There are many companies that offer a water treatment for your home. They can oftentimes seem confusing and overwhelming. When you first start your research, the system might seem straightforward, but then you realize there are different variables to consider. As you are doing your research, you should make sure different facets are considered. Here are four of those things.
1. Kind of water treatment system
There are different kinds of water softeners a homeowner can get for their home. The most common type is an ion-exchange system. This kind of system sends household water through two tanks.
One tank has special resin beads and the other has brine (salt). The ion-exchange does just what it sounds like. It exchanges hard minerals, like calcium, iron, and magnesium for salt. This conditions the water and makes the water “soft”. There is also a salt-free water softener.
This system uses potassium-chloride salt instead of sodium. It operates differently than an Ion-exchange system, in that it does not reduce the hard minerals, it just prevents them from adhering to surfaces, like pipes. It is not considered to be as effective as a conventional water softener.
One other kind of water softener is a dual-tank water softening unit. This uses two tanks so when one tank is regenerating (or being softened), the other take can be in use.
2. Price
Water softener systems vary significantly in price. A homeowner can get a DIY setup that can be as inexpensive as $400 or they can pay thousands for a professionally installed system.
There are several factors that impact the cost of a system. It really depends on how big your house is, how much of the home’s water you are looking to soften, the machine used for softening, and the type of water softener. Some homeowners may choose to just do a single tap in their house, which will be very inexpensive.
However, if they are deciding to condition the water in the whole house, the price will be considerable. But, when consideration is given to the benefits of water softening, including cleaner pipes, it can be well worth it in the end.
3. Installation
Depending on what kind of system a homeowner decides on, the cost for installation will vary. There are inexpensive ways that the homeowner can do by themselves, so the installation is minimal.
However, a whole house system involves work being done with the pipes and rerouting them into the system. Because you need the expertise of a plumber, it will cost more money to install. For more resources, the Global Hydration website may provide you with additional information.
4. What to expect
The homeowner should expect to have water that does not leave behind mineral deposits. This means there will not be additional deposits within the pipes. And, over time, the pipes can become less blocked by using the softened water. Other things, like laundry, showering, and washing dishes will also feel different and leave less mineral residue.