If your house has hard water, then you know the challenges it can present. Not only does it wreak havoc on your pipes, but it can leave stains around drains, dry out your skin, and cause soap residue to build up on dishes.
However, there’s something you can do to prevent corrosive minerals from damaging your pipes and affecting the look of your home’s water fixtures. It’s as simple as installing a water softener or water conditioner.
You may be wondering, what’s the difference between a water softener v water conditioner? While they both help to prevent a build-up of minerals on various surfaces within your home, they work in different ways. Keep reading to decide which is best for your home.
Water Softener
If you’re looking to remove minerals from your home’s water, then a water softener is the way to go. These systems are installed in your utility room and remove calcium, magnesium, and other minerals. The harder your water, the more of these minerals that will accrue.
Whenever you see buildup on your faucets or in your shower, odds are it’s from hard water. While it can be unsightly to look at, it can ruin your pipes by building up over time and restricting the amount of water that filters through. This can lead to clogs and put stress on your pipes and fixtures.
Water softeners work by removing these hard water minerals and putting sodium ions in their place. Unlike its hard water counterparts, sodium doesn’t react with common cleaning products like soap and detergents, so you won’t see soap scum left behind.
Water Conditioner
Water conditioners work without salt to reduce the effects of hard water. Some remove VOCs, chlorine, and lead in drinking water, to name a few.
Each water conditioning system works differently, with some relying on a template-assisted crystallization system to provide you with soft water.
Other systems filter substances from your water instead of relying on an altering system. It’s best to determine exactly what you want to be removed from your water and to choose a system based on those needs.
At the end of the day, the quality of your water will be the deciding factor. Since water softeners don’t filter your water, you won’t have the same benefits as you would with a water conditioner.
Water conditioners will remove various impurities, but minerals that cause hard water will be left behind. Check out this page for more information about water conditioners and which one is best for you and your home.
Make Your Decision
Depending on whether you’re looking to reduce the feel of minerals in your water or remove them altogether, now you have the information needed when choosing a water softener v water conditioner.
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