Water Conditioning Equipment: Water Softening & Reverse Osmosis

Salt-Based Ion Exchange Water Softeners

These softeners cycle water through two separate tanks. One filled with brine, and the other with special resin beads. These beads have a negative electrical charge that attracts the positively charged mineral ions of hard water while giving off sodium ions. The attraction causes minerals such as calcium and magnesium to adhere to the resin beads as the water passes through the tank, resulting in soft water.

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Salt-Free Water Softener

Salt-free water softeners use potassium chloride in lieu of sodium. People who are concerned with their salt intake may prefer to use this type of system to condition their water, though technically, these systems don't actually soften water, but rather function as a descaler, preventing the minerals from depositing throughout water systems and causing damage.

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Dual-Tank Water Softener

Traditional water softeners are designed to disconnect from the water system when recharging. For families that require round-the-clock soft water, a dual tank system may be preferable. This may also be a better long term solution for homes with very hard water. With a dual-tank unit, when one tank is in use, the other is regenerating, resulting in continued access to soft water. These units also operate on-demand, allowing them to be smaller in size than single tank units, but keep in mind that they must be installed near a drain for backwashing, near the main inbound water line, and if you choose a model that runs on electric, near a circuit as well.

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Magnetic Water Softener or Descaler

According to manufacturers, this plug-in device, which clips onto the incoming pipe, sets up a magnetic field that changes the electromagnetic properties of the calcium-carbonate minerals so they are repelled by pipes and each other, resulting not in soft water, but theoretically preventing scale. Studies on these products have been inconclusive.

Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration

RO filtration improves taste, odor and appearance of water by removing contaminants that cause taste and odor problems. Not all water contaminants are regulated by the EPA, so many town water systems still offer lackluster water. RO systems remove pollutants from water including nitrates, pesticides, sulfates, fluoride, bacteria, pharmaceuticals, arsenic and much more. An RO systems’ carbon filter will also remove chlorine and chloramines. RO systems have very few moving or replaceable parts make RO systems easy to clean and service.