– What does a water softener system do, how do you operate it, and what kind of maintenance is required?
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“Hard” water means that there are minerals like calcium and magnesium in the water. It’s perfectly safe to drink, but it can be annoying because the chemicals cause limescale buildup in your faucets and showers that need to be cleaned regularly.
A water softener is a device you install that filters your water, exchanging those minerals for sodium or potassium, which are harmless salts.
Maintenance is pretty easy, you just replace the salt once a year or so when it runs out. It should last 10 years before any maintenance other than that is needed.
The downside is that your water tastes slightly salty and it feels a bit slippery like it’s soapy. Those are typical properties of “softened” water. It’s not dramatic, it’s subtle – but it can be noticeable.
There are other alternatives – I prefer a water conditioner, which uses a different chemical process to change the calcium and magnesium such that it doesn’t cause the limescale buildup, even though it’s still present. It requires even less maintenance, too.
FWIW our water system also has a UV light that kills bacteria. The UV bulb has to be replaced annually and it’s like $130 or so every time.
Also it’s no small task keeping up with the salt. Takes like 6-8 40lb bags ($8/bag) every few months. But I suppose all those trips to the basement with a 40lb bag in each arm counts as a workout.
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