A water softener removes minerals that create water hardness, one of the most common water quality problems in US homes. Hard water destroys appliances, leaves filmy soap scum across bathrooms and kitchens, and dries out hair and skin. With over 85% of the United States relying on hard water for their cooking, cleaning, and bathing, water softeners serve a vital purpose in protecting home’s plumbing and appliances. A water softener saves you from replacing prematurely ruined water heaters, scaly faucet heads, and hours and hours of cleaning up soapy residue. Investing in a water softener saves you time, energy, and money while protecting your home and property.
What is a water softener?
A water softener is a whole-house water treatment system that removes hardness-causing calcium and magnesium minerals from your water through a process called ion exchange. A water softener addresses hard water, one of the most prevalent and devastating water problems. Hard water wreaks havoc on a home’s plumbing and appliances, clogging pipes and shortening the lifespan of dishwashers, coffee makers, and ice machines. The higher the temperature of the water, the more calcium and magnesium will solidify and harden into solid deposits inside your hot water heater. If you live in hard water territory, your water heater may sound like it is popping popcorn. This is because scale has attached itself to the heating element. As the temperature of the heater rises and the tank expands, the calcified rock deposits crusted on the heating elements start cracking and stretching.
Without a water softener, laundry demands extra detergent to prevent it from looking dingy. Dishes will come out of your dishwasher streaked and stained. Filmy scum builds up on your shower curtains, and your soap and shampoo will not lather. Bathing in hard water leaves your skin itchy and dry and your hair lifeless and sticky. The amount of time, energy, and money required to clean up the detrimental side effects of hard water can be overwhelming. A whole house water softener is the solution to the many problems hard water introduces to a home.
How does a water softener work?
A water softener removes calcium and magnesium from water through a process called ion exchange. When the hard water enters into the mineral tank, it flows through a bed of spherical resin beads. These plastic beads, usually made from polystyrene, are charged with a sodium ion. The resin beads are anions, meaning they have a negative charge. The calcium and magnesium minerals have a positive charge, making them cations. Since opposite charges attract, the negative charge of the minerals is attracted to the positive charge of the resin beads. As the hard water passes through the resin, the beads grab ahold of the mineral ions and remove them from the water. When the bead seizes the mineral ion, the sodium ion is released. The column of resin strips all the hardness out of the water as it passes through the mineral tank, and softened water flows out into your home.
Learn more: What is hard water?
Why are water softeners banned in some areas?
Water softeners are banned in some regions because of the salty wastewater they send to the drain. When a softener goes through a regeneration cycle, the brine used to recharge the resin beads must be flushed at the end of the cycle. This contaminates the municipal water supply with salt, a particularly difficult contaminant to treat. Repurposed wastewater used in agriculture can also cause damage when it contains high levels of salt.
What are the parts of a water softener?
A water softener is made up of three components: a control valve, a mineral tank, and a brine tank. These three pieces work in conjunction to remove the minerals from hard water, monitor the flow of water, and periodically clean the system through a regeneration process.
1. The mineral tank
The mineral tank is the chamber where the hard water is softened. The water supply line feeds the hard water into the tank. The water seeps through the bed of resin beads, depositing the water-hardening calcium and magnesium ions. The water exits the tank soft and flows through your pipes to your household appliances.
2. The control valve
The control valve measures the amount of water passing through the mineral tank and into your house. The valve houses a meter that tracks the volume of water entering the mineral tank. As hard water flows through the mineral tank, the resin beads exchange their sodium ions for hardness ions. Over time, this depletes the capacity of the resin to effectively soften water. Before the beads become too burdened with mineral content to remove calcium and magnesium ions, the control valve automatically initiates a regeneration cycle. This maximum capacity is pre-programmed into the control valve’s onboard computer and is based on a range of factors, like the size of your house, the number of occupants, and the hardness of your water. Control valves are demand-initiated controllers, which allow water softening units to be extremely efficient.
3. The brine tank
The brine tank aids the water softening system in regeneration. It is a shorter tank that sits adjacent to the mineral tank. The brine tank holds a highly concentrated solution of salt to restore the resin beads’ positive charge. Salt is manually added to the brine tank in the form of pellets or blocks. These dissolve in the water at the bottom of the tank. When the control valve registers the softening capacity of the resin is diminishing, the heavy brine solution is drawn out of the tank and flushed through the resin in the mineral tank. If the brine tank runs out of salt, the water passing through the unit will no longer be softened.
How does water softener regeneration work?
