How to Choose the Best Water Softener System

One of the most important things to consider when deciding which water softener system to purchase is to find the correct size system for your particular home. There are many systems on the market these days that can treat water from 100 litres up to 1 million litres per day - so it's crucial to pick the correct one that you need!

Many people have fallen into the trap of choosing the wrong type of device for their home which can cause more problems than necessary. An incorrect water softener installed in a home can not just be a waste of time, it can cost a massive amount of money maintaining the device by replacing the cartridges and servicing the system when things go wrong. I have received many emails from people over the years who have installed the wrong device and had very bad experiences with their water supply. If this is you then you're certainly not alone - many people just want an expert opinion on the best water softener system to go for.

How to Choose the Best One For You and Your Family

The best way to decide which one to go for is to use a water softener calculator to accurately calculate the exact system that you home needs. Fortunately, there are some excellent tools available these days that will tell you exactly which one you need to be going for. A powerful and easy-to-use tool is at AffordableWater.us which can be found at the link below:
http://www.affordablewater.us/index.aspx

By inputting the number of people in the household and the hardness of your water supply as well as the iron content, it will provide you with an excellent way of deciding which one will fit your needs. By discovering which device is the best one for your needs you'll be getting the best quality water and the best price. There are several issues to think about when purchasing a water softener but to learn about the 3 critical things to consider, check out the link below:
http://hardwaterstainstips.blogspot.com/2009/04/water-softeners-3-critical-things-to.html

Summary:
Finding the correct water softener system for you and your family is crucial to installing the most efficient device for your home. The products available these days have improved dramatically over the last few years and there are some excellent ones available...as well as not so good ones! But by using the excellent tools mentioned above to discover the best one for you, you'll be using clean, fresh water without any hard water minerals!


If you have any questions about which water softener to choose, feel free to email me at support@hardwaterstainstips.com. I'd be happy to hear from you!

Water Softeners - 3 Critical Things to Consider Before Buying a Water Softener

When considering which water softener to purchase there are some important factors to consider including some significant health issues. This is because water softeners actually use sodium to alter the water. As we all know, sodium is a major cause of increased blood pressure and other serious health problems.

Sodium is an essential mineral because it's necessary for fluid and electrolyte balance in your body. However, consuming too much salt (also known as sodium chloride) may lead to high blood pressure, a condition called hypertension.

How Do Water Softeners Work:
Water softeners or whole house water treatment systems use a process called ion exchange to remove minerals from a water supply before it enters the home. This involves passing the water through a tank filled with resin beads that are coated with ions of either sodium or potassium chloride.
In simple terms, the sodium or potassium ions in the water softener swap places with the calcium or magnesium ions (which are the hard minerals that cause hard water stains and limescale) in a domestic water supply.

What To Consider Before Purchase:
• Firstly, sodium chloride is usually less expensive than potassium chloride although the latter is better for the environment. This is because the system has to have the brine solution discharged to recharge the ions on the resin beads.
• If the potassium solution is discharged it has less impact on the environment and can actually be put on lawns as potassium is a key plant nutrient!
• Contrary to a common misconception, using sodium salt in your water softener will not adversely affect your plumbing. Most modern plumbing is made of PVC plastic and is not affected by increased levels of either sodium or potassium chloride. Sodium salt can, however, reduce the amount of maintenance required for your brine tank.
• For those concerned about the health issues of how much sodium is put into the water by a water softener, the answer is, it all depends. The harder your water supply the more sodium ions are needed to soften it. That said, studies indicate that even water softened with sodium chloride has a low concentration of sodium.
• The costs of water softeners are usually far outweighed by the benefits and cost savings obtained, through using softened water.
Your local health department can tell you the sodium and other mineral content of your community's water supply.

Options if Your Tap Water is High in Sodium:
• Consider switching to another type of water-purification system.
• Buy demineralized water for drinking and cooking.
• Softening only the hot water and using unsoftened cold water for drinking and cooking.
Ultimately the choice between sodium or potassium salts in your water softener is a personal one, depending on the presence of potential health issues with your water supply, cost, and environmental priorities.

Whichever one you decide on, the advantages of a water softener far outweigh the disadvantages. As well as all the above they can also be helpful in reducing cleaning time by preventing hard water stains and limescale forming around the home.

One of the best water softeners on the market is the 5 stage under water filter system from Crystal Clear Supply. To learn more about the recommended water softener click here or on the image below: