A salt free water softener keeps dissolved minerals from building up inside the pipes of your home or business. These deposits can build up in the dishwasher, washing machine or other appliances where water runs through pipes. A salt free water softener is also called a descaler because it slows down the buildup of water hardness caused by scale.

What is Water Hardness?

The quality of the water is measured by its hardness, or the amount of calcium, magnesium and other minerals in the water. Evidence of hard water includes cloudiness on glassware, deposits in the bathtub or sink and soap or detergent that does not generate adequate suds. These conditions indicate that water treatment, whether a regular system or a salt free water softener, is needed.

Effects of Hard Water

There is no real proof that hard water poses a health hazard. The majority of adverse effects resulting from hard water come from the high cost of repairs and replacement of equipment that has been damaged from hard water within the industrial environment. The absence of a salt free water softener in many homes has resulted in homeowners have to replace appliances that use water more frequently.

Comparing How Water Softener Systems Work

Regular water softener systems work by running water through beads which contain sodium, or salt. During this process, calcium and magnesium molecules are replaced with sodium molecules in the water (for more information consult our water softener how they work page). The absence of the minerals is what makes the water soft. The most popular and effective model of salt free water softeners is what is often labelled as a potassium chloride water softener which means that instead of using normal softener salt, they use potassium which has been shown to be quite healthy even in larger amounts, especially since some people have potassium deficiency. What is great about this is that many models that people might buy that use salt will also work with potassium pallets, for some models that are known to do this look at our water softener review page or consult the manufacturer directly. Another model of salt free water softeners are the ones that use an electric charge that changes the structure of the mineral crystals so they are not able to develop as quickly where water runs through, these are called an electronic water softener or magnetic water softener.

Advantages of Salt Free Water Softener Systems

Many people prefer to use a salt free water softener over a regular water softener. Some reasons for this choice include:

• A salt free water softener does not add salt to the drinking water. People with high blood pressure or other conditions may be required to restrict their salt intake. If a regular salt system is in their home they may have to find other sources for their drinking water.
• Several salt free water softener reviews report that the cost to maintain a salt free water softener can be more expensive. Most salt free systems use potassium pellets which can be twice as costly as salt by some accounts.
• Many people say that their skin is softer and smoother using water from salt free water softener systems, although this has not been medically proven.

How a Salt Free Water Softener System is Installed

A salt free water softener is usually installed at the point where the water supply enters the property. A small electrical element is attached by two wires and the element is plugged into the home’s electrical supply. This creates a small current of electricity that passes through the water supply. It is this current that charges the water and gradually removes build up and slows down any new mineral deposits.

Deciding on a Water Softener System

The best water softener system for a home or business depends on many factors. Among these are:

• Degree of water hardness. Getting the water tested to be sure hard water exists is a good idea. The final decision will be based on how hard the water may be.
• The reputation of the company. Taking a look at salt free water softener reviews can give you an idea of whether other customers were pleased with a company’s prices, performance and customer service.
• The health of all family members should be taken into consideration before deciding on a water system. Certain health conditions may dictate that a salt free water softener system should be used for drinking water.
• The cost of installation and maintenance of the system should also be factored in when choosing a water softener system for a home or business.

You might want to consult our water softener comparison page for more information.

In areas where hard water causes problems with appliances, equipment and water performance, more and more people are choosing to treat their water using one of several different home water softeners. On the topic of this page, you might also want to look at our saltless water softener page.

The Culligan water softener is one product in a long line of water treatment systems manufactured by Culligan. The company has been in business over 70 years providing water service to commercial, industrial and residential customers. A popular icon for the company is known as the Culligan Man, who represents their high customer service standards. But Culligan water softener reviews are not complete without an evaluation of all available products and equipment in their state of the art water softener product line.

About Water Softeners

Water is referred to as being hard when it contains large amounts of calcium and magnesium. Hard water causes scale and other sediments to develop inside pipes as well as other components such as water heaters. Scale is not an efficient heat conductor and can clog pipes, reducing their flow. It can also keep soap and detergents from developing suds and reduce cleaning efficiency which is why you probably want to find some hard water solutions such as one of the many available water softener systems.

