Comments on: Facts (& DANGERS) About Salt Free Water Softeners https://mrwatergeek.com/salt-free-water-softener/ Unbiased, simplified water encyclopedia Sun, 07 Jun 2026 08:17:30 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.6 By: Shashank Varma (Mr Water Geek) https://mrwatergeek.com/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-22269 Fri, 06 Dec 2024 04:40:29 +0000 http://localhost:8081/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-22269 In reply to LJ.

Hi LJ,
Yep, you’re right. Unfortunately, it’s true that the salt-free solutions don’t work as well as salt-based softeners. They’re fine if your hardness is mild but anything worse than mild is difficult for a salt-free product to keep up. Flow rate and contact time with the media matter too, which is tricky to manage at the inlet where we need the water to be flowing at max pressure/flowrate.

Best,
Shashank
Mr Water Geek

]]> By: LJ https://mrwatergeek.com/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-22263 Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:37:53 +0000 http://localhost:8081/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-22263 We are on an acreage with well water. We had a salt water softener and it worked great. My husband got sold on the idea of a salt free ion converter system, as it uses less water consumption and the cost decrease of salt. After only a few weeks I noticed mineral deposits in my dishwasher and on my dishes; my laundry whites were not cleaning properly and there was some kind of mineral deposits on all my water fixtures. So frustrating!! The manufacturer just said oh that’s normal, let it run for awhile and get out the remaining old stuff from your tanks. Almost a year later it’s all the same. I convinced my husband to go back to the salt water softener. We lost money as the manufacturer won’t give us a refund. I’m assuming it didn’t work because our well water is high in mineral:calcium…

]]> By: Luke George (Mr Water Geek) https://mrwatergeek.com/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-15165 Wed, 13 Apr 2022 20:39:49 +0000 http://localhost:8081/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-15165 In reply to Joe Wetzel.

Hi Joe

You could consider this well water and salt free softener alternative. It treats the things you mentioned and the softener alternative can treat up to 75 gpg (extremely hard water) without salt.

Stay hydrated,
Luke

]]> By: Joe Wetzel https://mrwatergeek.com/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-15149 Tue, 12 Apr 2022 16:21:30 +0000 http://localhost:8081/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-15149 What would you recommend for my house. I’m on a well with some evidence of iron and calcium deposits. Also on a septic. Interested in salt free design if possible. Have not had a test of my water yet.

]]> By: Luke George (Mr Water Geek) https://mrwatergeek.com/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-14704 Tue, 01 Mar 2022 12:54:51 +0000 http://localhost:8081/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-14704 In reply to Richard R Jellies.

Hi Richard

It sounds very complicated but assuming you have enough space and the right access to your plumbing all of that checks out to me.

A traditional salt based softener will just produce soft water irrespective of what type of water you feed into it (pre-conditioned or not).

Stay hydrated,
Luke

]]> By: Richard R Jellies https://mrwatergeek.com/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-14698 Mon, 28 Feb 2022 22:21:23 +0000 http://localhost:8081/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-14698 Question: I know it’s redundant, but would this crazy idea work or is it a boneheaded idea? Thinking of using a whole house water filtration system, then going into a salt free water conditioning system to feed that into my cold water side for drinking, landscaping etc. I was considering then routing water from my salt free conditioning system into a traditional saltwater softener to feed my tankless hot water heaters. I know my showers, taps etc will then just be a blend of the two waters, but will the softener actually soften water that has been pre-conditioned or is there something in the science that will not allow the traditional water softener to function as it should. Budget is not really the issue.

]]> By: Luke George https://mrwatergeek.com/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-9762 Tue, 25 May 2021 19:30:36 +0000 http://localhost:8081/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-9762 In reply to gail.

Hi Gail

Is that GPG (grains per gallons) or PPM (parts per million)?

It is most likely PPM because 376 sounds crazy high for GPG, so I calculate 376ppm to be 21.94gpg.

A salt free softener like this can reportedly deal with up to 75gpg so this might be worth looking into.

Stay hydrated,
Luke

]]> By: gail https://mrwatergeek.com/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-9759 Tue, 25 May 2021 16:24:25 +0000 http://localhost:8081/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-9759 You mention that the saltless water system only works well for descaling of moderately hard water, and not severe hard water. My water sample test gave a number of 376 for hardness. I assume that this is too high for a saltless system to be effective. Is this true. I am, mostly interested in protecting an on demand hot water heater.
thank you

]]> By: Luke George https://mrwatergeek.com/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-7223 Wed, 09 Sep 2020 15:52:32 +0000 http://localhost:8081/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-7223 In reply to Dave.

Hi Dave

I have written a review of Tier1 salt-based softeners but have not yet investigated its salt less options.

My personal favorites when it comes to whole house filter and salt free conditioner combos are this and this.

But I’ll look into Tier1 saltless for a future review – thank you!

Stay hydrated,
Luke

]]> By: Dave https://mrwatergeek.com/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-7222 Wed, 09 Sep 2020 15:21:31 +0000 http://localhost:8081/salt-free-water-softener/#comment-7222 What is your opinion of the tier 1 brand salt less water conditioner

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