The Best Water Softener
Looking for the best water softener? You have just found the best-kept secret in the water softener industry! This is the only water softener system that is great for your home, health, plants, and environment.
The principle of this system has actually been around for over 200 years but has been modernized since 1945. This is not a new system – just not a very well-known one and all of the water softener companies would like to keep it that way.
What is the actual reason you buy a water softener?
The main reason you buy a water softener is to prevent hard water buildup. You can achieve this in two ways.
- Remove the hard minerals from the water – salt-based (sodium or potassium) water softener, reverse osmosis
- Condition the water so the transformed minerals don’t stick to your pipes or appliances – water conditioners
Reverse Osmosis
The reverse osmosis (RO) system is the true and only way to remove all the minerals from your water. The major downside though is that it wastes a lot of water when doing so – between 3 to 25 gallons of water just to make 1 gallon of reverse osmosis water. It also takes a lot of time for this process which would make it very inefficient to have reverse osmosis water in your entire home. This is more of a point-of-use device that is usually located under your kitchen sink, being used for drinking and cooking. Consuming RO water is not very healthy since it removes the minerals that your body needs to function properly.
Salt Based Water Softener
Salt-based water softeners do remove the hard water minerals from your water but do so in exchange for either sodium or potassium chloride. Unfortunately, the sodium or potassium chloride will leave water spots on your glasses and glass shower doors, and any other surface but is easily wiped off with a towel. Both of these systems have a high initial cost to install, replenish and lift sodium or potassium chloride bags and they need some floor space and plumbing modifications.
The salt-based water softeners have a big negative impact on the environment and have been banned in several states in the United States. These states are California, Texas, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Arizona, Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. It is due to their irregular use and disposal method during the regeneration process in the local sewage system.
The sodium chloride system will add a salt taste to your water and is not good for plants. You then need to add another filter to remove the salt taste. This system is like putting a band-aid on a band-aid.
The potassium chloride water softener is a bit better environmentally but it is still a salt and costs more than the sodium chloride system. The potassium chloride solution cost more per bag and you need to use it more often than the sodium chloride water softener. The chloride in this solution has also been found to kill germinating seeds and young plants.
In summary, salt-based water softeners are only good at removing hard water minerals but are not very good for your health, plants, and environment.
Water Conditioners
There are a variety of water conditioners that don’t use any salt. All these conditioners transform the hard minerals into inactive minerals that don’t stick to anything and flow through. In other words, it is very similar to salt-based water softeners but without environmental issues. They too cause water spots that are easily wiped off.
- Salt-Free Water Conditioner – this system uses big tanks filled with resins that transform the hard minerals.
- Electronic Water Conditioners – this system uses an electronic device to create an electromagnetic field around the copper water pipe.
- Magnetic Water Technology – uses neodymium magnets to create a magnetic field to condition the water.
Salt-Free Water Conditioner
The salt-free water conditioner system usually has a high cost and you would need extra space to install and requires some plumbing modification, similar to the salt-based water softener. The tanks last for a few years so you would need to replace them periodically which would be an added cost. This system would also be difficult to include your irrigation and would cost more due to more water being used because the resin tanks need to be replaced more often. This system is more environmentally friendly than the salt-based system.
Electronic Water Conditioner
The electronic water conditioners are neat little devices and were actually the reason for me to discover the next system. It is very simple to install and needs no extra space or plumbing modification but does require an outlet to be close by. This device creates an electromagnetic field that transforms the hard water minerals into inactive minerals and flows through with no environmental impact. In fact, it probably does better for the environment.
Magnetic Water Technology
The magnetic water technology is very similar to the electronic water conditioner but doesn’t use any electricity and has the lowest cost which makes it the best value. Usually, you have to pay more to get more but not in this case. In fact, the price is so low that you may think “can this actually work?” because we are so conditioned to seeing high prices for these water softener systems. We personally use this system in our home and we could not imagine life without this amazing, essential, and very simple device. We have not found any negatives from using this technology. This is a total game-changer!
The installation is also the easiest of all the water softener systems available. Because it doesn’t require electricity, you can place the magnets as close to the water meter or source as possible to clean and descale as much of your water pipe as you can. When the water passes through the magnetic field, quite a few things are happening with your water besides transforming the hard minerals into inactive minerals that don’t stick to anything and flow through. We have a more lengthy explanation of how Magnetic Water works so I will provide just a few key benefits here.
- Prevents Hard Water Buildup
- Descaler – removes existing hard water buildup or limescale
- Anti-Bacterial – no more smelly kitchen sponge or towel
- Health benefits – have more energy, remove toxins from your body, and a lot more
- Agricultural benefits – excellent for plants
- Environmental benefits – helps with ocean acidification
Find out more about the benefits of Magnetic Water Technology.
Which is the best water softener?
After comparing all of these various water softener systems one stands out clearly on top. If you haven’t guessed already it is Magnetic Water Technology. It has so many benefits and no negatives. It costs the least and is the easiest to install. You can have your cake and eat it too!
