Benefits of Using a Water Softener
It’s inexpensive to use a water softener. It needs less than $3 in electricity per year.2
A water softener only requires about 2.5 pounds of salt. That’s 80 percent less salt than dial-style softeners.
Soft water can make cleaning take less time, help your appliances last longer and help you avoid plumbing clogs.
Clog-Free Plumbing and Fixtures
Soft water helps water flow easily in plumbing. Hard water causes mineral coatings to gather in your pipes and fixtures. This can lead to clogs and decreased water pressure.
Showerheads in homes with hard water can lose 75 percent of their flow rate in fewer than 18 months. Soft water keeps the shine and full flow for faucets and showerheads, nearly as well as the day they were installed.
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 become warm. This can spread over the heating elements in your appliances, lowering life span and efficiency.
As a result, your appliances may need repeated service or need to be exchanged earlier.
Efficient Water Heaters
Soft water maintains the efficiency of water heaters.
Gas storage and tankless water heaters using soft water hold on to the factory efficiency rating over a 15-year period. In comparison, using hard water for a gas water heater can reduce efficiency by up to 48 percent.
If you have an electric water heater, up to 30 pounds of rock-like scale can build up in the tank from hard water. The scale is an inferior heat conductor. It can decrease the life of your heating element, because it has to work more to heat water.
Soft Skin, Brighter Laundry and Cleaner Dishes
Hard water minerals collect on your skin and in your hair, triggering it to look dull. It can also lead to painful razor burn.
Soft water is more efficient at washing away soap residue, so you’ll have smoother skin and glossier hair. Plus, your clothes will look brighter and your dishes will look cleaner.
Less Soap and Cleaning Time
When you have hard water, you have to use additional soap for a decent lather. The minerals in hard water react with soap. This creates a scum on showers.
With soft water, you won’t need to spend as much time cleaning to get rid of soap scum. You’ll also use less soap.