Hard water. This is a term that we’ve mentioned a few times before on our plumbing blog. It is something that affects quite a few Americans, especially those living right here in the Kansas City area. Although it is certainly safe to drink and wash with, that doesn’t mean there are no downsides to it. That all being said, the one proven solution to alleviate some of these concerns involves having a water softener system installed. Much like many of the other plumbing components, water softeners have come a long way over the years and have quickly become a popular product for homeowners to have installed.
For those stopping by our blog for the first time, welcome to Stine-Nichols Plumbing. Offering residential, commercial and new construction services, our team has always strived to be that one-stop shop on all things plumbing for Kansas City residents. Drain cleaning, water heaters, bathroom remodels, you name it! As alluded to above, the topic of this week’s blog will be water softeners. If you follow us on Facebook or Instagram, chances are you’ve seen some of our prior water softener installations. In any case, today’s blog will approach one of the primary decisions homeowners will make in selecting the system they’ll have installed. First off, you have the traditional salt-based systems, which continue to be extremely popular. On the flipside, you also have the citrus-based systems, which are moving quickly on their path to becoming a fan favorite. Is one really better than the other?
With that all being said, let’s dive right into some water softener talk!
Salt-Based Water Softeners
Generally speaking, when most people think of a water softener, the first thing that comes to mind are the salt-based systems. Keep in mind that water softeners have actually been around since the 1800’s and have gone through several advancements since then. While they do require an initial investment to have one installed, there’s no denying they provide a number of various benefits. Nonetheless, to kick off this blog, we’ll be discussing the first of two possibilities homeowners have available to them and that is the salt-based water softeners.
Water softeners work through a process known as ion exchange. What this means is that the system is replacing hard minerals (calcium and magnesium) with soft minerals (sodium and potassium). While the exact process in which this occurs is a little more scientific, this is essentially a brief synopsis of what is happening. However, when it comes to the homeowner’s point of view, I’m guessing you are more concerned with what the maintenance element looks like. After all, your goal is to have something that takes care of hard water and know how to maintain it to ensure you get the maximum years out of that investment, right?
With salt-based water softeners, guess what you’ll need to maintain it? Salt, of course! In order for a water softener to function properly and for the regeneration to take place, the water softener will need the salt. While this just means you’ll have to pour salt into the unit, there are a few variables to keep in mind. For instance, there are generally 3 different types of salt that can be used. Depending on which one you select, this will potentially have an impact on how long the softener will last. Furthermore, the level of hardness for the area where you live can dictate just how often salt will need to be added. Lastly, there are various other parts in the softener that may need to be cleaned as well, in an effort to get the maximum years out of the system. Not to mention, you’ll also want to be aware of preventing any salt bridges, but that’s a topic for another day!
As I mentioned in the opening paragraphs, water softeners have undoubtedly been a popular installation service for our plumbing technicians. While it’s not a requirement to have one in your home by any means, it is a nice plumbing component to have installed. Here at Stine-Nichols Plumbing, our go-to salt-based softener is North Star. They have a number of different residential and commercial systems, and have consistently proven to produce dependable results.
Salt-Free Water Softeners
Your alternative to a salt-based water softener is obviously one that doesn’t require salt. With that being said, one thing homeowners love about the salt-free systems is the fact that you don’t have to haul bags of salt around and as such, there is not nearly as much maintenance involved. So, the question becomes, are salt-free water softeners effective at eliminating the adverse effects of hard water? Well, in short, the answer is YES! We’ll discuss further.
When it comes to salt-free water softener systems, you’ll notice there are a number of different options currently on the market. Just Google “salt-free water softener” and you’ll know what I’m talking about. And as is the case with any other plumbing component, from faucets to garbage disposals to water heaters and so on, there are certain products that are better than others. Makes sense, right? Being a residential plumbing company in the Kansas City area, we’ve been able to research several of these over the years. That being said, for the sake of this blog post, we’ll highlight the salt-free water softener that has quickly become quite popular amongst homeowners. This system that I’m referring to is NuvoH2O. With a tried-and-tested formula, their products utilize citrus instead of salt. In fact, they even had a third-party run some tests on their systems to back up their ability to follow through on what they promised.
So…as we mentioned above, a major advantage of salt-free water softeners is their ability to require very little amounts of maintenance. After all, if you’re like most homeowners, the last thing you want to be worrying about is making sure the water softener is always working. Well, when it comes to the NuvoH2O, one thing many of our customers love is the fact that it’s easy to use and maintain. In fact, all you have to do is simply replace the cartridge and you’re good to go. As for how often you’ll have to make this replacement, that is going to partially depend on your personal water usage levels, although they generally recommend replacing them every 6 months. Before we wrap up this blog post, one final benefit behind Nuvo’s system is that they don’t take up much space and to be honest, they do have a pretty sleek design as well.
If you’re interested in a complete breakdown of Nuvo’s water softeners, including their impact on pH levels, their proprietary CitraCharge technology and how they prevent scale build-up, feel free to check out our prior blog post HERE.
Water Softener Services in Kansas City
If you’re currently contemplating having a water softener system installed, I hope you found some value in the information presented in this blog. There’s clearly a reason why water softeners continue to be so popular year after year. Kansas City experiences higher levels of hard water and water softeners are capable of eliminating some of the annoying side effects that come with hard water.
As mentioned throughout this blog, our plumbing technicians have years of experience installing a wide range of water softener systems. No matter if you’re interested in a salt-based system or a salt-free one, we feel confident in our ability to recommend and install a product that truly works. If you’re ever interested in getting a free quote or learning more about the systems we have available, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (816) 348-3481. We look forward to working with you!