There are many different reasons that residential homeowners and commercial building owners may be interested in moving from a traditional type of water softener to a no salt water conditioner.
One of the most common reasons is to eliminate the need for the regeneration cycle, which flushes the resin tank and releases large amounts of water into the sewage system with high concentrations of calcium and salt. In fact, this is becoming a very real problem with scale buildup in some municipal sanitary sewer systems, and cities have even passed regulations about the use of these types of water softeners.
The other reasons tend to deal with the hassle of constantly having to buy and move bags of salt and the relatively short life cycle of these types of systems. Less frequently considered an issue, but still worth considering, is the slightly elevated sodium levels in water softened with salt, which can be problematic for some people.
Water Softening or Water Conditioning?
A no salt water conditioner operates very differently than a traditional water softener. As mentioned above the traditional water softener exchanges ions in the resin tank, taking the calcium and magnesium out of the hard water and replacing them with sodium, creating “soft” water.
Systems that don’t use salt actually change the structure of the problematic molecules in the hard water, causing them to lose their ability to adhere to surfaces. This stops any build up of scale in your plumbing system, but it doesn’t alter the taste of the water as there is nothing added.
In essence, those molecules of calcium carbonate are altered through exposure to a specific frequency of the electronic wave. This changes the structure of the molecule to a crystal, which is so small it is impossible to detect and will not precipitate out of the water.
The Benefits of Water Conditioning
In either residential or commercial buildings, the use of a no salt water conditioner will result in:
- Reduction and eventual elimination of any possible existing scale buildup in pipes with continued use
- Reduction in water use as there is no system flushing or regeneration cycle required
- No more need for salt in the system
- A smoother, silkier feel to the water
- Fewer skin irritations due to dry, itchy skin
- Healthier, shinier hair
Additionally, with the use of the water conditioner over the water softener, there is no need for a tank and the entire system is contained in a small box on the wall, saving space, reducing salt water flushing into the sewer lines and also helping the environment.