Treatment systems such as the Culligan water softener replace calcium and magnesium with sodium ions, which do not have the same negative reaction. Simply put, the water in the home is passed through small beads that are covered with sodium ions. Once passed, the water is softened and flows through the pipes in the home. Over time, the beads are replaced when they become saturated with calcium and magnesium and the cycle begins again, look at our page on water softeners how they work for more information, to view other you might want to keep in mind while looking for water softener brands and water softener reviews feel free to consult our other pages.

Culligan Medalist Series

The Culligan water softener product line known as the Medallist Series is made for smaller homes. The Medallist series is manufactured to perform efficiently despite its size. The compact design fits perfectly in small, tight spaces. The series provides seamless integration into existing plumbing throughout the home to maintain water pressure even when water is run from several sources. Many Culligan water softener reviews report that this series can also be purchased for outdoor use. The system can be fit with an Underwriters Laboratory certified enclosure appropriate for outdoor installation.

Platinum Plus Culligan Water Softener Series

The Platinum Plus series provides more water capacity for larger families in bigger homes. The series offers good water pressure and water flow. Other features of the Platinum Plus series that are worth mentioning in Culligan water softener reviews include exclusive Culligan technology that monitors water quality and salt levels, a specially design tank and a refill control valve.  The system is equipped with a microprocessor which operates the water softener cycle.

Culligan Gold Series

The Gold series includes all of the features of the other series plus additional elements that make it stand out from the rest. The Gold Series Culligan water softener is complete with a versatile design that can be customized based upon the customer’s individual water needs. It has a large capacity tank to provide enough water for larger households. The system is manufactured with innovative materials and components that, according to some Culligan water softener reviews, makes it one of the most reliable and worry free water softener systems in the industry. The Gold series can also be adapted for outdoor installation.

Total Home Water System

Most Culligan water softener reviews omit information about the Total Home system. The total home system can be installed to deliver soft water throughout the entire home. Some of the positive comments about the features of the Total Home Culligan water softener system include:

• The system eliminates the taste and smell of chlorine in the water.
• Soap scum doesn’t build up because of softer water.
• Laundry comes out brighter and cleaner.
• Stops crusty scale from building up on faucets.
• Ends rust stains and dirty water marks.
• Benefits skin and hair.
• Improves the taste of drinks like coffee and tea as well as ice cubes.

Free Water Testing

Culligan offers homeowners a free analysis of their water by a licensed water expert. The testing will identify specific water problems and how to resolve the problem using equipment such as a Culligan water softener. In addition to checking water quality, the analysis includes an assessment of plumbing, fixtures and appliances that use water. Several positive Culligan water softener reviews reported that homeowners found this service to be very helpful and did not feel that they were pressured to buy Culligan products.

Culligan Water Softener and the Environment

We decided to go beyond other Culligan water softener reviews and look at the company’s environmental awareness policies. Eight six percent of single water bottles fill America’s landfills. Culligan delivers clean water in large quantities to do their part in protecting the environment. By doing so, they hope to reduce contribution to the 7,000 tons of plastic water bottles that are thrown away each day. Reverse osmosis systems and point of use coolers that are used in offices also play a part in helping sustain the environment.

Salt Free Culligan Water Softener Reviews

Culligan offers a range of saltless water softener alternatives for residential and commercial water treatment systems. The company’s salt water exchange service involves regeneration at the Culligan facilities. With this option, no salt is brought to the customer’s property. Culligan also sells a full line of filters that do not require salt in order to regenerate water. Another alternative to salt is potassium chloride which can be used with any Culligan water softener treatment system making them a good salt free water softener.


Culligan Water Softener Costs

Culligan water softener systems can be leased for about $10.00 per month for the first three months after installation with no long term contract obligation. The installation cost is not included in the monthly price. An estimate for the cost of purchasing a Culligan water softener can be obtained by contacting local Culligan dealerships and you can find the nearest one on their official website. Each dealership is independently owned. Installation of the system includes a 30 day 100 percent satisfaction warrantee. Considering the price of a single bottle of water being as much as $1.50, Culligan claims that their water system pays for itself in less than one year.