Water softener regeneration cycles flood the resin beads with a highly concentrated brine solution, washing off the hardness minerals and draining them out of the system. The resin beads are recharged and primed to continue eliminating the hardness minerals. Resin beads are extremely durable and can effectively soften your water for twenty years or longer. Water softeners regenerate by one of two methods: co-current (downflow brining) or counter-current regeneration (upflow brining).
Co-current regeneration cycle
In a co-current regeneration cycle, the brine solution enters the mineral tank in the same direction as the service flow. The brine solution flows down the depth of the bed of resin beads and an ion exchange process occurs again, only this time in reverse. As the brine flows over the beads, the salts force the beads to release the magnesium and calcium ions in exchange for the sodium ion. As the brine passes through the resin, an increasingly-concentrated surge of hardness minerals forms and flows through the entirety of the system. As the brine solution pushes more hardness minerals through the bed, continuous exchange and re-exchange of minerals and regeneration ions transpires. By the time the water has exited the tank, the solution’s strength is significantly reduced. In a co-current regeneration cycle, the highest charged beads will be on the ones at the top of the tank. Co-current regeneration uses more water and salt to complete the regeneration process than counter-current regeneration.
Counter-current regeneration cycle
In a counter-current regeneration cycle, water enters the tank through the bottom of the mineral tank, where the water usually exits. The countercurrent cycle runs the brine up the resin bed, beginning at the bottom where the resin beads are usually the least depleted. This means there are fewer hardness minerals initiating re-exchange during the regeneration cycle. The brine is less depleted by the time it reaches the top of the resin bed, where the softener first contacts the hard water. A counter-current cycling water softener uses 75% less salt and 65% less water than co-current cycling. It also distributes the recharging sodium ions more equitably. In a counter-current cycle, the most highly charged beads will be at the bottom of the tank, right before the water exits into the house. Systems that use this process are known as high efficiency water softeners.
What do water softeners remove?
Water softeners are designed to remove calcium and magnesium ions from hard water. Calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) are the two water hardness-causing minerals. The ion exchange process will furthermore attract and eliminate any positively charged ions (also known as cations). These include other minerals like iron and manganese.
Does a water softener remove iron?
Water softeners remove ferrous iron (dissolved iron) when it is in low quantities and most of the iron is in a soluble state. Iron darkens the coloration of water and leaves visible stains on your toilet, bathtub, and in your sinks. Ferric iron (insoluble iron) is more difficult to remove with a softener. Ferric iron will accumulate on the resin bed and resist the backwashing of the regeneration cycle. This can produce slugs of iron in your softened water and diminish the potency of the resin beads. When dissolved iron is exposed to oxygen, it oxidizes and becomes ferric iron. So, even though a water softener can remove iron in its dissolved state, if you have high iron levels in your water, some of it will inevitably convert to an insoluble state. If your water softener is processing large quantities of iron you will want to use a chemical solution like Rust Out to cleanse your softener bed and prolong your resin beads' life. Iron is best removed from water by an iron filter or a more comprehensive filtration system like reverse osmosis.
Learn more: How to remove iron from well water
Is soft water safe to drink?
Yes, soft water is safe to drink. During the ion exchange process, the resin beads release sodium into the water when grabbing ahold of the hardness minerals, but the amount of sodium in softened water is not unhealthy and is actually far less than what is widely imagined. If you have moderately hard water, for example five grains per gallon (about 86 ppm), only 37 milligrams of sodium are added to each quart of water. That is less than 2% of the suggested daily sodium intake. A slice of white bread has around 170 milligrams of sodium, and a slice of pizza has about 640 milligrams. Compared to everyday foods, the amount of sodium added by water softeners is negligible.
The amount of sodium added by a water softener is linearly related to the number of hardness minerals being reduced. For every milligram of hardness in the water, the softener releases two milligrams of sodium. This only becomes problematic if you live in an area with extremely hard water. If your water has a hardness level of over 400 ppm, you will want to install a reverse osmosis system to treat the water that you drink and cook with. Reverse osmosis systems push water through a semipermeable membrane capable of eliminating almost all dissolved solids and salts from the water. If your doctor has recommended you reduce your sodium intake due to blood pressure or kidney problems, it is also advisable to install a reverse osmosis system after your softener.
Learn more: How does reverse osmosis work?
Do I need a water softener?
You need a water softener if you live with decreased pressure from scale-ridden pipes or suffer from dry hair, stiff laundry, and endless appliance repair bills. Hard water is not a problem that will go away on its own, and the costs incurred by hard water will only continue to escalate. Without a water softener, appliances will inevitably fail sooner than their expected lifespan. If scale continues to accumulate in your pipes, your flow rate will continue to decrease, and you risk losing water pressure throughout the house. Hard water ravages water heaters without a softener, increasing your utility bills as the heater must use more energy to heat water. If your water supply is hard, the perpetual cycle of repairs and replacements will continue until your house is safeguarded by a water softener.
