Water softener shopping shouldn’t be a difficult task. In fact, the only thing that should be ‘hard’ about it is the type of water you’re trying to get rid of (yes, pun intended!).
Yet, many homeowners aren’t quite sure what to look for. They know they want all the benefits of soft water but all the water treatment choices on the market today make the process feel daunting. We’re here to break it down for you and make water softener shopping a little easier.
Important factors to consider
Just like many other things you could shop for, knowing what you want and what you need in a home water softener can help narrow down the choices. As you begin your water softener shopping experience, here are some important factors to take into consideration:
- How hard is your water? You likely don’t know this already, but a simple water test can help. Knowing this important piece of information will help you know what size water softener you need. Simply figure out how many gallons of water are used in your household each day and multiply that by the grains of hardness in your water that a water softener would need to remove. This will give you ‘grains per gallon’, or ‘gpg’ for short. Then, use that number to find a softener that can process that capacity.
- Do you want a salt-based or salt-free water softener? Both types of water softeners give you the same result but use different compounds to get it. Salt-based water softeners use sodium while salt-free water softeners use potassium chloride. In general, a salt-free option is considered more environmentally friendly and can be the perfect solution for people who don’t want to (or aren’t able to) handle refilling their softeners with bagged salt.
- Are you prepared for water softener maintenance? Some handy homeowners are able to do some minor water softener maintenance on their own while leaving more difficult tasks to the expert technicians at their water treatment company. Others don’t want to be bothered with maintenance at all. These customers will likely be more interested in soft water delivery service, otherwise known as Portable Exchange Tank Service. With this option, soft water tanks are delivered, exchanged, and maintained at regular intervals by the water treatment company, not the homeowner.
- What’s your budget? As with any major purchase, determining your spending budget can also help narrow down your choices. In general, water softeners can range from hundreds of dollars to thousands, depending on the model and installation.
Safe water softener shopping
These days, many homeowners begin the water softener shopping process online. Not only is it easy to find a water treatment company in your area, but it’s also convenient for comparing features among available models. Since October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we want to give you a few tips for safe water softener shopping:
- ONLY visit trusted websites. Anyone and everyone can create a website but not all sites are safe and secure. Pay attention to which websites you visit and stay away from any that seem suspicious.
- DON’T give out personal information. Be wary of websites that ask for personal information like your date of birth, social security number, or banking information.
- DO make sure your antivirus software is up-to-date. Safe online water softener shopping includes making sure your computer or mobile device is protected from viruses and hackers.
- Call to ask questions. If you have additional questions about any water softener or soft water service, simply call the water treatment company and ask away.
At CalSoft of Santa Maria, we want you to enjoy all the benefits that soft water brings. Simply give us a call or schedule an appointment and we’ll be happy to make your water softener shopping experience easy and affordable. We look forward to meeting you!