If you’re thinking about getting a salt-free water softener, you should make sure you do your homework before making a final decision. There are many brands of saltless water softener systems, all using different technologies, and all with different records of success. Whether your research is just starting, or you’ve done a lot of reading already, here are a few facts you may find surprising:
Saltless water softeners do not strip out the hard water minerals from your water. Instead, they “condition” the water so that it doesn’t scale on your pipes. This is a good thing, because hard water minerals like calcium and magnesium are beneficial to people, pets, and plants.
No-salt water softeners are better for the environment than traditional, salt-using water softeners. The waste water produced by conventional water softeners contains harmful chemicals that often find their way back into the environment.
Many salt-free softeners use no electricity. The water simply passes through a filter media that alters the hard water ions so they don’t form scale. You not only benefit from the water treatment, but you do so without using electricity. The ultimate green appliance!
No-salt softeners are the only options in some parts of the United States. Many states and municipalities have outlawed conventional water softeners because the waste water they produce creates an extra burden on sewage treatment facilities.
There’s no way to measure whether saltless water softeners really do what their manufacturers claim. The standard hard water test measures the amount of calcium and magnesium in your water, and a conventional water softener can be judged based on whether it lowers this number after installation. However, since salt-free systems don’t claim to remove those minerals, the standard test simply doesn’t apply.
As always, the best advice on buying a salt-free water softener system is to do plenty of research ahead of time. More than anything, that’s the key to coming up with the best option for you and your home.