How much does a water softener cost?
The cost of a whole-house water softener ranges between $600 and $1,500. If your home is in an area with hard water, a water softener is not a luxury, it is an integral investment into your home. The size of your house and the hardness of your water factor into the size and model of water softener that is right for you. Keep in mind, despite the high price tag, water softeners last for 20 years or longer. They also have very low monthly operational costs. They also require less electricity to operate than a bedside alarm clock. Water softener resin can last over 20 years if properly backwashed. The only true monthly expense incurred is replenishing the brine tank with salt. The industry standard is that a household of four using a standard efficiency softener will go through about 40 pounds of salt a month. However, water with high TDS content and iron levels will demand more salt to effectively soften. A 40 pound bag of sodium chloride pellets ranges in price from $10-$25. Upgrading to a high efficiency counter-current brining unit will use even less salt.
Compared to the daily expenses and frustrations incurred by hard water, a water softener is ultimately an investment that will save you a considerable amount of money. Over time, the mundane costs of hard water quickly escalate. In worst case scenarios, you may face having to replace plumbing fixtures, hot-water using appliances like coffee makers and washing machines, or even your entire household’s plumbing. The cost of the water softener system is greatly outweighed by the money and energy saved over time.
Learn more: 5 benefits of having a water softener
Advantages of water softeners
Water softeners are superior to other forms of water treatment systems in the following ways.
Effectively soften water
Water softeners are the only systems that can reliably and efficiently deliver soft water to your whole home. While salt-free water softeners can mitigate some effects of hard water, they do not actually soften water, leaving you with dry skin, streaky dishes, and brittle hair. Reverse osmosis systems can remove water-hardening minerals from water, but continuously running hard water through a reverse osmosis system can damage the membrane significantly, reducing the effective lifespan of the system.
Protect appliances
Water softeners prevent damage to appliances caused by limescale buildup. The effects on water heaters are particularly egregious, as heating elements coated in scale must work harder to heat water. As appliances are exposed to scale, their lifespans decrease, forcing you to replace them sooner than you would typically need to. A water softener is not just a water treatment system, it is an investment in your home’s health.
Learn more: How to prevent limescale buildup in your home
Enhance cleaning
Hard water prevents soap from lathering and leaves you with itchy skin and brittle hair. When water is treated by a softener, these effects are no longer an issue. Soft water allows you to use less soap and detergent when you clean your dishes, laundry, and yourself.
Last over a decade
Water softeners can last as long as 20 years, but the average lifespan is 15 years. If the system is properly installed and maintained, you will only need to worry about restocking the salt supply for the system. When compared to the cost of prematurely replacing appliances because of damage caused by scale, the initial and upkeep costs of a water softener are a worthwhile investment.
Learn more: How to maintain a water softener
Disadvantages of water softeners
While there are many advantages to using a water softener, they are not suitable for every situation. More often than not, the cons to water softeners are the result of poor quality softeners or related to common misconceptions about water softeners. The following are some disadvantages or misconceptions associated with water softeners.
May put too much sodium into water
Because ion exchange water softeners use salt, sodium ions enter the softened water. According to the CDC, the maximum amount of sodium a person should consume per day is 2300 milligrams per day. Because of the prevalence of heavily processed foods, the average American already consumes about 3400 milligrams per day. Adding more sodium on top of this salty diet can contribute to long-term health effects, which include the following:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Kidney stones
- Kidney disease
- Stroke
Sodium content in water can also cause a septic system to become less efficient. Too much or too little sodium in a septic tank can kill the bacteria that breaks down waste in the tank. Without these bacteria, the septic tank will fill too quickly, and its contents can overflow into the surrounding soil.
Alternatives to sodium chloride pellets, such as potassium chloride, are available, but they cost significantly more than sodium. The most effective way to remove sodium from water without using an alternative salt is a reverse osmosis system. These systems remove almost all sodium from water in addition to almost all other contaminants. Reverse osmosis systems are point-of-use filtration systems, meaning their installation can be localized to treat the water you are using to drink and cook with. This means water that flows from your other fixtures still contain sodium that can cause ill effects in your septic tank. If you must remove sodium from all water in your home, consider a whole-house reverse osmosis system.
Learn more: Do I need a whole-house reverse osmosis system?
