Benefits of Using a Water Softener
It’s low-cost to use a water softener. It consumes less than $3 in electricity per year.2
A water softener only has to have about 2.5 pounds of salt. That’s 80 percent less salt than dial-style softeners.
Soft water can make cleaning more effortless, help your appliances run longer and help you avoid plumbing clogs.
Clog-Free Plumbing and Fixtures
Soft water helps water flow smoothly in plumbing. Hard water causes mineral coatings to accumulate in your pipes and fixtures. This can lead to clogs and reduced water pressure.
Showerheads in homes with hard water can lose 75 percent of their flow rate in less than 18 months. Soft water keeps the shine and full flow for faucets and showerheads, nearly as well as the day they were added.
Soft water is doesn’t have a lot of minerals. It doesn’t create deposits in pipes or limit water flow in fixtures.
Longer-Lasting Appliances
Over time, hard water can cause minerals to build up in your washing machine and dishwasher.
The mineral deposits in hard water make limescale when they get hot. This can spread over the heating elements in your appliances, lowering life span and efficiency.
As a result, your appliances may need frequent fixes or need to be exchanged sooner.
Efficient Water Heaters
Soft water protects the efficiency of water heaters.
Gas storage and tankless water heaters running on soft water maintain the factory efficiency rating over a 15-year life span. In comparison, using hard water for a gas water heater can lower efficiency by up to 48 percent.
If you use an electric water heater, up to 30 pounds of rock-like scale can build up in the tank from hard water. The scale is a bad heat conductor. It can decrease the life of your heating element, because it has to work longer to heat water.
Soft Skin, Brighter Laundry and Cleaner Dishes
Hard water minerals build up on your skin and in your hair, triggering it to become dehydrated. It can also cause painful razor burn.
Soft water is better at rinsing soap residue, so you’ll have softer skin and sleeker hair. Plus, your clothes will look brighter and your dishes will have fewer spots.
Less Soap and Cleaning Time
When you have hard water, you have to use extra soap for a decent lather. The minerals in hard water react with soap. This creates a scum on sinks.
With soft water, you won’t need to spend as much time cleaning to eliminate soap scum. You’ll also use less cleaning supplies.