When dealing with hard water it’s definitely important to find a water softener system that will work best for your needs. Water softeners are used for residential and industrial needs and this post on water softener reviews will focus mostly on water softener systems for residential needs.

Salt free water softener VS conventional water softener

As you can see in our water softener comparison page, some of the important things you have to consider are do you want a salt free water softener or any of the other popular water softeners which use salt?
So, before looking at these water softener reviews you will have to weight some of the benefits and disadvantages of both models. Here’s a brief overview, a water softener using salt will probably be one of the least expensive models to buy and maintain however you should have a separate drinking water line because you do not want to ingest such high amounts of salt over time. Also, it’s not very good for the environment and these salt using water softeners are banned in some states due to being environmental hazards.

Salt free water softeners on the other hand are usually more expansive to buy. Some salt water softener systems can use both normal salt and potassium so in this case it will simply be more expensive to maintain by using potassium than salt but it will be healthy for drinking and it will not be a hazard to the environment. Overall, a potassium chloride water softener is probably the best option however some other salt free water softeners alternatives that you might want to try or read up on are a magnetic water softener or an electric water softener which are basically two different names for the same system which mostly entails using magnets to separate the hard water elements (such as calcium and magnesium) from the water and only leaving the now “soft” water to pass in the water pipes in your house.

However, most water softener reviews on these systems reveal that they will only work for those with “low” hard water problems since the magnets are less efficient at dealing with hard water than other methods.

Water softener reviews – Review by Brands

Kinetico

First off, we have the Kinetico water softener which is very popular but quite expensive. Some of its advantages that are pointed out on our Kinetico water softener reviews page is that it has a dual resin tank which means that when one is regenerating the other one can still work which ensures 24 hour water softening. Also, they power themselves with the kinetic energy of the water so they will not add to your electricity bill and might in fact pay themselves over time or at least reduce the gap with the other cheaper alternatives since its main disadvantage is it’s price which is usually above at least $1000

Kenmore

Another popular brand is the Kenmore water softener systems which as you can see from my Kenmore water softener review page they are quite an established and well liked brand. As you can see on their official comparison page they can use sodium and potassium chloride so that’s a great feature meaning you can use it with salt or not. It’s hard to get an accurate price range for their models as of the writing of these water softener review but I do remember seeing some models go for the $500-700 range so they are have some models in the low price point category.

Fleck

Another popular water softener that is similar to Kenmore in terms of price ranges are Fleck which as you can see from my fleck water softener review is very similar in terms of feature as well. If you are deciding between both of these brands I would suggest you see which one has a seller near you. Also, as of this writing I am not sure if fleck water softeners can use potassium chloride, but probably (you might want to ask them if this is something you are interested in).

Culligan

Culligan has been around for over 70 years and have many different models available, for more information feel free to look at our Culligan Water Softener Reviews page.

More water softener reviews to be added shortly…

If you would have a review of a brand or comments on a specific brand you would like added to this page feel free to comment below or send us an email by visiting our contact us page!

Eighty five percent of homes in the United States have hard water running through its pipes. Water softener systems are used to remove chemicals that cause this condition. Hard water results in wear and tear on appliances and increases energy use. The benefits of soft water include elimination of water spots on glassware, richer soap lather and longer fabric life and less stress on appliances. There are several water softener manufactures around the country including Kenmore, a leading appliance manufacturer since 1927.  The Kenmore water softener is a leading, well known brand used by many homeowners.

Water Softeners: How they work. Hard water contains components like calcium and magnesium.  Water softeners replace the components with sodium, or salt ions. Sodium reacts more favorably to soap cleansers and is much less harmful to pipes. Basically, water is softened when it runs through an absorbent compound, called zeolite, which is covered with the sodium. As with most water brands of water softeners, a water test is needed before using the Kenmore water softener.

Product Description

Kenmore has been manufacturing water softeners since the 1980’s as hard water solutions. Current models in their long line of softeners come in 4 different series with various features and price points. The 420 Elite Series is their high performance model designed for households with up to 10 occupants. Design and performance features include a graphic display with lighted screen, front salt loader design, lighted salt tank level indicator and exclusive Kenmore sediment protection. The price for the 420 Elite Series water softener starts at $650.00 which is quite competitive if you do a water softener comparison and compare it with the low price point of fleck water softeners which share similar features.

