Like all other appliances when you choose the best water softener for your home you need to be your subjective best. You will first need to understand your budget and then look for the softener that suits your requirements. However, when choosing a water softener you will have to give due importance to the features and not go by price alone. There are some features that are common in all water softeners that are considered best for home use.
Water softeners are responsible for making your water soft by removing the calcium and magnesium from the water. This is done with the help of resin filters that are in the form of beads. These filters are made from carbon that has proven filtering qualities. Carbon filters efficiently remove metals and different minerals that are present in particulate and dissolved form in water. There are essentially two types of resin filters: the fine mesh ones and the standard filters.
The filter removes all the dissolved and other particles and the water is then treated with salts to remove the hardness. The resultant soft water then passes into the holding tank from where it is circulated to your entire household through plumbing.
When choosing a water softener that is best suited for your home you will have to rely on three factors. First is the grain capacity of the softener. This will depend on the quality of water that is supplied to your area of residence. The second factor that you have to take into account is the efficiency of the softener and the third is the ease of operation of the softener.
Let’s look at the first aspect that you need to look at. Grain capacity: A grain capacity of the water softener is the measure of its capacity to remove the quantity of grains per gallon of untreated water. The grains are the main cause of hardness. You may test your water from a good laboratory to know the exact amount of hardness the water has. Once you have this information in hand then you can go and look for water softeners that can efficiently remove the hardness and make it soft. By checking out various models and going through their literature you will know which one is best for your needs.
The next important factor that you need to consider is the efficiency of the softener. Efficiency of a softener is measured by taking into account the amount of salt it requires to soften a gallon of water. If the softener is able to use less salt to soften large volume of water then it means that you save a lot by way of reduced expenses on salts.
The third factor that will help you decide the best water softener for your home is the ease in operating the equipment. However, due to the intense competition in the market all manufacturers strive to give a product that is as user friendly as possible. Some of them also give additional features at no extra cost.
However, it is prudent that you do not get carried away by the additional features that the equipment offers as your primary aim is to soften the water. An easy to maintain water softener that uses less salts and consumes less power is the best water softener for you home.