Water Softeners Are Useful

by Heather Peters

Water softeners aren't really a sexy purchase, but they can go a long way toward making life better in your home. Hard water is a common problem associated with well water. You may have noticed rings in your toilet or dishwasher, laundry not quite getting cleaned, etc. Many times the answer can be a water softener. Most kinds of water softeners are sized according to how many people are going to use them. The bigger the unit the more expensive it is.

Most people think that the typical purchase of a water softener is a sizable investment, but it doesn't have to be. Many companies that sell water treatment equipment offer hardness tests. We went through the home demo from a major national chain and of course they showed how horribly hard our water was. They gave us the speech on how much soap we can save with soft water and showed us the difference in water types. But then they wanted us to pay hundreds of dollars a year to use their special system plus expensive salt. No way! There has to be a cheaper option. Fortunately there is.

We did our homework and compared models at the major home improvement stores. We saw that most were far cheaper than the brand name monthly subscription scenario. For about $250-$300 up front and then $12 worth of salt that lasted 8 months we had soft water. I love a bargain!

Many people think soft water tastes salty. You can control how your water softener works to adjust the level of "softness" you want. Give it a few days and make adjustments slowly. You will soon find that perfect setting and you'll save a fortune in the process, not only in dish and laundry soaps, but in household cleaning supplies and no monthly subscriptions. If you are having water issues at your home and hardness appears as the only substantial water problem, the installation of a water softener is recommended. Sometimes the required water treatment may range from nothing at all to simple filters, a small water softener or a small reverse osmosis system.

Until you know the real problem don't go overboard getting everything. Start with filters and then get an economical water softener and you'll be amazed at the difference.