If your home has hard water, you should already know how much it affects you and your plumbing. It can lead to dry, itchy skin, prevent soaps from lathering or rinsing, and leave unsightly buildup on your fixtures. However, you may not know there’s more than one way to address a hard water problem. The most common option is to install a salt-based water softener system. The other is installing a salt-free alternative. Here’s what you need to know about each option and how to choose between them.
What Is Hard Water?
Hard water refers to tap water with high levels of dissolved minerals in it. Most often, calcium and magnesium make up the bulk of those minerals. Scientists measure water hardness on a scale of milligrams per liter (mg/L). Water with between 0 and 60 mg/L of minerals is soft. Water with 61 to 120 mg/L is moderately hard. Water with 121 to 180 mg/L is hard. And finally, anything over 180 mg/L is very hard.
Municipal water authorities, by contrast, refer to water hardness on a scale called grains per gallon (GPG). Do-it-yourself water hardness test kits also tend to use that same scale. The GPG scale is as follows:
- 0-3 GPG is soft water
- 3-7 GPG is moderately hard water
- 7-11 GPG is hard water
- 11-15 GPG is very hard water
- Over 15 GPG is extremely hard water
It is essential to understand both scales before you begin shopping for a water softening solution. Most water softener systems will measure their softening capacity using one or both scales. In the case of salt-based systems, your water hardness will also affect their approximate salt replenishment needs.
How Salt-Based Water Softeners Work
Salt-based water softeners rely on some interesting chemistry to eliminate minerals from your water. Specifically, they perform an ion exchange process, substituting sodium ions for the problematic mineral ions. Most salt-based water softeners include two tanks to facilitate the ion exchange process. In one tank, you’ll find porous plastic resin beads. The surfaces of the beads feature molecules that readily bind to positively charged ions. The other tank features a brine mixture of water and sodium chloride, which you must occasionally replenish.
The first part of the softening process happens when the unit fills the resin bead tank with brine. That saturates the surface of the beads in sodium ions. Once that process completes, the unit pumps the brine through a drain. With the beads prepared, the unit will allow incoming tap water to flow into the bead tank. As that happens, the mineral ions in the water displace the sodium ions on the beads. That happens because the minerals have a higher ionic charge than the sodium, creating a stronger attraction to the beads.
A salt-based water softener will repeat the brine rinse process periodically to replenish the sodium ions on the beads. Most systems carry the process out at night when you’re unlikely to use water.
The Advantages of Salt-Based Water Softeners
There are good reasons why salt-based water softeners are the most common hard water solution. One is that they’re effective at removing minerals and some staining metals. Another is longevity. The beads in a typical water softener will last between 10 and 20 years before needing to be replaced. The only consumable required to run a salt-based water softener is salt. As it’s so plentiful, the sodium chloride used in water softeners is also cheap.
The Disadvantages of Salt-Based Water Softeners
There are only two main drawbacks to using a salt-based water softener. One is that they waste some water due to the brine rinsing process. So, adding a salt-based water softener may add to your home’s water bills. The other disadvantage is that adding sodium to your water can adversely affect anyone in your home with sodium sensitivities. That often includes anyone with high blood pressure or heart disease. However, most systems allow the substitution of potassium chloride, a safer alternative. It’s more expensive than sodium chloride, though, and will add to your ongoing operational costs.
How Salt-Free Water Softeners Work
The first thing you should know about salt-free water softeners is that they don’t produce softer water. For that reason, it’s more appropriate to call them water conditioners. They actually change the structure of the dissolved minerals in your water. That way, they won’t form scale as quickly in your pipes or fixtures. Instead, most of your water’s mineral content passes harmlessly through your plumbing.
Salt-free systems use a process known as template-assisted crystallization (TAC). TAC also relies on polymer beads, just like a salt-based water softener. However, instead of for ion exchange, TAC systems use their beads to induce mineral crystallization. If you examine the beads in a TAC system under a microscope, you’ll find countless depressions known as nucleation sites. They catch mineral ions in water passing through and mold them into a crystalline form. That makes the minerals less prone to sticking to pipes and other surfaces.
The Advantages of Salt-Free Water Softeners
Salt-free water softeners have some notable advantages, including requiring no electricity. They work like passive filtration systems. They also eliminate the water waste you’d experience with a salt-based system. Additionally, they include no consumables to replenish and thus have negligible operating costs. Most salt-free systems only need periodic cartridge replacements.
The Disadvantages of Salt-Free Water Softeners
The most significant disadvantage of salt-free water softeners is that they still leave you with hard water. Since the minerals remain, your water will still feel and taste the same way it did without the system. Some salt-free systems include water filtration to improve water taste, however. Additionally, treating hard water doesn’t eliminate scale problems. It only diminishes them. Over time, your fixtures will still experience scale buildup. The harder your water is, the less of a beneficial effect a salt-free system will have. The scale that forms from conditioned water will be much easier to clean off, in any case.
Choosing Between Salt-Based and Salt-Free Water Softeners
Generally speaking, salt-based water softeners are the preferred option in most circumstances. They’re reliable and have minimal disadvantages. However, there are some situations where salt-free systems may be a good option. One is if you’re primarily concerned with hard water’s effects on your home’s plumbing. Another is if you live in an area restricting brine expulsion into drainage systems.
Local Water Softening Experts
If you need a solution for your Wausau home’s hard water or any plumbing services, Southport Home Services is the place to get it. We sell and install multiple water softener options as well as filtration systems and can recommend the perfect solution. We also offer a 100% 30-day satisfaction guarantee. So, if the softener you select doesn’t do what you want it to do, we’ll remove it and refund your money.
If you need more information about how we might be able to help you with our water treatment services, contact Southport Home Services today!
