Most cities in Texas struggle with hard water problems. For example, Fort Worth’s water has 140 Parts Per Million of hardness. This means that most folks in this area drink foul-tasting and smelly water.

Fortunately, with water softeners, you don’t have to worry about the effects of hard water. For starters, a water softener removes heavy minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and iron. It replaces the mineral ions in the water with sodium ions, making it soft. Thus, preventing buildup, scaling, and staining in your pipes, fixtures, and appliances. A water softener also reduces your water bill and even softens your skin and hair.

A plumber can help you mount a water softener in your home to improve your water quality. Water softeners are available in different types. In this blog post, you’ll learn about various types of water softeners and their benefits.

Salt-Based Water Softeners

Also known as an ion exchange water softener, a salt-based water softener has a resin that allows it to remove heavy minerals such as magnesium and calcium. Afterward, it releases sodium ions to finish the ion exchange process.

Once softened, water flows into this unit and into a separate tank. Although a small amount of salt is added to the water during this process, it’s hard to detect the salt, and you don’t have to worry about it damaging your water fixtures, appliances or even affecting your skin and hair.

Salt-based water softeners are commonly used in the United States because they can fit in all sizes of houses and are available in portable options. For instance, small mobile units are available for RV owners and campers.

Benefits Of Salt-Based Water Softeners

  • These softeners lower your heating bills by 30 percent.
  • They make your hair softer and easier to maintain.
  • Saves your dishwater and water heater from the devastating effects of calcium.
  • Prevents clogging in your plumbing system by removing excess hard water minerals.
  • Your shower heads, sinks, and toilets stay new, as they will have no crusty marks or scale buildup.
  • You’ll enjoy smooth and more moisturized skin after taking a shower.
  • No more cloudy dishes and glassware.

Cons Of Salt-Based Water Softeners

  • Salt-based water softeners need consistent maintenance. Without constant care, the system becomes useless.
  • A large amount of water is wasted because the cleaning cycle is long. Sometimes the wastewater may end up on the ground, killing vegetation. In fact, some municipalities in Texas are considering banning these softeners because of high TDS levels that can’t be treated by waste treatment plants.
  • You need a competent plumber to install these units, especially if the waste line has to pass under a driveway or sidewalk. Also, connecting electricity to the site can be costly.

Pro Tip

When shopping for a salt-based water softener, you should consider purchasing a metered system programmed to automatically restore the water softener after a particular volume of water goes through.

You can also opt for a timed salt-based water softener system that restores sodium ions as per the set schedule.

Salt-Free Water Softeners

Instead of an ion exchange process, salt-free water softeners use a template-assisted crystallization (TAC) system to neutralize minerals in the water.

This unit is ideal for homeowners seeking to improve their water quality without adding salt to the drinking water. You can also opt for a salt-free water softener if you are looking for a relatively maintenance-free unit.

Salt-free water softeners resemble salt-based units but differ in functionality. In these appliances, heavy minerals stick to the polymeric beads at the microscopic nucleation sites as water flows through the softener.

The minerals in the water stick to the sites and change into crystals through a neutralization process. Through this process, minerals cannot bind to anything while passing through the water.

After neutralization, the contaminants separate from the microscopic nucleation sites and move harmlessly through the water without causing scaling or mineral buildup.

Advantages Of A Salt-Free Water Conditioner

  • Low media consumption: W