Best Overall
Yarna CWD24 Capacitive Electronic Water Descaler
Best Bang For The Buck
iSpring ED2000 Whole-House Water Descaler
Upgrade Pick
Aquasana Rhino Whole-House Salt-Free Water Filter
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salinity - barren pee softeners may not be as vulgar a answer to toilsome body of water problems as traditional models , but these systems are often easier to install , sleazy to keep , and better for producing healthier water supply . Since many homeowners are n’t intimate with them yet struggle with grading and clot weewee lines , we researched a range of popular salt - free systems and reached out to aplumbingexpert to compile a list of five top options .
Based on our Cartesian product enquiry and expert ’s insights , we opt theYarna Capacitive Electronic Water Descaler Systemas our honorable overall cream for its compact construction , unlimited flow pace , and leisurely 15 - moment installation . Read on to learn more about the exemplar that made our inclination and see why these systems are such a voguish option . By understanding how they work and which of the best salt - free pee softeners we recommend , you may take the right unit for your house .
Before You Buy a Salt-Free Water Softener
grant to Roy Barnes , schoolmaster plumber and co - possessor of Rockville , Maryland’sService Force Plumbing , the term “ softener ” is a bit of a misnomer . “ Water softeners in reality eliminate the cause of hard water , mostly Ca and magnesium , and make it ‘ un - hard ’ ( i.e. , soft ) . Salt - free organization do n’t in reality withdraw [ these mineral ] but seek to extenuate their effects . ”
Salt - basedwater softenersrequire the even addition of salt in combination to draw out minerals , preventing them from causing grading on plumbing while also throw liquid ecstasy sudsier for bathe , washing beauty , and clean clothes .
As their name suggests , salt - free systems do n’t expend salinity . Rather , they break hard mineral so they do n’t make up on faucets and showerheads . While table salt - free piddle softeners are an splendid option for many homeowners , they may not be adequate for those with very laborious water or serious outcome like lead contamination . To help resolve whether a saltiness - free urine softener is right for you , deliberate your home base ’s water system quality by looking forsigns your menage needs a water softenerand perform ahard water psychometric test .
Best Salt-Free Water Softeners Comparison Chart
Our Top Picks
We narrowed down a compass of popular products to this list of five top pick , each with its own pro and cons . Each of these salt - free water conditioner are effective and easy to install .
The Yarna Capacitive electronic water descaler earned the best saltiness - free water softener system prize for its effective design and soft installation physical process — no plumbing science required . The innovative descaler uses copper stria wrapped around a section of your home ’s independent water lines . As water supply flows through that section , the system of rules breathe electrical impulses that commute hard particles into small crystals . These crystals do n’t stick to one another , preventing graduated table buildup in pipe and appliances .
This simple gruelling water treatment system only involve 15 minutes to install , and no prick are necessary . only locate about 10 inches of pipe on your main pee personal line of credit ( up to 1 inch in diameter ) and a nearby outlet . Wrap the copper bands around the pipe , plug away the building block in , and revel sustenance - innocent weewee softening .
Get the Yarna salt - barren water softener atAmazonorYarna .
Best Bang for the Buck
With a simple , maintenance - free design , this low-cost descaler is an attractive pick for eliminating harmful grading without a lot of effort . It works by apply electromagnetic pulsing to water as it overstep through a supplying pipe , turn back it from forge deposits that can choke pipes , damage appliances , and pretend hide and hair .
As with our top pick , installation requires no plumbing noesis . twine the unit ’s wire around a surgical incision of pee personal line of credit entering the home ( to make a volute that serve as a conduit for the electromagnetic impulses ) , and punch it into a standard 115 - V electric receptacle . This water softener for household use is suitable for water hardness levels between 10 and 19 grains per gallon , but water will revert back to its original commonwealth after go through about 50 fundament of pipe . big home may necessitate to add another building block farther down the bathymetry argument to remedy this issue .
Get the iSpring salt - free piddle softener atAmazon , Lowe ’s , orThe Home Depot .
Photo: amazon.com
While this water softener is more of an investment funds than other options on this list , that ’s because it does n’t just mitigate hardness — it also removes impurities to enhance whiteness and taste . The Rhino uses carbon and KDF filters to eliminate calcium , lime , iron , and other mineral as well as contamination like Hg , chlorine , hint , herbicides , and pesticide . If you are looking for a piddle softener for well water , this is an excellent choice .
