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If you live in an area where the water is hard, you are probably already aware of the havoc that hard water can wreak on your Plumbing system, not to mention hair and skin. A water softener is the best way to avoid these problems. It removes substances like calcium and iron so that the water is no longer "hard." However, there are several different kinds of water softener, so a few things should be kept in mind when purchasing a water softener that suits your needs.

The first step in the search for a water softener system should be to find out just how hard your water is. You can purchase a water hardness test kit that will measure the amount of "hard" substances in your water. You can also find maps online that indicate the general hardness level of water in each area in the country. Once you know how hard the water is, you will know what hardness capacity of water softener you require.

Next, you'll have to determine which of the prevailing water softening methods suits your needs best. These methods are catalytic media, salt-based ion replacement, reverse osmosis, and magnetism.

Catalytic water softeners do not use salt to soften the water, so their water is safe to drink and water plants with. They demand no regular maintainence or additional cost and do not waste water. However, they will not remove trace amounts of oil or other harmful substances from water.

Salt water softeners essentially replace the iron and calcium in hard water with sodium. This leads to effectively soft-feeling water that is easy on household applicances and clothes, without using electricity. However, the salt will need to be refilled on a regular basis. Also, the water will not be drinkable as it will likely contain unhealthy amounts of sodium. Also, some areas have laws against these water softeners to prevent too much salt from entering the local water supply.

Reverse osmosis water softeners do not use salt and produce very clean water. If salt is already present in the water supply, they will eliminate it. However, they require extra power to run and work slowly.

When purchasing a water softener, check how much maintainence it will require, its hardness capacity, whether it needs power to run, and its flow rate. This will guarantee a water softener that suits your needs.

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13y ago

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