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Installing a water softener system in your home offers numerous advantages: savings on cleaning products and soaps; your skin and hair feeling softer; protecting plumbing against hard water minerals that build-up over time - these all can contribute to saving money in the form of reduced cleaning needs, soap consumption and plumbing maintenance costs; plus it keeps drains clear of hard mineral build-up!
Cost of water softeners depends on their type and grain capacity, along with additional expenses like salt refills, electricity fees for powering the system and wastewater disposal fees associated with flushing out softened water from its reservoirs.
Salt-based ion exchange systems typically cost anywhere from $500 to $3,000, with installation being the biggest expense. Ion exchange uses salt to "exchange" calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions in softened water; regular salt refills must occur for these systems to continue operating effectively, making maintenance costs higher than other forms of water softeners.
Big Box stores may sell smaller water softeners for under $1,500; however, these devices rarely meet the needs of most homes and offer limited results. Therefore, it is advisable to consult a plumber in order to secure an ideal size and model tailored specifically to your situation.
To accurately select an adequate water softener capacity for your household, it's necessary to have knowledge of its daily water usage (in gallons) as well as current hardness levels (measured in grains per gallon (GPG) or parts per million [PPM). A water testing kit from home improvement stores may provide this data - multiple readings should provide accurate readings.
