Do Salt-Free Water Softeners Work?
Water softeners use an ion exchange process to remove both calcium and magnesium from the water. Softeners utilize a plastic polymer with a positive ionic charge that holds on to negatively charged calcium and magnesium ions in the water.
Several popular water filtration companies make salt-free water softeners. The idea of a salt-free way to soften water is appealing from a maintenance standpoint, but unfortunately, these systems do not work.
Salt-free water softeners do not soften water - they condition it. Saltless systems chemically transform the magnesium and calcium so they do not adhere to surfaces.
Because salt-free systems do not "capture" calcium and magnesium, there is no need for a regeneration cycle to clean the resin bed and flush the minerals.
Because the hard water minerals are not actually captured by salt-free water softener systems, there is no need for salt or a regeneration cycle to purge the minerals down the drain. Since the very definition of water softening requires that hard water minerals be REMOVED, and the salt-free process only CHANGES the minerals, allowing them to remain in the water, salt-free water softeners don't actually soften water – rather, they are for "water conditioning".
Penn State University laboratory tests found "no discernible change in water hardness" in salt-free softeners.
With a salt-free water softener, you'll still have hard water and the following problems:
Hard water spots on your glasses and dishes
Soap-scum buildup up on shower doors
Scale buildup on fixtures and water-using appliances
75% more soap, detergent and shampoo useage
Water heating expenses 30% above the cost of heating soft water
Whole House Water Filtration & Softening
In-home water treatment provides the final barrier to prevent contaminants or health hazards from being ingested by you, a family member or pet. It can also address the impurities that lend an unattractive taste, smell, or appearance to your drinking water.
The staff at Texas Water House have over 75 years of experience treating water in North Texas, and several members of the company serve on the board of directors for the Texas Water Quality Association (TWQA).
Our main focus is treating the water coming into your home and creating the purest and best quality water you can get - just like it was intended to be by mother nature.