Expensive to install and maintain
A whole-home water system can cost you thousands of dollars, and replacing the salt in the system can also eat up a few hundred dollars per year. While many people living in areas with hard water may see the cost as a reason not to purchase a water softener, the costs of running hard water through appliances may be more significant. Hard water can cause scale buildup that reduces water flow and create leaks that damage appliances. If hard water in your region is significant enough to damage appliances, using a water softener can be much more cost-effective than running hard water in your home. Furthermore, if left untreated, the hard water will continue to damage your appliances, leading to an endless cycle of premature equipment replacements, making the initial costs of the softener well worth your investment.
Reduce mineral intake
Calcium and magnesium are essential in maintaining a healthy body, but water softeners eliminate them from water. For those on strict diets that require certain levels of mineral intake, a water softener prevents reaching these goals through drinking water. However, the main source of your body’s mineral intake should always be food, not water. Eating calcium-rich foods, such as dairy products, soybeans, and leafy vegetables will have much more effect than relying on drinking water for calcium and other minerals.
Can overload a septic system
The discharge from water softeners during a regeneration cycle can cause a hydraulic overload of a septic system if your septic tank is barely large enough for your home. Poor quality water softeners can regenerate more than they need to and are more likely to cause issues with septic performance. Purchasing a high-quality water softener can reduce sodium levels in soft water and prevent your septic tank from overflowing.
Learn more: How do septic tanks work?
Produce wastewater
An average water softener wastes around 8000 gallons of water per year. This may seem like a significant volume of water, but it is not as wasteful as you might think. According to the EPA, the average American home uses about 300 gallons of water per day. 8000 gallons of water per year sits at just below 27 gallons per day. This means that adding a water softener to your home could increase the average daily water consumption of individuals in your home by about 8 percent. Despite the term “wastewater”, the water discharged by water softeners should not necessarily be considered wasted. Without a water softener, appliances can malfunction, causing leaks and waterflow issues that waste a significant volume of water. Purchasing new appliances because of hard water damage will not only affect your wallet, but the environmental aspect should be considered as well. Many potential water softener buyers worry about the environmental impact of wastewater, but the environmental impact of creating and disposing of these appliances should not be ignored either.
Learn more: 5 benefits of having a water softener
Best water softeners
Whole House High Efficiency Softener and UV Disinfection for 3-4 Bathrooms
Best for: Large homes that use well water
This Whole House High Efficiency Water Softener and UV Disinfection is a high-performance water softener suitable for 3 to 4 bathroom homes. It comes equipped with UV disinfection to ensure that bacteria and viruses do not contaminate the water in your home. Because city-treated water does not contain bacteria or viruses, this system is ideal for homes that use well water.
Whole House High Efficiency Softener and UV Disinfection for 1-2 Bathrooms
Best for: Small homes that use well water
This Whole House High Efficiency Water Softener and UV Disinfection provides peace of mind to homeowners that receive their water from a well. It comes with an activated carbon filter that reduces chlorine levels, UV disinfection that kills bacteria and viruses, and a high-efficiency water softener. This system is an ideal pairing with a reverse osmosis filtration system.
Whole House High Efficiency Water Softener for 3-4 Bathrooms
Best for: Large homes that use municipal water
This Whole House High Efficiency Water Softener is a high-performance water softening solution for large homes. It comes equipped with an activated carbon filter that removes chlorine from water. Not only does this give water a better taste, but it also prevents wear on filtration systems connected to the softener.
Whole House High Efficiency Water Softener for 1-2 Bathrooms
Best for: Small homes that use municipal water
This Whole House High Efficiency Water Softener is an excellent water softening solution for smaller homes. It features an activated carbon filter that removes chlorine, making it an excellent pre-treatment solution for a reverse osmosis system. This water softening system is an excellent option for homes that receive city-treated water.
How to install a water softener
A water softener should be installed as close to the water’s point of entry into the house as possible. This ensures the majority of your plumbing and appliances are reaping the benefits of the softened water. It is especially important to make sure your water softener is located before your water heater, as hard water does the greatest damage to hot water appliances. You will want to install the softener in a dry, level location like a basement or garage. The system should be close to the water’s main line, an electrical outlet to power the system, and a drain for the brine solution from the regeneration cycle.
Most softeners have a bypass built into the inlet and the outlet. By turning a valve, you can bypass the softener in the event you have to provide some kind of maintenance to it or even while you're working on installing it.
Steps to installing a water softener
- Position the water softener.Make sure that the softener is correctly positioned. The inlet should be connected to the water supply and the outlet should be facing the direction of the hot water appliances.
- Turn off the water supply to your house at the main line.To prevent leaks from springing during the installation process, shut off the water supply to your home. Make sure your water heater’s water supply is turned off, as is the electricity running to the unit.
- Drain your pipes.Open nearby faucets or faucets on the bottom floor of your home to ensure all water exits your house’s supply pipes.