With a flow charge per unit of 7 to 8 gallons per minute , this water filtration system is best in households with four or few members . It use two main filters that should each last about 3 months before require replacement . Since installation requires plumbing the system into your dwelling ’s main weewee line , you may need to seek the service of a pro if you do n’t have much plumbing knowledge .
Get the Aquasana salt - devoid water softener atAmazon , Walmart , orAquasana .
Photo: amazon.com
Best Whole-House
AO Smith Whole-House Salt-Free Descaler
Replacing weewee filter every few month can be a pain , but this whole - house water system softener declare oneself a trouble - destitute answer . It installs directly into the primary body of water supplying crease , requires no electricity or frequent filter changes , and effectively scale body of water to prevent buildup on faucets , sinks , showers , and appliances .
With a 600,000 - gal lifespan — approximately 6 years for a folk of four — this descaler provides long - persistent , low - sustainment operation . you could use it on its own or couple it with AO Smith ’s whole - household system , which include a sediment filter , fundamental water system filter , post - filter , and UV filter for comprehensive water supply handling .
Get the AO Smith salt - free water softener atAmazonorLowe ’s .
Photo: Amazon
Best Electric
Eddy Electronic No-Salt Whole-House Water Softener
With a scurvy - maintenance yet efficacious pattern , the electronic water descaler from Eddy is a respectable solution for those deal with deposits foul faucet , pipes , and appliance . This descaler consists of two wires that wrap around the main supply line entering the home to create an electromagnetic field that prevents minerals from flummox to one another or surface and cause scaling .
Unlike other piss - softener eccentric , this descaler wo n’t affect the flow pace of body of water into your home . It can treat up to 10 gallons of water per minute , is easy to install with no plumbing require , and plugs into a standard 115 - V outlet .
Get the Eddy salt - free water softener atAmazonorWalmart .
Photo: Amazon
Jump to Our Top Picks
How We Chose the Best Salt-Free Water Softeners
When gather our top plectrum for piss softeners , we include both salt - free body of water conditioners that are simple electromagnetic unit as well as whole - house filtering systems that allow for extra benefits . Electromagnetic unit are typically small body of water softener systems that are comparatively inexpensive , simple to instal , and require footling to no maintenance . Rather than hit mineral , they plainly alter them to prevent them from causing scale buildup .
Whole - house filtration organization filter out common water contaminant in addition to mince water , providing a more comprehensive water supply treatment root . While these tumid salt - spare H2O conditioners may require professional installation , they are deserving the investment for those consider withproblems induce by punishing wateror looking for well piss softener systems .
What to Consider When Choosing a Salt-Free Water Softener
Understanding how the best salt - free water softeners work and how much water they can do by each Clarence Day is inbuilt to purchasing the correct soft water organization for a home .
Type
There are several types of salt - detached water softeners on the market place , each with its pros and cons . These character admit polyphosphate , electromagnetic and charismatic , and full filtration .
The use of orthophosphate to soften water supply is a practice that dates back nearly 200 years . Instead of transfer impurity from the water , this process qualify the water so impurity can not make scale on plumbery or spigot using a filtration pickup . This character of system is used chiefly in restaurants and other commercial-grade configurations to protect gadget from scaling .
Like all salt - barren piss softener , electromagnetic softeners do n’t transfer hard water speck but instead condition them to foreclose grading . These softener ferment by magnetizing mineral grains so they do n’t adhere to surfaces , a process that does n’t call for plumbing but does demand index from an electric outlet .
Photo: Amazon
magnetised modelling do the same job but without the usance of electricity . However , they are not as powerful as electromagnetic models and are only suitable for very modest homes .
Whole - house water filterand softener systems soften water and remove other contaminants . They typically require installation into your home ’s main plumbing line and work by illuminate mineral so they do n’t hold fast together and cause scaling . Since they also remove contamination like herbicides , bacterium , virus , pesticides , and chlorine , they are mostly more expensive than basic salt - free system . Their filters also require regular replacement .
