How to Choose the Right Water Softener

A majority of American households have hard water, which includes minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Hard water can cause rashes and dry skin, as well as build-up in pipes, faucets and appliances. Having soft water can make your life a little more comfortable; here are the top reasons why you need one.

Mineral buildup from hard water, though, can be prevented with a water softener that removes those naturally occurring elements. Here’s how to choose the right water softener for your household.

Decide on a Water Softener Size

Start by figuring out what your family’s needs are. The average person uses 80 to 100 gallons of water a day. Your household’s number may be higher or lower, depending on lifestyle. You may be washing extra clothes with infants and toddlers, have teens who take lengthy showers or have enough guests that you use a dishwasher often.

Take your household’s total estimated use of water a day and multiply it by the grains of hardness in your water. The number of grains—the “hardness”—can be found by looking up water reports from your municipal provider or by testing your water source using a purchased hard water test kit.

Most four-person households use a 33,000-grain water softener.

Water Softener Regeneration Considerations

Traditional water softeners have a resin bed that can trap minerals and divert them from your water supply. When the resin beads get coated, they need to be regenerated using water softener salt and your water supply. This process uses about as much water as you’d need to wash a load of laundry and takes about 90 minutes.

Your water softener can be set to regenerate at night when water isn’t in use, or programmed to run as needed, based on your family’s actual use. Look for a model that tells you when more salt is needed, or have a regular reminder on your calendar to monitor salt levels manually.

If you want to always have soft water in reserve while your water softener regenerates, look for a dual-tank water softeners.

What Else to Consider with Water Softeners

You may decide to connect your water softener to just the hot water supply and leave the cold water supply hard. This prevents trace amounts of salt from the softening process from getting into drinking and cooking water.

Some families choose an additional under-the-sink filtration system or reverse osmosis system for water used with cooking and drinking.