Eighteen years ago, my husband and I purchased our first home in Ft. Worth, TX. After a couple of years as newlyweds, we were thrilled to be homeowners. And with the delight of home ownership, came the joy of many trips to the home improvement store.
Early on we saw evidence of hard water
We had faucets that were corroded and required replacement. We had a chalky film in our shower that needed a miracle product, and very cloudy glasses and spotty dishes that weren’t looking better despite detergent finishing products.
We did a quick water test (with a water test strip) and discovered that we had VERY hard water in our area. The solution, we were told, was a water softener. So in 1998, we purchased our first water conditioning/softening system –the Reionator from WaterTech.
It was the benefits of our system that made me love water softening.
We saved money on detergents and soaps!
Although purchasing a water softener was an investment, I could immediately see that that I could cut back on soap usage. Before our water softener I would drop a scoop of laundry soap into my top-loading washer and watch as the water filled. Even when the agitation started— no bubbles. So I would drop in more soap. After our water softener was installed, I actually used half of a scoop rather than 2 scoops of soap. And shampoo? A dime-size amount was all it took. I was hooked.
We saved on energy bills.
The financial benefits of water softening may surprise you! For example: we decided to replace our hot water heater about the same time we purchased the Reionator. The hot water heater tank It had so much built up sediment inside, that it took three men to carry the old water heater out of our garage.
Even after flushing it out, the water heater had nearly eight inches of sediment on the bottom of the tank from years of operating with hard water. With the water heater element submerged in the sediment and insulated from the water— I’m not even sure how I ever got a hot shower. Needless to say, with our Reionator and new water heater, we got hot water in the shower more quickly (and used less water and energy), as well as in the washing machine and dishwasher. Loved it!
We experienced improved water flow.
Before we figured out our hard water problem, we were a little dismayed at the low water pressure in our new home.
My husband opened up shower heads and cleaned out rocks—yes rocks. That made things a little better. But our pipes were most likely clogged with mineral deposits and scale that reduced our water flow. Soft water can actually dissolve mineral deposits in pipes over time and we began to see marked improvement in our water flow.
We saved on home repair.
As I mentioned, we had corroded faucets that needed replacement. Multiple faucets in our home had small holes near the base from the corrosion of hard water. We replaced all of the faucets and when we sold the home a few years later, the faucets still looked shiny new. No corrosion. No hard water spots.
Since selling that first home, we have made additional home purchases. After closing each sale, our first order of business has been to invest in a water softener.
If you suspect you have hard water, I recommend conducting a simple water test with a water test strip. It takes about 30 seconds, it’s simple and it’s free. Then, find out what water conditioning solutions are right for you.
Want to learn more about the benefits of a water softener? Check out my favorite: the Reionator by WaterTech.
7 Responses
There are benefits of using a water softener that I did not think about. I didn’t know that it can help you with washing your clothes, and use less soap while doing it. Plus it can take the minerals out of the water so they don’t end up in your house’s pipes.
My wife and I just moved to a new home that doesn’t have a water softener like our previous one did. We’ve noticed a difference, and are deliberating whether or not to have one put in. After reading your article about the clear benefits, I think we will go for it. Thanks for the read.
I never realized that a water softener system had so many benefits. I like the benefit of saving money on energy bills. I always love saving money and to add all the other benefits to my house. I will definitely look into buying a water softener for my house. Thanks for the information!
My dishwasher luck has always been bad. I’ve had to replace it quite a few times. I found out it was because of the hard water buildup. Ever since I learned this I’ve been looking into a water softener. I’m glad you mentioned that there is better water flow from a water softener.
This is some great information, and I appreciate your pint that a softener can actually improve water flow. My husband and I just moved into a new house, and the water pressure has been pretty low. I’ve noticed that it’s really hard as well, so we’ll definitely look into installing a softener to see if that helps with flow. Thanks for the great post!
I never realized I should buy a water softener until I read your article. I especially like how you mention that purchasing a water softener is an investment because it allows you to cut back on soap usage. I think I also would like the added benefits of a water softener because I’d heard that it improves the taste of your water. Thanks for sharing!
You wrote that soft water can actually dissolve mineral deposits in pipes over time. I recently just moved and I noticed that my house doesn’t have soft water. I’ll be sure to find a good water softener service to come install one of their devices, as I would like to have my pipes flowing well.