We charge 500-700 for most Water Softener Installations. Message us anytime for more info

When speaking to customers we are often asked what type of softener we would recommend for their home and family. this answer is different for each person based on a few factors. In this section we try to explain those factors so that you have a better understanding of softeners and hopefully an idea of which type you would like to purchase and have installed(we install all types).

 Salt free softeners are actually called Salt free Water Conditioners, but give you similar results as traditional softeners so for easier understanding, we call them salt-free softeners. All of the information found here is directly from the manufacturers or credible websites only. We also have a section on our home page of "Recommended Products" that have been chosen based on reviews directly from customers as well as on- line and from us.

Some Factors That Help us Make a Recommendation

• if you do not have a Reverse osmosis for your kitchen sink and are at all concerned with drinking or cooking with softened water, we recommend salt free softeners.(If you are interested in getting a RO in your home message or call us anytime!)
• If you have house plants or use the backyard hose spout to water plants outside and do not want to have to install a new water line to that location, we would recommend salt free softeners.
• if you are most concerned with hard water stains, not the quality of the water, we recommend a salt based softener.
• salt based softeners require water, electricity and a place to drain. If you would like to install your softener in a location that does not have a drain or electrical outlet, we would recommend a salt free softener.
• Newer homes are starting to come with water  softener pre-plum options  from the builder that makes installation easier and cheaper and has a bypass line installed for the cold water on the kitchen sink so that the home owner does not drink or cook with softened water. If your home has  the pre plumb option you can easily install either salt or salt free softeners.
• if you are elderly or physically  handicap you may have trouble lifting 50 pound bags of salt into your softener monthly. In that case we recommend a salt free softener. they do not require adding and checking the salt monthly.

Water softening means you are removing the hardness (minerals like calcium and magnesium)

from the water through a process called ion exchange. Salt-based water softeners contain a

resin bed which filters the water through, exchanging those hardness minerals for sodium

particles. When the resin bed is full of hardness and can’t hold onto anymore of it, the cleaning

cycle (or regeneration) begins. This is when a series of backwashes purge the trapped minerals

and flushes them out of the system. The salt is then replenished as well and the system

continues to soften. 

Pros

• A salt-based water softener will completely remove minerals, such as calcium and

magnesium, from your water.

• A saltwater system will reduce the excess amount of lime-scale build up that appears in your

sinks, on your faucets, and in your bathtubs slightly better than a salt-free system

You will also notice that more suds and bubbles are formed when the water is soft from salt.

This is due to the minerals being taken from the water and no longer being present to dry your

skin.

Cons

• Unfortunately, a salt based system can be a little bit more expensive.

• The salt based water softeners require maintenance to clean out the resin bed and

replenish the salt. During the regeneration, unfortunately, there is water “wasted” and the

resin bed will need to be replaced every five to ten years.

Salt-free systems do not use the ion exchange process to remove the hardness minerals as the

salt-based systems do. Instead, the water is processed through a catalytic media using a

physical process called Template Assisted Crystallization. The minerals’ shape is changed to

a hardness crystal that does not stick to surfaces or pipes without removing minerals. That is why it is called a water conditioner instead of a water softener since it does not technically “soften” your water. Since

these types of systems do not capture and remove minerals, there is no need for a cleaning cycle to remove

trapped components.

Pros

• They are commonly less expensive than salt based systems.

• Salt-free water softeners do not use any softening chemicals to soften the water in your

home(no need to add salt every month) and also do not have wastewater so they are more efficient.

• This type of softener will counteract contaminants like calcium and magnesium so that they

do not stick to your pipes and damage them over time.

Cons

• In the salt-free process, it creates hardness crystals but leaves minerals present in the water

• Systems that use salt are typically better at showing results for hard water stains versus a salt-free system. Although there will be a large reduction in build up on fixtures there will still be build up present.