Salt-Free Water Softeners and Water Softeners – What’s the Difference?

QUESTION:

I have been researching systems till I am ready to slit my throat. So many inconsistencies on the web. I live in Temecula, CA.  Our water is 184 mg per liter / 10.7 per gallon.

The water flow in our house (10 years old) is terrible. I am ready to replace the hot water heater and all of the shower valves. Before I do I know I need a system. We have a 5 bed/5 bath house but only 3 people live in it. I want a slightly over-sized system just so I have some peace of mind. Can you suggest a system?

Also…will your system do anything for the buildup that has already occurred? Is there anything I can do to repair the current buildup other than replace everything? — Vic

Answer:

Well, you don’t have to slit your own throat, because there are a lot of companies out there willing to do that for you…and take your money in the process.  Beware of what you read on the internet and especially beware of companies who have one “Super Duper Product” that is the solution to just about every water problem. There are some good products out there… but lots of “snake oil.” The internet is a wonderful source of information… and dis-information.

There are essentially two ways to prevent and remove scale: (1) a water softener; and (2) a water conditioner. What are the differences? Well, there are plenty of differences, and they both do not do the same things… and then, there’s the little matter of companies of calling their product a water softener, when in fact, it does not even soften the water. Why would they do that?  It’s very simple: they do it to trick you into buying their product. So, let’s discuss just the facts.

Water Softener

A “water softener” according to the plain and simple understanding of the English Language and Wikipedia is “the removal of calcium, magnesium, and certain other metal cations in hard water. The resulting soft water requires less soap for the same cleaning effort, as soap is not wasted mopping up calcium ions. Soft water also extends the lifetime of plumbing by reducing or eliminating scale build-up in pipes and fittings. Water softening is usually achieved using ion-exchange resins.”

So, if you have soft water, you will experience certain benefits you WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT GET with a “water conditioner.”  Benefits like:

Professional Water Hardness Field Test Kit
  • Softer, cleaner skin and silky smooth hair;

  • Much less shampoo needed;

  • Dramatically reduced soap usage, by 50% or more;

  • Softer clothes, whiter whites and brighter colors;

  • All clothing, fabrics and linens last longer;

  • Cleaner, shiner, spot-free glasses, silverware, faucets, fixtures and anything water touches;

  • Extends the life of appliances, fixtures, water heaters and plumbing; and

  • Saves money on water heating energy costs

A water softener is a specific type of device utilizing ion-exchange resins to “soften” water.  Not only is it a specific type of device, but it’s specific purpose is to soften water… and whether the water is soft or not is scientifically provable.  Some companies claim that they have a device which softens the water without salt.  I think they are hoping that you will not actually check and see if it really is soft. We sell a water hardness test kit.  It is the same type of test kit that many labs and water treatment professionals use to precisely determine the water hardness level.

The Water Hardness Scale

 Soft <1.0 <17.0
Slightly Hard 1.0-3.5 17.1-60
Moderately Hard 3.5-7.0 60-120
Hard 7.0-10.5 120-180
Very Hard >10.5 >180
Water Hardness Test Strips

That test kit is less than $50 and you can verify whether the water is soft or not by a simple titration method that even a 5 year-old can do.  This test kit is good for about 50 tests and the titration chemicals can then be replaced for a few dollars.

We also have hardness test strips, which come in a protective foil pack.  You can buy a 5-pack for less than $5 to see if your water is hard or soft. You simply draw some water into a glass and then dip one of thse test strips into the water.  Wait a few seconds and then match up the color.  Again, even a 5 year-old can do it. Once you have soft water, you will be able to tell the difference immediately without a test, and if you forget to put salt in it, you will be rudely awakened to a hard water shower and spots on your dishes and fixtures. My wife has threatened me with bodily harm more than once when I let the softener run out of salt.

Salt-Free Conditioners

Salt free “conditioners” are a much larger category because they do not soften the water by using ion-exchange.  Oh, some companies call what they have a “salt-free water softener” but if you ask them “If I have the water tested by a laboratory, will it test “soft?”  The answer is no!  If fact, recently a customer who bought what they said (and he believed) to be a salt-free “softener”, called up the manufacturer and said that the water did not test soft.  He was told “Well, it doesn’t ACTUALLY soften the water.” Oh, so he bought a “Doesn’t Actually Soften The Water Softener.” Would he have bought it if he knew it did not actually soften the water?

