Benefits of Using a Water Softener
It’s economical to run a water softener. It needs less than $3 in electricity per year.2
A water softener only needs about 2.5 pounds of salt. That’s 80 percent less salt than dial-style softeners.
Soft water can make cleaning easier, help your appliances last longer and help you avoid plumbing clogs.
Clog-Free Plumbing and Fixtures
Soft water helps water flow smoothly in plumbing. Hard water causes mineral coatings to build up in your pipes and fixtures. This can create clogs and lower water pressure.
Showerheads in homes with hard water can lose 75 percent of their flow rate in shorter than 18 months. Soft water maintains the luster and full flow for faucets and showerheads, nearly as well as the day they were added.
Soft water is lacks 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 turn into limescale when heated. This can coat the heating elements in your appliances, reducing life span and efficiency.
As a result, your appliances may need frequent fixes or need to be swapped out earlier.
Efficient Water Heaters
Soft water protects the efficiency of water heaters.
Gas storage and tankless water heaters operating on soft water keep the factory efficiency rating over a 15-year period. In comparison, using hard water for a gas water heater can cut efficiency by up to 48 percent.
If you use an electric water heater, up to 30 pounds of rock-like scale can build up in the tank from hard water. The scale is a bad heat conductor. It can reduce the life of your heating element, because it has to work harder to heat water.
Soft Skin, Brighter Laundry and Cleaner Dishes
Hard water minerals collect on your skin and in your hair, making it dry out. It can also contribute to painful razor burn.
Soft water is superior at washing away soap residue, so you’ll have silkier skin and shinier hair. Plus, your clothes will look less faded 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 makes a scum on showers.
With soft water, you won’t need to use as much time cleaning to eliminate soap scum. You’ll also use less cleaning supplies.