Size and Water Usage
The best table salt - free water supply softeners come in unlike sizes to contact each household ’s water usage and unfeelingness needs . involve to treat harder water can increase awater softener organization ’s cost .
To reckon water custom , reproduce the figure of the great unwashed know in your house by the average use rate of 75 gal per day . Using this equation , a family of three will use an average of 225 Imperial gallon of piddle per day .
To determine water hardness , which is measure out in grains per gallon , you ’ll demand awater run kit . Water with 7 to 10.5 grain per gallon is moderately hard , while water with more than 10.5 grain per gal is very surd .
Photo: Amazon
To account which size softener you need , multiply pee hardness by water usage . A home that uses 225 gallons of water per daytime with a water hardness of 10 grain per gal requires a water supply softener with a capacity of 2,250 grains per day .
Flow Rate
A salt - free urine - conditioning organisation sits between the main piddle argumentation ’s intake and outtakes , treating piddle as it flows into your menage ’s plumbing . Since electromagnetic water treatment systems are n’t plumbed into your home ’s water system , they do n’t affect current rate .
However , salt - loose organization that habituate filtration can affect piss flow , potentially slow down it . Therefore , water softener with filtration systems must have a flow rate that meets the demand of the household to keep a pearl in piss force per unit area . Homes with one to three bathrooms need a filtration system with a flow rate between 8 and 12 gal per second . Larger households ask around 15 gallon per minute .
Installation
Installing a H2O softenerthat ’s salt liberal is in the main relatively easy . While traditional salt softeners typically require professional facility , salt - free system do n’t need any plumbing system knowledge and will in all probability only take about 15 transactions for the average DIYer to install . All you ask to do is twine the whole ’s wires around your water supply organ pipe and plug it in .
Full filtration systems and whole - house systems are more involved . Unlikeunder - sink water filters , descaler and filtration combination systems generally need to be plumb into the incoming piddle supply pipe . Still , these units are typically design to be relatively quick and easy to install , meaning some DIYers may be up to the project .
The Advantages of Using a Salt-Free Water Softener
The benefit of a soft water system that ’s salt free range from produce healthier water to being easier to maintain , install , and operate .
FAQs
Though you likely are n’t still asking yourself , “ What is a weewee softener ? ” you may still have interrogative about how salt - free piss softeners work or if your new water softener is operate properly . Below are answer to some of the most ordinarily asked questions about these appliances .
H2O softener work by deal the water as it enters the household . Salt softener eliminate minerals that cause hard water , whereas salt - free systems reshape minerals from pee so they ca n’t accumulate and create scaling .
salinity - free piddle softeners are not design to remove anything from water , including iron . If you require to remove branding iron , it ’s beneficial to go with a traditional water softener or a full - filtration salt - free organisation .
Photo: Amazon
A water softener should forestall deposits from build up up on spigot , sinks , and can . You should also point out it takes less soap and shampoo to create suds . For a more quantifiable indicant , measure urine hardness with a water supply test kit up before vs. after installment .
Most salt - devoid water supply softener require no cleaning , though it ’s a salutary idea to periodically wipe dust and dirt from the coils . If you have a full - filtration unit , you will also need to periodically replace your machine ’s filters as recommended by the manufacturer .
This depends on the character of salt - free water softener . An electromagnetic weewee softener can last up to 40 years or more , while an wrap filter - base water softener may last up to 6 years before needing substitute .
The main downside of traditional water softener are that they absent healthy minerals , increase sodium message in piss , and have ongoing operational price . Salt - costless systems keep mineral content and have lower ongoing associated costs , but they may not be powerful enough for large homes .
Yes , soft water supply is suitable for drinking , especially if it ’s produced using a salt - costless organization . Salt - based softeners get rid of sound minerals and summate sodium , so it may be a less sizable selection for some .
As relatively easy to put in , low maintenance , and in force systems , table salt - loose pee systems are deserving it for many households . If you need to remove contaminants from your water , selecting a full - filtration system over an electromagnetic one is smart . If you have a larger home , you may ask a traditional water softener to meet your need .
Typicalwater softener organization costis about $ 1,500 . The table salt - free water supply softener on our leaning price between $ 100 and $ 1,750 , averaging about $ 450 .
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