If your home is one of the 85% in the United States affected by hard water, you already know what a nuisance it can be. While hard water isn’t unsafe, it is inconvenient, leading to scale buildup in plumbing fixtures and appliances, reducing the effectiveness of soaps and detergents, and leaving hair and skin feeling dry. Salt-free water softeners have become a popular solution to this problem and may be preferable to traditional water softeners depending on your water hardness, budget, and maintenance capabilities. Before you make any final decisions, it’s a good idea to understand the pros and cons of saltless water softeners so you can make an informed purchase that works for your home.
What Is a Salt-Free Water Softener?
Also called salt-free water conditioners, these systems are designed to prevent scale buildup in plumbing fixtures and appliances without using salt. Unlike traditional water softeners that replace minerals like calcium and magnesium with sodium through a process called ion exchange, salt-free water conditioners use a process called Template Assisted Crystallization (TAC) to convert minerals into inactive crystals. So, these systems don’t actually “soften” water by removing minerals, but rather make it so these minerals cannot stick to surfaces.
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How Do Salt-Free Water Conditioners Work?
Saltless water softeners use Template Assisted Crystallization (TAC) to condition the minerals in water. As water flows through the physical water treatment, particles come in contact with tiny polymer beads called carbonate crystal structures. Minerals in water form microcrystal clusters when they pass through the physical water treatment. As clusters accumulate, they eventually break off and continue flowing through plumbing systems, unable to stick to fixtures or appliances.
Pros of Salt-Free Water Softener Alternatives
They don’t use salt:
Salt-based water softeners are known to add mild salt content to water and also require a drain line to remove brine. Saltless water conditioners are a good option for homeowners who don’t want to increase sodium in their water or who live in areas with brine restrictions. Plus, these systems don’t require purchasing bags of salt and frequently refilling a brine tank.
They don’t use electricity:
Salt-free water softeners don’t use electricity and can be installed inside or outside your home. Without the need for electricity, these systems won’t raise your energy consumption needs.
They don’t remove minerals:
Minerals like calcium and magnesium are essential nutrients in any diet. Removing these minerals from your water could mean decreasing your overall intake and could leave your water tasting flat. Saltless water conditioners only alter the minerals, meaning you can still enjoy health benefits and better tasting water.
They’re less expensive:
While saltless water softeners are still an investment, these systems tend to be slightly more budget-friendly than salt-based water softeners when you factor in both upfront and maintenance costs.
They’re not as high maintenance:
As mentioned, salt-based systems require homeowners to purchase bags of salt and fill brine tanks regularly. Salt-free systems only require annual filter replacements.
They filter out other contaminants:
Some systems, like Kind Water’s Whole House Salt-Free Water Softener and Filter Combo, feature carbon and sediment filters to reduce chlorine, chloramines, dirt, debris, and rust (all of which impact water taste and odor) as well as reducing the impact of minerals on plumbing.
Learn more about the Whole House Salt-Free Water Softener and Filter Combo!
Cons of Salt-Free Water Softener Alternatives
You’ll still have hard water:
Because calcium and magnesium minerals are only changing structure, you’ll still technically have hard water and some of the inconveniences that come with it. So, you may still see soap scum residue, need more soap or detergent to keep things clean, or have dry hair and skin.
There isn’t a clear way to measure effectiveness:
Advanced water softeners like Kind Water’s Smart Metered Salt-Based Water Softener provide customers with real-time setting and status data about their water, whereas salt-free systems don’t since mineral levels aren’t being reduced and don’t have a smart meter.
Is a Salt-Free Water Softener Better?
Kind Water Systems offers both solutions because they’re both effective and work for different customer needs. Choosing the right system for your home can be difficult. Our friendly filtration specialists can answer your questions and help you find the right solution for softening your water.
