What You Need to Know About Well Water Softeners

Written by Craig "The Water Guy" Phillips

Selecting a Water Softener System

Picking out the perfect water softener for your well water can work wonders for your home's water quality and keep your appliances in shape longer.

Below, we'll break down water hardness and the various kinds of water softeners to make your decision a bit easier.

Understanding Water Hardness

Got water that leaves your pipes throwing a bit of a tantrum? That's probably down to the calcium and magnesium swirling around in there.

These minerals mean business and love nothing more than to clog plumbing and stress out appliances—not to mention drying out your skin and hair.

When we talk 'water softeners,' it's about swapping those trouble-causing minerals with friendlier ions like sodium or potassium. This change keeps your pipes and appliances happy by cutting down on that pesky limescale buildup.

Water Softener Types

So, you're ready to soften things up; let's look at the types of softeners and what they bring to the table:

Salt-Based Water Softeners

These systems are rock stars when it comes to dealing with hard water. They play a swap game, trading calcium and magnesium for sodium or potassium.

For households contending with serious water hardness, these are your best friends.

Salt-Free Water Softeners

Now, these guys don’t remove minerals but change them chemically, so they can't stick around to cause trouble. Using Template Assisted Crystallization (TAC), they transform calcium and magnesium into non-sticky crystals.

Great for slightly hard water, but maybe not tough enough for when your water's at its hardest.

Dual Tank Water Softeners

Guess what, big families? Dual tank systems might just be your jam. With two tanks, you get a steady flow of softened water even during regen times. No interruptions, just smooth water sailing.

Check out this quick table to see the breakdown:

Feature	Salt-Based Softeners	Salt-Free Softeners	Dual Tank Softeners
Hardness Removal Method	Ion Exchange	Template Assisted Crystallization	Ion Exchange
Hard Water Handling	High Efficiency	Moderate Efficiency	High Efficiency
Maintenance	Regular Salt Replenishment	Low Maintenance	Regular Salt Replenishment
Continuous Operation	No	Yes	Yes
Ideal For	Very Hard Water	Moderate Hard Water	Large Households

 

Whether your water's a mild nuisance or a full-blown headache, knowing what you're dealing with helps when picking out the right softener. It's about checking your water's toughness and figuring out what works best for your home to keep everything running smoothly and lasting longer.

Factors Influencing Water Softener Choice

Picking the right water softener for our well water isn't just a random evening shopping spree—it's gotta solve our hardness issues and fit our household like a comfy old sweater.

Water Usage and Hardness

When it comes to snagging a water softener for wells, figuring out our water usage and hardness levels is kinda like checking the weather before deciding on shorts or snow boots.

The softener's capacity, measured in grains per gallon (GPG), tells us how much hardness it whispers goodbye to, before it needs a refresh.

Living out here among the trees and tractors with super hard water (say, 20+ GPG), a high-capacity doohickey is a must. An efficient one can treat more hard water with less grain, like a compact superhero.

Family Size	Daily Water Usage (Gallons)	GPG	Grain Capacity Needed
2-4	200	20	4,000
4-6	300	20	6,000
6-8	400	20	8,000

Available Installation Area

Where on earth is this big softener going to live? The space we’ve got can sway our decision big time.

Some systems munch more room than a kid’s birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. Measure twice, cut once, or in this case, measure twice so the thing actually fits.

If our space is tighter than a snare drum, compact models from folks like SoftPro could be our jam. They don’t gobble up room but still flex their softening muscles.

Pro-tip: check with a professional to avoid cramming it into a shoe closet.

Regeneration Process

How this fancy gizmo regenerates is like its workout routine.

Salt-based softeners? Team favorite. They play hard with minerals, using sodium as their secret weapon.

There are two star players when it comes to regeneration tactics:

1. Time-Clock Regeneration:

• Kicks in on a schedule.
• Simpler but might end up doing a bit much or way too little.
  
  

1. Demand-Initiated Regeneration:

• Works only when the bell tolls for more soft water.
• Saves more salt and water, though it asks for a bit more upfront cash.
  
  

Type of Regeneration	Pluses	Minuses
Time-Clock	Easy-peasy setup	Might overdo it or slack off
Demand-Initiated	Economizes salt and water	Costs more at the start

Keeping these bits in mind, we can snag a water softener that'll fit our home like a glove and work like a charm. Chat with a water treatment guru to match up hardness levels and water habits perfectly.