Is a Salt Free Water Softener Right For Your Home?
If you're experiencing hard water in your home and the attendant issues it can bring, adding a water softener to your home can eliminate the minerals that cause hard water. Water is considered “hard” when increased levels of calcium and magnesium are present. These minerals can create issues throughout your home like scaling on plumbing fixtures, a buildup in copper pipes, reduced effectiveness of water using appliances including spotting on dishes and glasses, and the need for increased detergent when laundering clothes.
In the recent past, most water softeners used salt as a part of the softening process. Softeners work by using sodium to replace these minerals in a process known as ion exchange. Softeners that use salt come with a few downsides these include:
• Having to add salt – units that use salt require 50 lbs of salt to be added regularly. This is an ongoing cost to operate the system.
• Wasted water – water softeners that use salt must be backwashed to remove accumulated minerals, this can be a problem, especially if you live in a drought-prone area, or if you are connected to a municipal water system and pay by the gallon.
• Water softeners need a drain close by – Water softeners must be piped to a drainage system to discharge the backwash water. If there is no drain nearby, it can be challenging to install a unit in your home.
• You'll also need electricity nearby – Softeners need power to operate, this can mean an additional cost for locating a power source nearby.
The Salt Free Water Softener: A Green Alternative
Today, salt free water softener technology is available. It uses a technology that naturally conditions water and prevents scaling without the need for back-flushing, chemicals or salt. That means savings on your water bill as well as fewer chemicals released into the environment, making this technology a green alternative.
Salt free water softeners produce zero discharge and require no electricity to operate. It's a tested technology that has been proved by leading institutions, and hundreds of thousands of these units are in use worldwide.
These systems use a technology called Template Assisted Crystallization. Any minerals present are transformed into nano crystals that remain in the water but are now harmless. Here are some advantages of salt free softeners.
• You Lack Space
Softeners that are salt based are large bulky units requiring drainage and electricity to operate. Salt free systems are much more compact and can fit almost anywhere indoors or outside. (if they are protected from freezing.)
• If you Need To Monitor Sodium Intake
While softeners using salt do not result in “salt” water, there is some sodium that is present in your water after treatment. For those on a sodium-restricted diet, or have cardiovascular issues, salt free systems produce no sodium.
• You Want a “Greener” Lifestyle
Today, we all need to be mindful of our impact on the environment. Salt free systems produce no discharge and use much less water to operate.
• You Want To Eliminate Chemicals
We're also trying to be healthier in our daily living choices. Salt free systems use no sodium or chemicals in any way.
• You Want Minerals in Your Water
Studies have shown that minerals like calcium and magnesium can be beneficial to your health. Salt free systems do not remove these chemicals, they simple crystalize them to eliminate the problems of hard water while leaving these healthy mineral in the water for consumption.
• You Want To Save Money
Salt-based systems require electricity, ongoing salt, and other chemicals, plus use much more water. All will cost you money. A salt-free system uses less water and requires no salt or electricity, so they cost less to operate. And as a bonus, are much easier to maintain!
• Your Appliances Will Last Longer
...and cost less in repairs! Hard water can shorten the life of your appliances making replacement more frequent and costing you money. Salt free technology can extend the life of your appliances, keep the cleaner running, so they require less costly repairs, and save you plenty of money over the long term!
At Skillings and Sons, we believe that anything that is good for the environment, does an effective job, and costs our customers less to operate is a smart investment! That's why we carry and install a variety of efficient, salt free water softener technology. If you'd like to learn more about the benefits of installing a salt free water softener in your home, give us a call! We're always happy to help our customers reduce their environmental impact, stay healthy, and save money!
