Water softeners are crucial to remove minerals that may be hard on certain surfaces, such as magnesium and calcium. “Hard water” has been shown to have lasting effects on surfaces, can reduce the effectiveness of washing clothes or your hands, and can ultimately leave stains and rings in your tubs or sinks. Not only does it affect cleaning and surfaces around your home, but it also can dry out your skin and hair. This probably sounds unappealing, because it is. But there’s a solution!
Keep reading to learn about different types of water softeners you should install in your home.
What Are the Different Types of Water Softeners?
There are many types of water softeners on the market. The differences range in price, size, and water hardness.
Ion Exchange Water Softener
This is the most popular water softener because it has been used for decades. This water softener absorbs calcium and magnesium through a brine solution that runs through the softener. You need to buy salt to run this water softener. Severe water softener issues are fixed easily with an ion exchange water softener.
Excalibur Water Softener
Water runs through the water softener system to soften the water. During this process, any unwanted minerals are trapped in place until they are then removed and disposed of through an additional filtration cycle.
Dual Tank Water Softeners
If your household uses water constantly and a lot of it, this water softener is for you because of the two large water tanks. These water tanks are highly efficient but on the pricier side of the water softener scale.
Salt-Free Water Softener
Most types of water softeners have salt in them, while a salt-free one does not use salt to filter the water. Instead of removing the hard minerals in the water, it neutralizes the minerals to avoid them clumping together and forming unwanted residue or the need for more soap to clean. These systems usually include a filtration system that not only softens the water but also reduces bacteria and unwanted particles. Salt-free water softeners run on the pricier side of the water softener scale as well.
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Reverse Osmosis Water Softener
A reverse osmosis water softener can be effective for under-the-sink water softening. These are used mostly for drinking water to purify and soften drinking water. Since they only connect to the tap, they do not service the entire home, which can make the rest quite expensive.
What Size Should I Get?
Water softeners sizes are calculated in gpg, or water hardness units. To find this number, you need to calculate how many gallons are used per day in your household and multiply it by the water hardness. This number will give you the number of gpgs you should look for in a water softener and the size of the softener you need.
Ready to Get a Water Softener?
Now that you have everything laid out before you, you can make an educated decision about which types of water softeners are right for you and your home.
Once you decide, contact the experts at Link ClimateCare to help you install your water softener today!
