homes, even if the water has more salt in it.
There are more advanced forms of salt-based softeners that use two large tanks to soften the water. This helps with water sources that have a lot of minerals that need to be removed, or homes that use a lot of water. It helps ensure that the softener is always working between the two tanks. While one tank is performing the salt regeneration process, the opposite tank will work to soften the water.
Salt-Free Softeners
If you do not want a water softener that uses salt, then a potassium-based water softener is going to be a good alternative. They are also very low maintenance. The system works the same way as a salt-based system, except it uses potassium instead of salt. This helps prevent the hard minerals in the water from sticking to the inside of pipes and clinging onto items, which reduces the problems caused by hard water, including having shower heads with buildup on them or washed glasses that still have a cloudy film to them.
Magnetic Softeners
Don't want to make big modifications to your home's plumbing to soften the water? It's possible to use a magnetic water softener to get the job done. This device attaches to the main pipe where the water comes into your home and uses electricity to power a magnet. It then breaks up those hard particles passing through the pipe so that the water is not as hard. They can help reduce scaling issues and are maintenance-free, but they do not always do as good of a job as other systems.
Contact a plumber to learn more about installing a residential water softening system.