There are a lot of factors to consider when you want to choose the best water softener for your home. The unit’s flow rate, regeneration frequency, and consumer reviews all play a part. One detail, though, stands above the rest.
The king factor in selecting your
softener isn’t picking a unit that relates to the size of your home. It’s knowing your family’s water usage. You might have a 5-bedroom home, but you don’t really need a large-size softener if only 2 people regularly use water. A good water softener expert can help you pick
the best unit for your home by focusing on efficiency. They should determine your home’s daily water usage, your family’s specific water concerns, and your area’s water quality and treatment needs.
Softener Capacity and Water Usage
An easy estimate for figuring out your usage is to assume that each person in your home uses about 100 gallons of water each day. If you want a more detailed report, check out this
water calculator. It reviews each room in your home and gets more specific about your usage. (This calculator can be a neat tool for kids too. It was made by
The Field Museum in Chicago and the
Alliance for Water Efficiency.)
Once you have your usage count, it’s easier to figure out whether your
water softener should be a single tank or a two-tank system. Single tank units tend to be ideal for lower usage or smaller spaces. Two-tank softeners are often better for higher usage because they have a separate salt tank and a higher water capacity, so they can treat more hard water for each cycle.
The right-sized unit for your usage can give you the best quality and efficiency. A softener that’s specifically selected to meet your needs will ensure you get soft water whenever you need it. Efficiency ratings won’t be as high when the softener is too big or small for your usage.
High-Efficiency and Chlorine-Removal
The main thing with softener efficiency is that the unit’s capacity needs to match your usage. It also helps to have a higher flow rate and lower regeneration frequency. We choose to work with
high-efficiency softeners because they use a lot less water and less salt for each regeneration cycle. (Which helps you save on month-to-month salt and water costs.) We also prefer to work with Made in America softeners. Quality softeners need very little
maintenance, aside from routine check-ups.
Finally, you might want to consider having a water softener that does double-duty as a water refiner. Bothered by the amount of
chlorine in your tap water? Certain units will filter your soft water too.
Chlorine-removal systems are getting a lot more popular because they take care of hard water and chlorinated tap water issues in just one go!
