Addressing Common Consumer Questions About Water Softening

No matter where you live, you're bound to hear about water softening companies in your area. This is true whether or not you may actually have hard water in your pipes or not. But, the truth is that more people deal with the problem of hardness in their water than not. If the problem is minor, you may never notice it and it probably isn't worth going through the expense of fixing it. If you have a significant problem, however, the symptoms will be everywhere and life will be much less pleasant than it should be. Here are some of the more common questions consumers have about the process and the answers.

What is Water Softening?

Water softening is a process meant to remove the deposits in your water that creates a host of problems. What kinds of problems? You may experience corrosion in and around your faucets, dishes with spots all over them after they've been through the washer, a dishwasher caked with white stuff, and the inability to create a lather with your soap. These are all common signs of a hard water problem. The real problems, however, are happening behind the scenes. Your pipes could be in the process of being severely damaged by corrosion and deterioration. It can also cause and exacerbate problems with the skin, such as eczema.

How Much Will It Cost?

This is a difficult question to answer, as every company is going to charge you a different price for various levels of service. More to the point, you need to decide what exactly you need out of a water softening system. It doesn't need to cost into the mid-thousands, though, regardless of what your local company is trying to sell you! It is worth it to get something with the kind of capacity it will take to avoid constant maintenance, however. These machines are sold with grain capacities as one of their primary identifiers. This tells you, basically, how much water it can go through before needing to regenerate. Your personal usage will determine what kind of capacity you need.

Does it Affect Taste?

For the most part, a water softening system isn't going to do anything about the taste of your water. If that is your primary concern, you're better off getting a typical faucet filter or pitcher that does the same job. Or you can buy bottled. Some companies will sell a device that carbon filters the water as well as softening it, but these machines are often much more expensive than simply using two stones for two birds.