Best Salt Free Water Softener

Are You The Diy Type

Are you handy? Are you familiar with plumbing and piping? Then this may be a job for you! If not, then we strongly recommend hiring a professional plumber or handyman. Ease of installation depends on your specific home, homes piping size and type. We will provide you with bypass valve and 1 elbow fittings. All you need to provide is your own piping and fittings to attach to the system. Watch our video for more details.

The Importance Of Water Pressure:

What’s the point of purchasing a water system, installing it, and getting great tasting water if you’re going to have drop in water pressure? That’s why at Springwell Water, we build our systems based on the number of bathrooms you have in your home to ensure you get no drop in water pressure.

Here’s what you need to think about! The average shower uses 2.1 gallons of water per minute. If your home has 3 full bathrooms and all three showers are turned on at the same time, this means you’ll be using about 6.3 gallons per minute . You need to make sure you are purchasing a system with at least 8 GPM in case your appliances are on as well as kitchen sink, etc.

Our competitors tend to under value the importance of water pressure. Make sure you’re not creating a new issue by solving another.

How To Tell When Your Softener Needs Recharging

So, how can you tell when the beads in your softener need to be recharged?

Here are a few things you can check:

• How hard is your water?
• How much iron is in your water?
• Is water still hard after the softening process?
• Is iron still present?

While some of these signs may be easy for the average homeowner to detect, others will likely require the help of a water quality expert with the tools and knowledge to perform the tests and evaluate the results.

How old your system is can also impact its performance. Older water softeners will lose capacity over the years, resulting in a more frequent need to regenerate.

On average, a water softener system takes 90 minutes to regenerate itself. This process can use as much as 25 gallons of water, depending on the hardness of the water in your area.

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The Different Types Of Saltless Water Softeners And How They Work

As mentioned above, there are various types of saltless water softeners. They come in all shapes and sizes and are based on different technologies. In other words, not all saltless water softeners work the same way.

Side note: Reverse osmosis and other water filtration systems are not intended to soften water. Salt-free softeners, salt-based softeners, and water filters will all treat the water in your home but in different ways.

Aquios Aqf220 Whole House Salt

Highlighted Features

• This system is smaller in size than most and easily installs to your homes main water line.
• It comes with a 5-Micron filter and salt-free softening features that break up hard water molecules.
• The system is designed to allow water to sustain a high-pressure flow rate without the need for electricity or maintenance.
• The 5-Micron filter will handle up to 40,000 gallons of water before needing to be replaced, which is typically about 6 months.

The Aquios Salt-Free water softener is one of the most affordable options on our list. With a price tag coming in under $500, you are getting great value for the price with this system.

It combines the water ionization process that you will find in most salt-free systems with a 5-Micron filter that can remove chlorine and other large sediments.

The water softening process takes hard water particles into the device and sequesters them, which does not allow them to stick to a surface. This is a great feature if you are trying to remove scale build-up and lime deposits from your pipes and appliances.

The 5-Micron filter boasts a 40,000-gallon maximum capacity and will retain a solid water pressure throughout its life.

If you are looking for a water softening system that does not require any maintenance and does not require water to be discharged, this is the system you should have your eye on.

What We Like:

What We Didnt Like:

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You Get The Health Benefits Of Minerals

Americans typically get all the calcium and magnesium they need in their diets. But minerals in water can play a role in good health, especially for children and post-menopausal women concerned about bone health. Unlike salt-based softeners, water conditioners dont strip beneficial minerals. So why buy supplements when you can just drink more water?

Buyers Guide Choosing The Best Salt Free Water Softener

After reading the comparisons of our six favorite salt-free water softeners, you may have some questions that need to be answered. You probably noticed that there are some key differences between these models. Some install on the outside of your water pipes, while others hook directly into the mainline of your homes water. Some models filter the water as it passes through, and other devices merely condition the water. Moreover, you may be considering the benefits of a salt-free system over a traditional water softener. Is it a better bet? Why should you choose a salt-free softener instead? In this section, were going to discuss all of this to make sure that youre fully informed before you make a purchase.

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What Is Hard Water

Hard water is water with high levels of calcium and magnesium.

Effects include:

• Soap that wont lather
• Limescale stains on bathroom fixtures
• High utility bills
• Frequent appliance breakdowns and more

Present across the country, not all hard water is hard enough to need treatment. Slightly hard water may be a nuisance, but more than 7 grains per gallon of hardness is likely to have serious consequences for your home.

How Often Should A Water Softener Regenerate

Water softeners function by the exchange of ions. When hard water flows over the bed of resin beads, the beads capture the calcium and magnesium ions that are creating the hardness in the water, and replace them with sodium.