Kenmore Water Softener Review

There are differing opinions regarding the performance of the Kenmore brand water softener. Among the positive comments are:

• Performance. Comments about the quality of performance included how the water softener thoroughly eliminated hard water deposits from faucets and shower doors. The mechanics of the softener, such as the timer and digital controls, worked well.
• Easy to replace parts.  Overall, customers were pleased that they could easily find replacement parts for the older model water softeners. In one Kenmore water softener review a consumer was able to find a water softener part that was purchased over ten years ago with no problem.
• Knowledgeable sales staff. Most customers are impressed with the well informed the sales staff. The employees are helpful and patient with new customers who are not sure of their needs. Returning customers felt that the staff provided up to date information about current models and upgrades and they were eager to assist in finding replacement parts needed.
• Installation. Several customers found the Kenmore water softener easy to install. For those who preferred to have the unit installed, most were satisfied with the scheduling, price and professionalism.

In more than one Kenmore water softer review, performance dissatisfaction was with older water softener models. Negative opinions about the product included:

• There were a few complaints that the digital displays on the Kenmore water softeners are inadequate and hard to read.
• Comments included repeated failure of the automatic regeneration system. This resulted in customers having to wait several days for the system to resume sending soft water.
• Unclear instructions about how to use all of the functions of the water softener.

If you want to compare models you can head over to their official site to get a better idea of their specs.

If you live in an area where your water is hard and is not treated before entering your house, you may want to consider one of the many available magnetic water softener or other types of systems. Drinking hard water is not harmful however using it for washing clothing, dishes, bathing in etc. can be frustrating. It inhibits lathering of soap and leaves a dirty looking soap scum behind which is difficult to remove. It also causes scaly build up of calcium and lime deposits over time, clogging pipes, decreasing flow of water and leaving tough scales on kettles, and coffee and tea pots.

Conventional water softener systems adds salt to your water, and if you are softening at point of entry into your house and you are going to be drinking it, this may be an option you wish to avoid because you don’t want to be drinking too much salt.

An alternate choice you may wish to consider is a magnetic water softener which can also be called an electronic water softener. There is no concrete evidence on how effective these water softeners are for domestic use, however, they have proven to be very effective in commercial application. Ceramic magnets are used to surround your water pipes to create a magnetic field which stirs up the electrons in the water. With this action, calcium crystals precipitate out at low density preventing the lime build up from occurring.

Most home magnetic water softeners use 2 magnets creating about ½ inch of contact time. Contact time is the amount of time that the water is subjected to the magnets through the flow. More contact time creates more effective conditioning of the water and so some magnetic water softeners increase the number of magnets making the contact time longer.

Using magnetic water softeners is a more environmentally safer method of conditioning your water as they are chemical free. It is also relatively maintenance free and uses no electricity. Most of these ceramic magnets last for more than the life time of a person, and so chances of ever having to replace the magnets is next to none and there are no moving parts to replace. Cost wise it may save you in the long run with no parts replacement, no maintenance, no electricity, no chemicals to buy etc. If your goal is to use a salt less water softener or salt free water softener than this is a great solution.


Using a magnetic water softener is an alternative to conventional sodium based ones, but do your research as not all information is positive and there are some requirements which your home will need to meet to make it effective. Also, magnetic water softeners only work with “not too hard” water. They do not really do a good job once you are above a certain ppm density of hard metals which depends on which model you buy. Usually water softener systems that use salt can reach higher levels of hard water without any problems.

Water with a high content of calcium and magnesium is called hard water. There are other minerals present as well, but these are the main ones of higher concentration which create the problems.

