If you have not used a water softener before, you may wonder what they do and why anyone would want to spend well over $1,000 to purchase one. First, you would need to know what “hard” water is and what are the advantages to softening it. Put simply, “hard” water is water with a lot of calcium and magnesium. These two minerals cause problems for pipes, significantly decreases the efficiency of hot water boilers and heaters, and is bad for any washing machine or related device. Hard water can also be particularly cruel to your hair and skin, particularly if you have issues with dry skin.
Many water softeners use salt to remove the two above-mentioned minerals and soften the water. However, these kinds of softeners add a fair bit of sodium to the water in the process. You can purchase potassium chloride crystals and use these in place of salt, but they are prohibitively expensive for some folks. No salt softeners use other methods of softening water; each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it pays to do some research.
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You can purchase a salt free water softener that uses nanotechnology to remove the lime scale caused in the pipes by the calcium and magnesium in the water. This type of water softener may be the best option for your home as long as the water hardness level does not exceed 25 grains per gallon. Unlike other water softeners, these sodium-free devices do not remove minerals and nutrients in the water.
Another option is to purchase a magnetic salt free softener. This type of softener also leaves the minerals and nutrients in the water intact, unlike the previously covered non-magnetic option. You should be aware that the magnetic devices have come under scientific criticism, but many people who have tried them and have found them to work well, so a significant number of people are pleased with the product. So how does it work? With this type of softener, magnets are placed either inside or outside of the pipes. As the water flows through the magnetic field, it gets softened. However, the disadvantage to this particular type of sodium free softener is that the water will become hard again in around 48 hours.
A reverse osmosis sodium free water softener can be a good option if your water has a lot of minerals, heavy metals and other solids affecting it, especially if you are using something like a bottle-less water cooler where you’re depending on the main water supply to provide you with a consisten source of hydration. This type of softener is the most effective— it will remove around 98% of these. However, it also removes helpful minerals and nutrients that you need; water that has been softened via this method is not recommended for drinking, watering plants, feeding pets or cooking.
If you are shopping for a salt free water softener, you will want to not only check what type it is, but also whether it can soften water for the entire house, or whether it will only work for one to three bathrooms. Magnetic water softeners are quite affordable and cost only a fraction of what either a reverse osmosis or nanotechnology water softener would cost. You can purchase one for under $50 at online retailer Magnet 4 Less. You can easily install this yourself, although you would need to exercise caution, as the magnets are quite strong.
Other water softeners may work for one to three bathrooms, up to six bathrooms, or for the entire home. If you were looking for one for the entire house, then you would want to avoid the reverse osmosis softener for the reasons mentioned above. Smaller models that are not magnetic generally run between $1,000–$1,500, perfect for running to a ceramic water crock or cooler in order to remove the nasty taste and smell from the water. Salt free water softeners that soften water for the entire home, on the other hand, usually cost closer to $2,000. When purchasing one of these softeners, be sure to note the size of your home; for a larger house, you may actually need to buy more than one if you want to effectively process all of the water being used around the house!
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