As you might imagine, these resin beads can only hold so much of these ions before becoming saturated and ceasing to function. This is why the resin must be frequently recharged. This regeneration effectively cleans the beads and recharges them with sodium.

Regular regeneration is key to keeping the resin beads active and to keeping your softeners continued functionality. Regeneration typically needs to be repeated every 5 to 7 days, although a high-end softener can often regenerate one or more times daily.

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What Are The Lifetime Costs Of Salt

As with many appliances, the ticket price isnt the entire story when it comes to water softeners. You have the initial purchase upfront, and what happens from there depends on the specific model you get.

For example, lets say system A has a lifetime warranty and no other pre- or post-filters built-in. This is the one system where your initial purchase is probably the only purchase.

System B, on the other hand, has a sediment pre-filter that needs to be changed out every six months and a 5-year expected lifespan thats covered by a five-year warranty.

In addition to the initial purchase, youll also be paying for two filter replacements per year at $50-100 each and then youll have to spring for a new system sometime after the five-year mark. While products with lifetime warranties tend to cost more upfront, this usually makes them the most cost-effective choice over the long term.

Aquios Aqfs220 No Salt Water Softener And Filter Combo

Last but not least, we tested the Aquios AQFS220. Like the other water treatment systems on this list, this is also a salt-free water softener and filter in one. Again, this isnt really a water softener in that it does not get rid of the minerals in the water. Hence, you still get to enjoy the benefits of calcium, potassium, magnesium, and more.

So, what does it do then? The AQFS220 utilizes the polyphosphate additive Siliphos. Through this substance, the magnesium and calcium in your supply, which are what cause limescale buildup, are transformed so that they dont cling to your water lines. Its a natural substance, too, so youre not exposing your body to any synthetic chemical.

Another impressive thing about the AQFS220 is that, besides the water conditioner, it also has a built-in filtration system. With a pore size of 5 microns, this system filters out contaminants and impurities that you do not want your water to have. You can expect the filters to last for about six months or up to 40,000 gallons of water.

If you have even the slightest idea of how plumbing systems work, you will find that this system is easy to install. Just make sure you secure the fittings so that leaks are kept at bay. Cant be bothered to do maintenance tasks? You dont have to worry about that, too, because this entire system requires little to no maintenance.

Pros:

• Can handle an entire houses water supply
• Filters particles bigger than 5 microns

Cons:

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They Lower Your Utility Bills

Water-using appliances are carefully calibrated to work with a certain amount of water. If they dont get enough because your pipes are clogged with limescale, they work harder than they should have to, causing premature wear and higher electricity usage. Some studies suggest that a water conditioner pays for itself in 3-4 years in savings.

Yarna Capacitive Electronic Water Descaler

The Yarna Capacitive Electronic Water Descaler System is our best salt-free system for people who prefer electromagnetic water conditioning.

System Type

The Yarna Capacitive Electronic Water Descaler System uses an electromagnetic field to prevent scale buildup. It is unlike TAC and chelation water softeners because rather than binding or crystallizing hardness minerals, it disrupts them with electromagnetism.

Of course, going by the way it works, this product will leave essential minerals in your drinking water, which is good. But then, its effectiveness is generally only about 50%. So, while it might work for low levels of water hardness, it might not be good enough for serious cases of hardness.

Flow Rate

It does not get in the way of water flow. So, it has no flow speed/rate.

Ease of Installation

The installation is very straightforward. The device is completely DIY you do not need tools or the services of a professional.

Maintenance Frequency

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What Are The Different Types Of Salt

Salt-free softeners, also known as descalers or water conditioners, fall under the broad classification of water softeners. This section will list all of them thoroughly to give the user a better idea of their differences.

Salt-based Softeners

Often called the classic model, salt-based water softeners are a staple in many households. According to customer reviews like Tac water treatment systems reviews, these types of water softeners rely on an ion exchange process to eliminate the hard minerals found in the water.

How this works is that water flows into a tank containing resin beads. These resin beads act as magnets that attract all the hard minerals into it. Once the minerals buildup into a certain amount, the system automatically regenerates and flushes all of these out.

Thus, salt-based softeners are great for reducing mineral buildup that damages plumbing systems, pipes, and appliances. However, they need to undergo routine maintenance, and the water they produce tends to carry a salty taste.

Salt-free softeners

More appropriately called water conditioners or descalers, salt-free softeners do not per se remove these hard minerals like the salt-based models. Instead, they just alter and transform these minerals to prevent them from clinging into surfaces.

Salt-free softeners are great in lessening scale buildup. They are also simple to use and are maintenance-free.

