Water Softener Guide

Water softeners are different from water filters and are a subset of water conditioners. A water conditioner is just a generic term for any sort of water system that is able to alter the quality of your water to improve it in some way. You can see more about these differences in my post on…

Do you need a water softener repair? In the world of home appliances, water softeners are wonderfully useful and necessary for people suffering from hard water. Although they are usually reliable and typically require little maintenance, sometimes they just break. If your water softener does not work, I’ll show you how to fix it. Water…

Reasons NOT To RENT A Water Softener It is much cheaper to buy a softener over the long term because the rental costs add up. Suppose you rent a system for $25 a month and the purchase price is $1,000. If you rent for at least three and a half years, you will pay more in…

Why Is The Diamond Crystal Softener Salt Brand So CONFUSING? When you type “Diamond Crystal Softener Salt” in to Google, you’ll often be corrected or suggested to do a search for “Crystal Water Softener” instead. However, there is no “Crystal Water Softener” because this company doesn’t make softeners only salt. However, there is another unrelated…

The PROBLEM with Water Softeners Here are specific benefits of getting a salt free water conditioner over a traditional water softener: Water softeners create pollution through wastewater. Soft water is silky filmy slippery water that is not suitable for many everyday household chores. High maintenance is necessary because you need to clean the system, and…

The Biggest Problem With Water Conditioners By far the biggest issue with water conditioners (sometimes called “salt free softeners”) is they are typically not suitable for homes with very high levels of hard water. They are the most effective in homes with low to moderately hard water. The Biggest Problem With Water Softeners Although water…

The Best and Worst Type of Salt To Use For Water Softeners Here is the best type of salt (sodium) you should use for your waters softener and the very worst to avoid at all costs: Worst: Rock salt Rock salt is often considered the least desirable for water softeners. It contains more impurities, which…

Getting a small water softener is ideal when space saving is essential and you need your softener to fit. This is the ideal solution in a situation where space is at a premium. Yes, it’s a bit more expensive to buy because the regular size softeners’ are better value for money. But it is also…

Water Softener System Costs I’ll look at the 3 levels of softeners, give an indication of their price range and explain what they are. Budget and Low Cost Water Softeners (from $500) A poor quality cheap budget softener model can have the annual operating costs (salt and electricity) of more than $120 per year. This…

What’s The Problem with Calcium in Water? One effect of hard water is that soaps and detergents lose effectiveness. Instead of dissolving completely, the soap takes longer to form foam. As less soap dissolves, more is needed. The insoluble and sticky foam can adhere to skin hindering any moisturizing effect. The result of this is…

The Most Common Misconceptions About Salt-Free Softeners There is a lot of bad information about salt free softeners (sometimes called water conditioners) out there so let’s start by dispelling the myths: Salt free softeners do NOT produce soft water. They simply re-condition your water so that the hard minerals do not stick to your plumbing…

Water Softener Price Comparison Table As there are sometimes short-term sales and special offers, prices for water softeners may vary significantly from the last price checked. Nevertheless, I will try to  review and update prices at least once a month. **Price at the time it was checked. Extra Water Softener Running Costs You Must Know…