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Which water softener is right for me?

13th February 2018

Choosing a water softener: Which water softener do I need? 

There are many reasons why you might be looking to invest in a water softener; we’re here to talk you through the different types, and to help you work out which water softener is right for you!

If you have hard water, you’re probably dealing with taste and odor issues, cloudiness and discoloration issues, and limescale build up. Hard water contains elements such as calcium, magnesium and iron - these build up over time and cause limescale in your home’s plumbing, in your water-using appliances, and even on your clothes (stiff and itchy towels, anyone?). Hard water problems can be serious and costly, and they’re likely to affect your washing machine, dishwasher, kettle, iron and heating system, among other household appliances.

Hard water problems solved by a water softener:

  • Taste/odor of hard water
    Rotten egg smell (caused by Sulphur in the water),
    Musty/earthy smells (caused by decaying organic matter in your plumbing)
    Chlorine smell/taste (due to high levels of chlorine in city water)
    Metallic smell/taste (caused by mercury/lead/copper/iron in water)
  • Cloudiness/discoloration – caused by levels of dissolved solids in hard water
  • Stiff, itchy clothes – caused by hard water minerals building up on laundry
  • Corrosion and limescale in your plumbing, kettle and other appliances

But if you’re here, you’re probably aware of the endless advantages a water softener would bring to your home, so we won’t dwell on them – suffice it to say that it will solve your hard water problems, as well as providing lots of other benefits associated with soft water. But what’s the best water softener for your home? Water softeners come in all shapes and sizes, with a range of potential functionalities.

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Choosing a water softener model banner image

Which water softener is right for you?

There are lots of types of water softeners – means that choosing a water softener that is right for you can be tricky. When choosing the best water softener for your needs, three primary considerations are:

  • The size and water-usage of your home or shop premises
  • Whether taste/smell issues are being caused by limescale build-up in your pipes
  • Specific problems that you need to address – for example, the presence of chlorine or iron

A note on water softeners with chlorine filters

Does your water smell and taste like chlorine? It’s a very common problem in city homes. Chlorine used to treat your water and make it safe for drinking will also cause it to have a strong chemical smell; it often results in dry flaky skin and weak hair. If you choose a water softener with a chlorine filter, you will eliminate the nasty chlorine taste/smell, as well as treating your hair and skin to spa-quality water. However, chlorine filters are often part of a whole-house water softening system, and rarely available with small water softeners designed for a kitchen/bathroom sink. For this, and plentiful other reasons, whole-house water softeners have become very popular amongst home owners – they cover the whole house and treat any incoming water. Goodbye hard water problems associated with drinking water, water used for bathing, doing laundry and water-based appliances!

Types of water softeners 

  • Salt-based water softener 
    Salt based water softeners create soft water by Ion Exchange, which removes calcium and magnesium and replaces those minerals with sodium.
  • Salt-free water softener
    Using a potassium-chloride salt substitute instead of sodium helps water with limescale build-up. It will not eliminate hard minerals from water, but prevent minerals from building limescale in water-using appliances and piping.
  • Dual Tank water softener
    Perfect for a large family or small business that uses large volumes of water. With a dual tank unit, it does not require a pause for the regeneration cycle of the only tank - while one tank is regenerating, the other can be in use.

If you’re unsure what size of water softener system you need, here’s a little trick to find out your weekly household water usage. The average person uses around 75-80 gallons of water per day. Take the average number and multiply it by the people living in your home.

You will then need to determine how many ‘hard water grains’ you would need to remove from your water. Run a hard water test on your water.  (Link to find a distributor near you to find what kind of hard water is in your home). Once you know the hardness of your water, it’ll be easy to determine what capacity you need from your water softener.

Choosing a water softener: Our top picks of the best water softeners for your home

Compact Water Softener Model 400 | 410 410 water softener model

The 410 model is perfect for flats with little space, due to its compact design - It will fit under a sink or in a small cabinet! Maintenance is not a requirement with this and the cartridge never needs to be changed. The 410 model also has a system controller with power outage protection, so it can work for up to 7 days without power.

Discover the 410 model water softener


Water Softener Model 97

97 water softener model 

The 97 model is a great unit because it can be customized to target specific household water problems, like chlorine or Sulphur. It has a single cabinet design, is small and compact, and features easy-to-fill brine tanks.

Discover the 97 model water softener


Light Commercial Twin Intermediate Line water softener model

Light Commercial Twin Intermediate Line (TIL) water softener

The TIL unit is best for small businesses, such as bakeries or coffee shops. It can accommodate higher flow rates due to the two tank design, which means it is a perfect fit for a large household or a commercial premise where water is used continuously or in large volumes throughout the day.

Discover the TIL model water softener