Dual Tank Softeners

Salt Based Water Softeners Vs Saltless Water Softeners

As discussed above, salt-based water softeners utilize a negatively charged resin bed to attract and remove magnesium and calcium from the water supply. These water softeners also utilize salt to clean the water softener and regenerate the resin bed. During regeneration, positively charged sodium ions replace the hard water minerals trapped in the resin bed, and the hard water concentrate is flushed down the drain.

Salt-free water softeners, on the other hand, do not remove hard water minerals from the water. Rather, they transform the magnesium and calcium chemically, so that they do not cling to surfaces and precipitate into scale. Because the hard water minerals are not actually captured by salt-free water softener systems, there is no need for salt or a regeneration cycle to purge the minerals down the drain.

Since the very definition of water softening requires that hard water minerals be REMOVED, and the salt-free process only ALTERS the minerals, allowing them to remain in the water, salt-free water softeners are not actually softening water rather, they are for water conditioning.

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Ao Smith Whole House Salt Free Water Descaler

Highlighted Features

• The AO Smith system is a small, resin-lined water softening solution that does not rely on salt or any other chemicals.
• It is designed to last up to 6 years or 600,000 gallons.
• There is a 6-year warranty on the entire system, which is a nice touch by AO Smith,
• The system will not remove TDS amounts, but it will disrupt them so that water is healthy for cooking, cleaning, and bathing.

We love AO Smith products and this salt-free water softener is one of their best products. It is a small, compact system that does a wonderful job removing sediment buildup and limescale from your appliances and water pipes.

It does a beautiful job maintaining a stable pH balance within the water supply and will make any water supply healthy to drink and for everyday usage.

The one thing that sticks out about this system is its ability to work with a water supply that relies on a well. Many salt-free water softeners have a maximum amount of grains per gallon that they can manage, and the AO Smith does not have this shortfall.

Well water is among the most difficult water supplies to deal with, and out of all the systems we have reviewed, this is the best one we have found.Overall, the AO Smith salt-free conditioner is among the most reliable systems we have seen.

What We Like:

What We Didnt Like:

• We have run into issues with leaking around the fittings.

What Type Of Salt Is Best For Culligan Water Softener

This K-Life Potassium Chloride Sodium Free Water Softener Crystals is one of many top quality items in our Water Softener Salt department.

Is there different kinds of water softener salt?

Usually, when you want to change the salt in your water softener, you can choose from either sodium chloride or potassium chloride. The type of salt you use can affect the efficiency of your water softener and the regeneration process.

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Aquasana Rhino Whole House Well Water Filter Salt

• Lasts for 500,000 Gallons or up to 5 Years
• Removes 97% of chlorine and reduces other harmful contaminants inclduing lead, mercury, herbicides, pesticides, and more
• System Operating Temp Range: 40-90 degrees F
• System Max Operating Pressure: 100 psi
• Cooking with filtered water produces stronger flavors, quicker cooking times, and all-around optimal results in the kitchen

Check Latest Price

Product Details

Keep pipes safe and secure with Simply Soft Aquasana Water Softener. It provides fresh and clean water without using chemicals or salt. Avoid scale buildup in pipes and plumbing with this whole house water softener.

The easy-to-use design helps ensure simple and convenient use. The durable construction allows it to be long-lasting and useful for years to come.

Aquasana Optimh2o: Uv Treatment

The OPTIMH2O is another high-quality option from Aquasana. This GROUNDBREAKING whole house filter system removes more than 99% of cysts and lead, 98% of PFOS/PFOA, as well as other unwanted substances.

Aquasana doesnt make empty claims it backs its data up with rigorous testing, official certifications, and ongoing research. The OPTIMH2O is IAPMO-tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 and NSF/ANSI Standard P473. This means they have been confirmed to remove PFOA, PFOS, lead, and cysts effectively.

The OPTIMH2O utilizes powerful UV filtration to sterilize water, eliminating as many unwanted impurities as possible. Enjoy odor-free, deliciously-clean drinking water thanks to the combined action of the sediment pre-filter, carbon block, and salt-free water conditioner.

The hi-tech LED system indicator shows you how the system operates and if a filter change is required. Green indicates good water flow and no need for a filter change, yellow indicates the upcoming need for a filter change, red indicates the filter must be changed now. This color-coded system takes the guesswork out of your next filter change.

When you do need to change your filter, simply lift it out of the tank. No specialist tools are required thanks to the patented snap ring technology easily lift and replace the filter. On average, a 20 pre-filter lasts 3-6 months before needing to be replaced.

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Efficiency Difficult To Prove

It is clear when a salt-base water softener is working since there will no longer be any hard water minerals present. You can easily test your waters hardness levels to check if the water is soft. However, testing conditioned water will still give you the same level of hardness since the hard water minerals are still present. This makes it difficult to prove whether your water descaler is actually working. You can only rely on a wait and see approach.