What You Need To Do Prior To Buying A Water Softener

 If you don't have the best water softener, you will end up with a lot of problems like stiff laundry, skin problems, clogged water pipes, bathroom stains and damaged appliances. Water softeners get rid of these issues by reducing the calcium, manganese, magnesium and iron in your water and replacing it with potassium and sodium.

You can get better water quality to make your clothes look white instead of gray. You won't waste too much water for laundry or doing dishes to get soap scum out, and your appliances and clothes will last longer. If you get the best water softener, you can even feel the effect on your skin or hair when you bathe.


When you are shopping for a water treatment system, you have to consider some things first before buying anything. Here's a short guide that may help you make this task easier:

1. Test your water at home to see how hard your water is. You can do this by getting a home-test kit that checks the level of how hard your water is. You can also send a sample of your water for testing to get a report that tells you about the mineral contents of your water per gallon. If your results are in the high numbers then that would mean your water is very hard. You will need a good softening system to remove all those undesirable minerals that harden your water.

2. Find out what size you need by estimating the capacity required to produce clean softened water in your home. Generally, an average sized family of four or five will need 24,000 gallons. The bigger the capacity the less frequent you will also need to use the softener.

3. Decide what type of softener to buy. There are many types of softeners like chemical softeners, mechanical, and magnetic. Chemical softeners add chemicals to remove the hard minerals. Mechanical softeners soften the water with an ion exchange system that may produce water you can't drink. Magnetic softeners produce potable water you can drink but may not be effective to soften the water well enough.


4. Compare and review installation directions. Of course, you don't only want the best water softener in Ireland but also one that is easy to install. Manual softeners are often times easier to install and don't need a drain. Other types of softeners require a drain and some plumbing work.

5. Another thing to consider is the maintenance requirements. Some units need to be turned on and off every time you need to use it. Others will require you to refill the machine with chemicals on a regular basis. Then some units will need to have their filters changed.

It can be daunting to have to worry about all these details and sometimes it is better to get a professional to do all the work and help you decide which system is the best water softener for your home. Sure, you may pay a little over the cost of the unit but a pro can also save you a lot of time, work and mistakes. If you are buying the water softener from a certain company, that company may be able to provide free consultation to determine what type of softener is best for your home.

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