- Cut into the water supply main line.Using pipe cutters, cut into the water main leading into the supply line. This is a whole house filtration unit, so you need to connect the inlet and outlet lines directly to the water main line.
- Measure, cut, and connect the pipes.Before attaching any pipes to your water softener, measure and cut your pipes to fit. If you are using copper pipes, solder on any nipples and fittings before connecting the unit to the bypass valve to avoid melting the plastic. Seal all threads with plumber’s tape. Plastic tubing like PEX can also be used. Though it may require additional adapters, flexible tubing is far easier to work with and can utilize push-to-connect fittings, saving you time and the hassle of soldering.
- Clamp the drain hose.The water softener needs to drain the depleted brine solution after the regeneration cycle. Clamp the drain hose securely and feed it into the dedicated drain, like a floor drain or utility sink. To prevent the hose from back siphoning wastewater, all drain hoses must have an air gap. The end of the hose must be at least two inches above the dedicated drain. An air gap may be used to achieve this, and may be required depending on local plumbing codes.
- Connect the overflow tube. Overflow tubes are an additional precaution ensuring the brine tank does not flood and overflow. Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for specific placement of this hose. The overflow tube may also require an air gap.
When to replace a water softener
Water softeners typically have a lifespan of 15 years. However, water softener systems can last much longer if they are properly maintained. Making sure the brine tank never runs out of salt will extend the unit’s life. Protecting the resin bed from high levels of iron and manganese also protect the system from premature failure. Iron fouls the resin and lowers its ion exchange performance. Resin cleaners enhance the regeneration cycle and help relieve the resin beads of water-hardening minerals. Resin can last for 10 to 20 years if maintained well. However, heavily chlorinated water exhausts the beads ion exchange capacity quickly. Heavy levels of sediment can also cause the screens and injectors within the control valve to fail prematurely. It is wise to place a sediment filter in front of your water softener, especially if you are on well water with lots of dirt and debris. If you live with extremely hard water (over 14 gpg), your system may not last as long as a system softening moderately hard water.
Learn more: What is a sediment filter?
Many factors make it difficult to determine a specific time frame for replacing a water softener. If the unit is over a decade old and you notice that its softening performance is declining, it may be time to invest in a new system.
What is a salt-free water softener?
A salt-free water softener does not actually soften water. These systems, also known as water conditioners, use template assisted crystallization (TAC) instead of ion exchange to address water hardness. TAC uses small spherical beads to convert dissolved calcium and magnesium minerals into micro-crystals. These crystals are unable to attach to surfaces, thereby blocking them from producing scale build-up in pipes. Salt-free water conditioners do not soften water; they are anti-scale systems. Though these systems are effective at both preventing scale and eliminating pre-existing scale, they do not provide many of the benefits reaped by water softening. Rather than removing hardness minerals from water, they transform the hardness minerals, leaving the elevated calcium and magnesium levels in the water. This means you will not see many of the water softening benefits, like brighter laundry and cleaner dishes. You will still have to use additional detergent to achieve the desired cleanliness. Soap scum will still build up around your tub and shower. However, your showerheads and faucets will be safe from scaly accumulations, and you will see pressure and flow return to your pipes.
Learn more: The truth about salt-free water softeners | Water conditioners vs water softeners
Water softener alternatives
While water softeners are the best systems at removing hardness minerals from water, they are banned in some municipalities because of the salty wastewater they produce, leaving residents with no choice but to find an alternative. While there is no perfect alternative to a water softener, there are a couple of options that solve some hard water issues.
Water conditioners
Water conditioners use a template-assisted crystallization (TAC) media to crystallize the minerals that make water hard. This crystallization prevents water from building up scale in pipes and appliances, but the conditioned water is not softened. Water softeners use an ion exchange resin to remove these minerals from water, while water conditioners physically alter them to prevent scaling.
Other than scale treatment, the benefits of a water softener do not apply to a water conditioner. Without removing hardness minerals from water, laundry will come out brittle and discolored, dishes will contain soap spots, and soap will build up scum and not lather properly. This makes water conditioners not an ideal alternative to water softeners.
Learn more: Water conditioners vs water softeners
Reverse osmosis systems
Technically, a reverse osmosis (RO) system will soften water, but constantly running hard water through RO filters will cause the membrane to go bad much faster than normal. To get the highest efficiency out of a reverse osmosis system, water flowing through the RO membrane should already be softened. As a result, an RO system is not a good alternative to a water softener. Rather, RO systems are excellent when used in conjunction with a water softener.
If you have questions about water softening or buying a water softener, please do not hesitate to contact us.