Water Softener COST To Install (& Running Costs)
Do you have hard water in your home? Is there lots of white horrible limescale stains around your pipes and plumbing? This most likely means that you need to install a water softener in the house.
Through the ion exchange process the water softener extracts the magnesium and calcium ions. Thus removing the “hard” mineral content in your water.
When this happens your “hard water” turns “soft.
Soft water flowing through your home means no more accumulation limescale buildup.
It means your metal and stainless steel appliances wont look like the horrible limescale stain incrusted picture above.
You will also notice better water effects on your skin as it will start to feel soft and silky.
There will also be a more effective long term use of soap and detergents which will lather faster and last longer.
Your laundry will be less prone to drying out with fading colours. These are just some of the benefits that you will start to notice right away.
Gradually you also save money (that you would normally spend on replacing limescale effected appliances etc).
However, the first step to enjoying all these benefits will be to buy and install a water softener. This article will help you understand the costs involved in this process.
Water Softener Cost To Install?
How much does it cost to install a water softener, and is it worth the price?
Well, I’ll start by saying that if you don’t have any plumbing experience you should get an expert plumber. Expect to pay upwards of $150 – $250 for basic installation.
However, to get a professional plumber with top customer reviews and detailed expertise you can expect to pay more.
How Much Do Water Softeners Cost?
The price of the average water softener cost start at $675 for a basic stand-a-lone softener.
However softener filter combination devices are typically $2,000 – $2,500.
Commercial water softeners tend to be larger as they have to manage a larger water capacity, so prices start at $2998 and go up to $5027 and above.
However, the price range of water softeners varies and depends on various factors, including capacity, specification, manufacturer and duration of the warranty.
What Is The Cost of Running a Water Softener?
As with different models and brands, the operating costs also vary. The cheapest ones are those that are non electric, so your electricity bill will not increase.
However, even models that use electricity will only set you back about 10-15 cents per day.
The only on-going cost that you can not avoid is salt. All softeners will require this to remove hard minerals and make your water “soft”.
But the use of salt depends on the amount of water that passes through the system, the type of salt you use and how hard the water is.
The cost of salt while using a water softener is typically $5.58 for an average sized family for a month.
Despite these additional costs, water softeners pay for themselves after a few years.
This is thanks to the reduced water damage that you’ll see on your pipes, plumbing and home appliances. As well as the general increase in water efficiencies around the home.
Many households report spending up to 50% less on toiletries and cleaning products. While other costs, such as limescale removers and descalers are completely eliminated.
What Are The Cost Savings of Running a Water Softener?
Soft water is a solvent. This means that its the type of water that allows other chemicals to be easily dissolved.
Hard water is less reactive to soap and detergents due to its mineral content. This means that when hard water meets soap it does not lather or foam as easily. Therefore not good for effective cleaning.
However, with soft water, on the other hand, you can use a fraction of the amount of detergent and still get effective cleaning.
This leads to greater efficiencies, cost saving not to mention a better effect on your hair, fabric, skin and laundry.
I calculated the following savings based on the average household of a family of 4.
Item | Percentage Saving |
Washing up liquid | 50% |
Powder detergent | 75% |
Washing Machine Descaler | 100% |
Toilet Cleaner | 75% |
Shower Shine | 100% |
Shower Gel | 50% |
Shaving Soap | 50% |
Shampoo | 50% |
Razor Blades | 50% |
Liquid Soap | 50% |
Kettle Descaler | 100% |
Hand Cream | 75% |
Hair Conditioner | 75% |
General Scale Removers | 100% |
Floor Cleaner | 50% |
Fabric Conditioners | 75% |
Dishwasher Salt | 75% |
Dish washer Powder | 75% |
Dishwasher Cleaner | 50% |
Bubble Bath | 50% |
Body Lotion | 75% |
Bathroom/Kitchen Cleaner | 50% |
Bars of Soap | 50% |
As you can see getting a water softener can greatly reduce your shopping bills. But the savings don’t just stop there. You can save in other areas of the home and on things like energy bills.
Water Softeners Help Reduce Energy Bills and Increase Appliance Life
An average household in a hard water area will be built with at least 1.5 mm of internal piping. However, hard water creates limescale deposits that makes your system run less efficiently.
To put this in context, an accumulation of only 0.5 mm of hard minerals is enough to reduce your heat output by at least 12%.
See below to get an idea of what this can mean in actual costs and savings.
The following numbers again refer to an average family home of two adults and two children.
Item | Cost Saved |
Fuel Saving | $7.69 |
Capital Depreciation | $12.48 |
This represents a saving of over $240 on your household bills in a year. In addition to this, softened water is expected to preserve your boiler’s life span to a few years.
Water Softener Installation Tutorial | Video by ABCwaters
So, How Much Does it Take Water Softener Cost To Install?
You can expect to pay upwards of $150 – $250 for a basic uncomplicated water softener installation.
Did you know that Amazon now provide plumbing services?
You can get your water softener installed from a trusted brand like Amazon that have very good customer service.– – > Get a direct quote and read other customer reviews.
Installing a water softener is a long term investment that can save you money over a period of time.
Popular non-electrical water softener systems contain no moving parts. Once set up they work automatically and are able to cope with the increasing water needs of the average family household.
A good brand will be virtually maintenance free once set up, with little to no running costs.
All you have to do is add salt (in the form of block salt) which only costs around $5.58 a month for a small to medium sized family home.
Treats hard water UP TO 25 ppm (low to medium low hard water). | Treats hard water OVER 25 ppm (medium to extremely hard water). |
Does NOT require electricity. | Requires electricity if using the electronic head monitor. |
Control Your System With An App:? NO | Control Your System With An App:? YES |
- Powerful salt-FREE water softener. - 1,000,000 one million gallon capacity. - Aquasana Rhino exceeds NSF standards. - Treats hard water WITHOUT salt. - Removes chlorine, bacteria, iron, sulfide, manganese, mercury, lead etc. - Includes pre-filter, copper-zinc and carbon filtration stages with standard fittings. - 90-Day Pure Satisfaction Guarantee. - Limited 10 year warranty. | - Powerful salt-BASED water softener. - 1,000,000 one million gallon capacity. - Also includes a multi-stage filter. - Easy installation (inside or outside) - Sufficient for 1-3 bathrooms (options for 4-6 and 7+ bathrooms also available). - 6 month money back guarantee. - Limited lifetime warranty. |
$$$ Ships to US and CA. | $$$ Ships to US, CA and Puerto Rico. |
Sale prices automatically applied by clicking this link. | |
If there is *no* sale try coupon code: AQGEEK50 | Coupon Code: GEEK5 |