Salt vs. Salt-free Water Softeners in PA: Everything You Need To Know

Did you know more than 85% of homes in America have hard water? If your soap isn’t lathering or you’re noticing mineral stains on your clothes, hard water is likely flowing through your pipes. Luckily, there’s a solution: water softeners.

Count on Haller’s water treatment services to prevent mineral buildup in your home’s plumbing and keep your water safe and healthy.

What Are Water Softeners?

As the name suggests, a water softener is a water filtration system that softens your home’s hard water to prevent mineral buildup in your pipes. Over time, your water can develop a high concentration of hard minerals like calcium and magnesium. These minerals can leave spots on your dishes, stain your clothes, and clog your pipes. That’s where water softeners come in.

There are two main methods to handle your hard water: a saltwater solution and a salt-free solution. You’ll want to know the difference between them before selecting one for your home in PA.

What Is The Difference?

Looks can be deceiving. While you can choose between two types of systems to handle your home’s hard water, one of them isn’t a water softener at all. Let’s dive into the differences, and help improve the water quality in your PA home.

Salt-based water softeners

Saltwater softeners are the traditional solution for hard water issues because they actually soften your water. The salt water exchanges sodium ions with the mineral ions in your water to convert it from hard to soft through ionization. Once your system reaches filtration capacity, it flushes out the hard minerals through a process called regeneration.

Salt-free water conditioners

While salt-free systems have a similar appearance to saltwater softeners, they classify as conditioners or descalers. Salt-free systems crystallize the minerals in your water to keep them from binding to surfaces. This method can reduce scale buildup on your surfaces, but your water will remain hard.

Which Method Is Best For My Home in PA?

When dealing with hard water problems in PA, it’s time to choose a solution––but which one? Keep in mind that installing a water softener or conditioner can be expensive, so you want to make sure to pick what’s best for your home.

If you want to soften your water, it’s best to opt for a water softener. This system will leave your dishes and laundry fresh and stain-free, your soap bubbly, and extend the longevity of your water fixtures and appliances. However, you’ll have to replace the salt every six to eight weeks and need an electrical connection to power the ionization process.

While a saltless water conditioner won’t technically soften your water, it can reduce scale buildup in your plumbing system and on your home’s surfaces. The benefits of salt-free water conditioners are that they require little maintenance, preserve water, and don’t need electricity to function.

Choose Haller To Handle Your Home’s Hard Water In PA

Ready to soften the blow on your plumbing system? Haller’s licensed plumbers are equipped with the right tools and knowledge to prevent mineral deposits from clogging your pipes and keep your water safe and healthy.

Call us today for more information about water softeners and what our water treatment services can do for your home in Central & Eastern PA!