The Best Water Softeners For Harford County Residents

If you’ve been suffering from plumbing issues in Harford County, MD, you might want to consider a water softener unit. These units prevent a variety of common water problems such as mineral deposits, dry skin buildup and more. These softeners remove heavy minerals from your home’s water supply. Here are a few of the best water softeners for Harford County residents.

The Best Water Softeners For Harford County Residents

There are two different ways that water softeners can do their job. One way is by drawing minerals from the water through ion exchange, and the other way is by neutralizing the minerals and leaving them unable to bind together in the water. 

There are four main types of water softeners: magnetic, salt-based, salt-free, and dual tank. The salt-based option is the most popular type of water softener.

Salt-Based Water Softeners

The most common type of water softener used by homeowners is a salt-based softener. These softeners come in a variety of sizes and are appropriate for anything from RVs to large homes. Though more expensive than magnetic water softeners, salt-based softeners are still pretty affordable. 

Salt-based water softeners do their job through ion exchange. This process does involve sodium ions being introduced into the water, but it is not enough salt to be noticeable. A drawback of these softeners is that the resin will need to be recharged with salt at least once a week. Another con is that these units are a lot larger than salt-free or magnetic softeners, which could be a problem depending on the amount of space you have in your home.

Salt-Free Water Softeners

Salt-free water softeners are, you guessed it, salt-free! That means that they do not use salt to remove those minerals from your water. Salt-free water softeners neutralize minerals through template assisted crystallization (TAC). Salt-free water softeners cost more at first, but last around 3 years without the need for electricity or recharging. These models are also relatively small and compact which makes them much more convenient than salt-based models.

Dual-Tank Water Softeners

Dual-Tank water softeners are salt-based and have two resin tanks. This is the recommended water softener for well water because of its incredible ability to filter minerals. The function is the same as other salt-based models, but while one tank is filtering, the other is regenerating. Dual-tanks are pretty unnecessary for most homes, and are much larger than other types of water softeners. However, a dual-tank softener will never run out of softened water.

Magnetic Water Softeners

Magnetic water softeners are perfect for small spaces. These softeners sit on your water pipe, meaning you won’t need to make space for them at all. These softeners are also nice because you will not need to cut into your water line. However, you might need to wire them into your home’s electrical system depending on the model you buy. 

Instead of doing an ion exchange, magnetic water softeners use a magnetic field to strip ions from minerals to neutralize them. Once the minerals are neutralized, they cannot bond to one another. Magnetic water softeners may not be the most effective type of water softener, but they sure are the best option at their price point.

About Five Star Plumbing

If you need your plumbing repaired, Five Star Plumbing will take care of it! As local plumbers, our service area includes Baltimore County and Harford County, including but not limited to Bel Air, Abingdon, Fallston, Towson, Baltimore, Parkville, Lutherville, and Timonium. We offer 2 hour appointment windows so you don’t have to wait all day – no matter where in the area that you are located. We offer many different services, including well pump services, water treatment, plumbing repair and installation, outdoor plumbing services, drain cleaning, and water heater services.