So, salt-free conditioners can embrace a lot of devices and technologies… some very good, some not so good, and some outright silly! Here is a partial list of some technologies that could be considered salf-free conditioners. I am going to give you my opinion of each technology, but I want you to remember one thing:  US Water Systems is an independent family-owned and operated company and we are on the Cutting-Edge of technology… and have been for years. We stick with the latest technology that is scientifically proveable, dependable, scalable and economical. We have to utilize products that work, since we sell all over the world.

Type of Salt-Free Conditioners

  • Magnetic & Electro-Magnetic Devices – Look, I have been interested in magnetic and electro-magnetic or electronic water treatment for over 40 years and I have spent thousands of dollars in testing these devices over the years. If I ever find a product that really works on a provable, sustainable, scientific basis, we will sell it.  The fact that we don’t says it all.
  • Template Assisted Crystallization, Nucleatiion Assisted Crystallization and other Similar Technologies – These products are sold as TAC or NAC technology by any number of companies. We stated selling these products about a dozen years ago and finally stopped selling then about three years ago because the results were simply unsatisfactory.  We sell our products all over the world, and while sometimes they seemed to work, most of the results were problematic. Simply put, if we believe they worked, we would be selling them.
  • Catalytic Devices – I don’t even know what that means.  It’s a great buzzword… that means nothing.  By definition, a catalyst is something that increases a reaction.  Reaction with what?
  • Chelation – This typically involves the introduction of citric acid into the water supply, which reduces the pH of the water and thus prevents scale foramtion.  In theory, this is the best of the aforementioned technology, but I dislike lowering the pH and question whether if can done on a consistent basis across all flow rates, both low and high. It does prevent scale, but it does not create softened water.
  • Sequestration – This method consists of introducing a balanced blend of food grade organic phosphates, which form a one-molecule thick coating on water-touching surfaces.  It prevents new scale from forming and slowly losens existing scale deposits.  It effectively “seals” the pipe or surface from the limescale, so that it cannot form and also prevents corrosion.  One of the most popular methods of doing this involves Silphos.
  • Filtration – Filtration can be accomplished with an number of medias, but you cannot simply “filter out hardness.” Mechanical filtration involves the use of sediment filters, media filters or granular activated carbon filters.  A good filtration regimen can be an important part of any water softener or salt-free water conditioner system.

None of these methods are perfect, in fact, it is my learned opinion that some have very little scientific validity, and not one of them produce softened water! Filtration can and should be very useful on any water supply.  I always recommend a whole house 5 micron filter to remove sand, sediment and solids, to say nothing of fish and turtles.  A tank-type carbon filter (non-backwashing or backwashing) is also very beneficial for removing chlorine, chloramine (municipal water) as well as chemicals, pesticides, tastes and odors.  Many companies who sell products that they represent as water softeners, which really don’t soften the water (and maybe don’t do much period) get by with including a carbon filter with their product.  The carbon does improve the water, leaving the people somewhat impressed, even if it is not soft or does little for limescale.

The Bodyguard Whole House Filtration System

Conclusion

There is no device that produces soft water without salt and provides the benefits of a water softener.  If you want those benefits, you simply have to utilize a salt using water softener (although the new high efficiency models use a very small amount of salt and water). Even with a water softener, I would recommend pre-filtration along with carbon filtration.  Our Bodyguard System is very affordable and our most popular system.

The US Water Limeblaster Salt-Free Water Conditioner

If you don’t care about most of the benefits of soft water and only want to prevent and eliminate limescae, then the technology we utilize is Sequestration with our Limeblaster Salt-Free Water Conditioner.  We do not “oversell” this product like many of our competitors.  It does not soften water, so we do not call it a water softener, but it does an excellent job of removing and preventing scale.  The US Water Limeblaster totally prevents limescale on and in appliances, pipes, fixtures – actually everything water touches. The US Water Limeblaster system uses a unique and patented dosing system which adds a small amount siliphos (a food grade material) to the water, effectively “sealing” Calcium and Magnesium from sticking to any surface or pipes. Silcopolyphosphate is a “food grade” product and is safe for human consumption according to the WHO and FAO recommendations. It meets all FDA requirements for being “food grade.”

Of course, I always recommend using a reverse osmosis system for your drinking water.  This polishes off the water, delivering the highest quality water at the lowest cost and if you have a softener, it removes the sodium added as well.  With the Limeblaster, it removes the polyphosphate, so even though it is safe for human consumption, it is gone with the RO system.

Cheers to your water!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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