There is no harm in drinking hard water, but it can wreak havoc on appliances like hot water heaters, dishwashers, and on water pipes and shower heads. Over time, hard water scale builds up on the insides of these appliances and pipes reducing their effectiveness and water flow, clogging pipes and eventually causing damage. This scale is also not a good conductor of heat. Another disadvantage to hard water is how soap reacts in it. Soap does not lather well in hard water and leaves a white grayish sticky scum behind. Most people relate soaps ability to clean by the amount of lather it produces and so bathing, washing clothes or dishes, and general cleaning becomes less productive in hard water. If your only problem with hard water relates to washing dishes or clothes than you might be interested in a calgon water softener since it’s very inexpensive and will save you the cost of buying one of the many water softening systems options which usually will cost you ~$1000.

Home water softeners are a less costly solution than filtration systems and so are a more likely solution for most people. They are generally installed where the water supply enters the home, but those who do not wish to soften drinking and cooking water or water designated for garden use will require a separate cold water line be installed. An alternative solution if you feel like you have no choice but to drink the softened water and your diet does not allow a high amount of salt is you might want to try a salt free water softener. Water softeners range in types and cost according to their sophistication level. The automatic ones cost more money but are the easiest to maintain in the long run.

Water softeners work by replacing the calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions. The sodium does not create scale build up and does not inhibit soaps ability to lather. The water runs through a bed of small plastic beads or zeolite covered in sodium or potassium ions which exchange places with the magnesium and calcium ions. When the beads become saturated with calcium and magnesium ions and sodium ions are depleted, an automatic system will detect this and regenerate itself. To be regenerated, the beads are flooded in a salty brine solution. When this is complete, the magnesium, calcium, dirt and any sediment are flushed from the beads into the drainage system then the mineral tank is rinsed with clean water and loads the brine tank. The cycle is complete.

The automatic water softeners can be programmed to recycle when the homeowner wishes, however having it regenerate only when it is necessary saves on water use.

Most water softeners need very little maintenance on a regular basis however a little due diligence paid to its upkeep is wise to keep it running at its optimum efficiency level. Watch for salt build up in the brine tank and clean if necessary. If your water contains iron, use an iron removing product to clean it. Keep the resin tank injector clean. All these will ensure your home water softener will last for many years. You might want to consider reading more about water softener reviews before committing to a purchase.

Hard water is water with a high content of minerals, mainly calcium and magnesium. While these are more prevalent, it may also contain iron, aluminum and manganese at higher altitudes in some geographical locations. The easiest method of determining the hardness of water is by how well your soap lathers. Hard water prevents your soap from lathering and leaves a white scum on surfaces and eventually will leave stains where the water flows or drips. It also causes a build up of these minerals on appliances and pipes and can eventually cause serious clogs, ruin water heaters and toilets and leave undesirable scales inside kettles and teapots.

If you are dealing with hard water issues in your home, and experience these stains and build ups, you will need to find ways to eliminate them before the damage is done. Using regular household cleaners and soaps as a method for hard water stain removal will probably not remove the stains and build up.

White vinegar is the mostly commonly and most effective substance used other than chemical products made specifically for lime, calcium and rust removal. Here are some tips to follow for hard water stain removal from different appliances and areas.

If you can remove your showerhead, do so. Bring a pot of equal parts of water and white vinegar to a boil, enough to submerge the showerhead, and boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Leave it to soak for several hours or overnight. If you cannot remove the head, fill a bag with equal parts of water and vinegar and secure the bag at the neck of the showerhead with the head fully submerged and leave overnight. You can use the same method for any faucet heads that cannot be removed.

For items such as sinks tubs and toilets, fill them almost to full and add vinegar. For toilets and sinks add 1 cup of vinegar and for tubs add 1 litre of vinegar. Leave overnight and drain.

For dishes like pots, glassware etc., fill with equal parts of water and vinegar. Glassware normally takes less time than pots, but leave longer if necessary, and for pots it may help to heat up the solution.

For coffeemakers, use pure vinegar. Fill the reservoir and let it run through a cycle. Repeat if necessary. Then run a couple of clear water cycles through to clean out any remaining residue of vinegar.


If some hard water stains are tougher to get rid of than others you can make a paste out of the vinegar and baking soda and use it to scrub the stains clean. However be aware that some stains are just not going to be removed and may be permanent.

