What Water Softener Should I Buy?

Hard water is a common problem for homeowners, it leaves built up residue and scale deposits on sinks, showers and washers. Hard water is caused by high mineral levels, mostly of calcium and magnesium deposits in the water supply, which can lead to pipe damage and corrosion. Water softener solutions are available at any home improvement or hardware store, but come in different mixtures.

Varieties of Softener

Water softener comes in four forms, rock salt, evaporated salt, solar salt or salt with iron out. Solar salt is the most commonly sold water softener at home improvement stores. The main difference between the first three softeners is the amount of soluble sodium chloride (salt) in the solution. Rock salt is the least soluble and the least expensive, while evaporated salt has the most soluble solution, but is the most expensive.

Iron out is the most expensive and generally sold under the trade name Red Out. Iron out is effective for removing excess iron buildup in water, but not necessary for anyone who does not have high iron concentrations.

How Do I Know If I Have Hard Water?

The easiest way to determine if you have hard water is to get the water tested by a private or public lab in your local area. However, calcium buildup on your faucet spouts, showerheads and soapy buildup in laundry are common symptoms of hard water. Having dealt with this problem, I strongly recommend getting your water tested early on to save with the hassle of removing the buildup.

In cases where the water is never treated with a softening agent, it can cause mineral (mostly calcium) buildup in pipes. Hard water also makes detergent in washer machines hard to dissolve, which can lead to soap buildup. This happened in my case and caused enough damage that I had to purchase a new machine.

Does Hard Water Pose Health Risks

Hard water does not pose a direct health risk to human consumption as far as excess mineral content is concerned. In fact, it can supplement dietary needs for calcium and magnesium. However, if there are trace residuals of metals in water from pipe corrosion, it can lead to serious health problems if consumed.

Although hard water rarely causes any negative health side effects, it does pose a problem for almost every water application in the house. Water softener is inexpensive for the most basic rock salt and is an easy way to avoid any negative side effects caused by hard water.