There are a number of commercial products you can purchase that are made specifically to remove these stains and deposits and may be a last resort, however, many people are resorting to more environmentally friendly methods of solving these types of issues and all factors should be seriously taken into consideration when choosing. You can help avoid these stains by using one of the many water softener systems that are available on the market. If you find these too expensive for your needs you might want to consider a Calgon water softener product which is simply something you add with your clothes or dishes when you wash them facilitate the task because hard water makes cleaning both of these much harder than usual, hard water stains are still a possibility however.

When looking for the best water softener for your household you need to consider a few different things. First off, how hard is your water? A popular complaint about an electronic water softener (reverse osmosis) is that they do not work so well with especially hard water. While you should ask you local dealer directly if you are still considering one of these because as a no salt water softener option this might be something that will eliminate some possible options for you.

Another important consideration when doing a water softener comparison is if your iron level is high. Water softener systems that uses salt can usually deal with a lot concentration of iron without a problem but if it’s quite high such as 5 p.p.m. than you might need an iron filter to make sure the water softener can do its job properly and stay clean while doing so. If you haven’t tested your water yet to see the concentration of different minerals in your hard water a good sign if you have iron is if you see some staining. This test is far from perfect though because a very low level of iron, even under 1 p.p.m., will probably cause staining. So ideally when deciding on the best water softener is to definitely check the concentration of hard metals which will affect your choices and your water softener system dealer will probably be able to give you recommendations if you can at least share with him some information on your hard water.

Another factor when doing a water softener comparison is: do you want a salt free water softener or a salt using water softening system? Here is a quick review of some of the features and cons of both types that might influence your choice.

- Does not add salt to your drinking water. If your softener is connected to your drinking water line many people say it’s bad for your health in the long term to have such high sodium intake. This is especially true the harder your hard water is. Here is a direct quote from apswater.com that might help you evaluate depending on how hard your water is. “Each grain of hardness in your water will end out equaling  17.1 milligrams per liter of Sodium or Potassium depending on what you are regenerating the water softener with. With a low sodium diet of 3000 milligrams, average water would contain 170 milligrams per liter or water. Under this scenario you would have to drink 17 liters of water or 4.6 gallons or water per day to hit the limit.”

- A common way to resolve any possible health issues you could have is to use a potassium chloride water softener. Many softeners that are meant to use salt can instead us potassium which is harmless for your health. In fact, some say this is actually beneficial because the typical north American diet can be low in potassium at times (while too high in salt).

- This brings up to one of the biggest cons about using a no salt water softener system, the price. While the initial price for the softener system (Probably $1000 for a decent system including installation cost) can be pretty similar potassium pellets are definitely more expansive than using salt. Your salt for water softener cost can go from $4 to $10 per month depending on what quality of salt you have to buy (once again mostly dependant on how hard your water is). You might want to compare prices to see if the upkeep is something you are comfortable paying.

A few other things that are important when you compare water softener brands is do you want a dual tank resin or not? Kinetico water softeners have a few advantages over their competition. First off they have a dual tank which means the system will always be on 24 hours a day. Most water softeners shut down for a while usually in the middle of the night in order to let the water softener resin regenerate itself for the next day. Kinetico water softeners also do not use electricity, they power itself with the water flowing inside so while they are much more expensive than other models ( sometimes double the price and usually at least $1,000 for the most basic model) you might make back some of this price difference over time.

If you are only looking to solve your hard water problem to wash dishes or clothing you might want to try some inexpensive calgon water softener which is mixed with detergents/soaps when you do these tasks. Of course your plumbing will not be safe but this might be a good solution for you if you do not feel it’s worth buying a $500+ water softener system.

Here are a few other water softener brands you might want to look into that we discuss on this website, and briefly on our water softener review page, more to come over time.

Fleck water softener

Morton water softener

Kenmore water softener

Culligan water softener reviews

Finally, to do an appropriate water softener comparison it’s important to know what capacity in terms of water output your water softener should use here’s a great calculator to do so.

Conventional water softeners add salt to the water in a process of ion exchange as a hard water solution. This process changes the minerals in the water which affects the way the soaps we use interact with the water in the cleaning process. Soft water is easier on our skin, but harsh on plants because of the salt. People who have water softeners in their house often install a cold water bypass to supply untreated water for other purposes not requiring softened water such as outdoor use, cooking, drinking etc. Others only soften the water destined for the hot water heater. Of course, their are some salt free water softener options which usually consists of adding potassium chloride instead of salt.

The technology of electronic water softeners has been proven to be effective in very large industrial sized systems which have actually been shown to clean off residual calcium accumulation already present in existing systems. The water is exposed to very large magnetic fields by running it through special magnets. It doesn’t change the chemical makeup of the water, but acts by stimulating the molecules in turn suspending them for about 72 hours. In suspension, these minerals such as calcium, won’t stick to each other or anything else. In 72 hours in most households any water submitted to these magnets has already gone through the system and used so there is a continual flow of  electronically softened water available.

Electronic water softeners are gradually becoming available in the residential market with some credible products.

One such product is the “Clear Wave” made by Field Controls Inc. This product originated in Great Britain where hard water scale build up is a nationwide problem. It appeared on the market in North America in the early 90’s. According the manufacturer, Field Controls, it is as easy as 1-2-3 to install, can be installed in less than 15 minutes and no tools are required. They provide everything in their package along with an instructional DVD.

Great reviews on this $150 electronic water softener on amazon and is very low cost. It claims to also run for under $5 of electricity per year

Another product is called “ScaleBlaster” from ClearWater Enviro. It is installed in the incoming water supply line coming into the house. According to the company which manufactures this product, there is no extra plumbing installation, is easy to install, and requires no maintenance as in changing filters or bags of salt. This company produces both residential and commercial sized electronic water softeners and according to their website “are a leading “Going Green” manufacturer of environmentally friendly products”.

One downside to an electronic water softener is its inability to function properly on water with high iron content, so testing your water before you decide is a definite consideration.

Jon Eakes, a do-it-yourself and home information guru on TV, states on his website that he used the Clear Water on his own system and although there was no additional build up of calcium in a 2 year time period, it did not clean up the initial accumulation present when installed.


So the overall conclusion is that electronic water softeners can work if the system used is appropriate to the mineral composition of your water and your water flow. However there is no conclusive or comprehensive study done to show which ones are more effective than others.

Water softening is the act of reducing the level of magnesium and calcium ion concentration from hard water. Although the World Health Organization has found no evidence of hard water being harmful to humans, many people may still find it undesirable, mainly because soaps and detergents don’t lather well with hard water making it difficult for cleaning purposes. The best and the most used method of reducing hardness from water is to use a ion-exchange resin device, more commonly known as a water softener.

Water softener systems work by replacing the magnesium and calcium ions causing the hardness with sodium ions. The way it works is that the water passes through a negativity charges bed of resins containing sodium ions, though it can also use potassium or hydrogen ions. As the negativity charged particles absorbs and binds the magnesium and calcium ions it releases the sodium ions, thus replacing the hardness minerals with sodium. How much sodium is required for this process depends on the amount of hardness minerals in the water, the harder the water the more sodium ions is released in to the water to reduce the hardness. Such resins are also available to reduce the levels of carbonate, bi-carbonate and sulfate ions from the water, but they release hydroxyl ions in the water instead.

As these resins become filled with undesired ions from the water they slowly lose their effectiveness and needs to be recharged. This is usually done by passing a highly concentrated brain of usually sodium chloride (salt for water softener), or potassium chloride, or hydrochloric acid solution through them. This process replaces the hardness minerals from the resins with sodium or potassium.

It should be noted that too much sodium in the body can potentially cause side effects, so if you have hard water problems, it would be wise to have two taps in the house, with only one of them running through the water softener that you can use for cleaning purpose, while the other one with hard water that you can use for drinking, since the hard water has not be proven to have any adverse effect on the body for drinking. It’s once again mainly a problem for plumbing and house cleaning/washing. Other solutions include using a saltless water softener which can either use a completely different water softening system that does not include salt or it might simply be something like a kinetico water softener that instead of using salt you use potassium chloride to recharge the water softener resin.