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Is the water in your area hard or soft? If you don't know the answer, it may be the latter of the two. That's because if you live in a hard water area, you will almost certainly know. On the one hand, you will spend more time scrubbing the scale on the bathroom fittings-and you may even experience a complete buildup of scale in the pipes.
This is why we urge you to consider the best water softener you can afford. The water softener turns hard water rich in minerals back into soft water, protecting your stainless steel faucets, pipes and even your hair from limescale. They are connected to your home's water supply system, inserted under your sink, and quietly clean the water before it enters your pipe.
Water softeners are a mysterious thing, but they are also very useful, which is why we have put together this comprehensive guide. Below, you will find detailed purchase information, followed by a summary of the best water softener system to purchase.
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The difference between the two is the amount of minerals dissolved in the water. The rain is soft. If it falls on a non-porous rock and cannot penetrate the ground, it will not absorb any minerals, so it will remain in this state. On the other hand, if it falls on porous rocks (such as limestone or shale), the water will enter the ground and collect minerals such as calcium and magnesium, thereby turning it into "hard" water.
The problem with hard water is that it can cause scale to build up in pipes and household appliances such as kettles, dishwashers, and washing machines. This will reduce the efficiency of the above-mentioned appliances, and ultimately, if left untreated, will cause them to stop working. The impact of hard water on your pipes and boilers is something you don’t want to experience during the cold mid-winter in the UK.
Fortunately, even in the worst-hit areas, we can counter its potential impact by turning it into soft water and protecting pipelines and equipment in the process. You may also benefit from softer hair and softer skin.
A water softener is an ingenious chemical trick that can be connected to your home's water supply system before the water flows through your pipes. When hard water enters the system, it passes through a cylinder containing sodium ion exchange resin beads to exchange magnesium and calcium ions into sodium ions, thereby converting the water entering the pipeline into harmless soft water.
The water softener system can only treat so much hard water before the sodium ions are exhausted, so after reaching this capacity (depending on the system), the water softener regenerates itself by cleaning the ion exchange with a saline solution, thereby removing the hard water and collecting calcium and magnesium ions And replace them with more sodium ions so that it is ready to run again.
If you don’t see any signs of scale buildup on appliances, faucets, or plug holes, but want to be sure, just take a clear plastic bottle and fill it up to one-third with tap water. Now add a few drops of soap liquid, close the lid, and shake like a mixed cocktail. Let it settle. If it looks turbid and has almost no bubbles, you may be hard water.
Well, this is obviously not mandatory, and they are very expensive, but in the long run, they might save you money. Damage to household appliances and plumbing may require expensive repairs or replacements, which may be more expensive than softeners. Of course, you can buy water softener/detergent tablets and salt from any supermarket, but again, the cost of using these products on each washing machine or dishwasher will quickly increase; in addition, these will not help your plumbing.
It all depends on your average household water consumption. Needless to say, the daily water consumption of a one-person household is much less than that of a four-person household, so please choose the capacity of the water softener system accordingly.
Budget is also very important, and so is another very important aspect: the space in the cabinet to store it. Finally, don't forget to consider the extra space required by the connector.
Basically, you have three options: timing, metering, and non-electric. The first is suitable for households where daily water consumption is usually consistent, because it produces softened water every once in a while. The humidification option produces softened water "on demand", so it is suitable for households with fluctuating daily water consumption. The last option, non-electric, is a softener system that only uses your water pressure to run, thereby saving electricity bills.
You also need to ensure that your choice is approved by the Water Regulation Advisory Scheme (WRAS) to ensure that it complies with UK regulations. If not, please go to some place!
Once you decide on a system (see our comments below), you or a plumber can install your water softener system and get countless benefits, including cleaner clothes and crockery, better hair and skin, and greatly extended The life span of your appliances and plumbing.
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Price: £399 | Buy now from Amazon
Water2Buy's metering W2B200 is one of the most popular water softener systems in the UK. It claims that it can provide services to families with up to six members, which is a bit like a beast, but considering its average daily water consumption, a family of four may be a more realistic expectation.
W2B200 can produce an impressive 1,500 liters of soft filtered water per day. It is connected to a tap water supply and requires a power source to operate, but due to energy saving, it only consumes approximately £20 of electricity per year.
Water2Buy is made of high-strength glass fiber, which is durable and has a pre-installed bypass valve that can maintain the best water pressure for the whole family. Water2Buy has a self-cleaning function and will automatically perform its regeneration cycle when not in use. It is equipped with a convenient digital meter to track salt and water consumption, and even a convenient "easyConnect" installation app for your smartphone.
Main specifications-maximum daily capacity: 1,500 liters; electric: yes; fully automatic: yes; WRAS approval: yes; size: 42 x 22 x 65cm
Price: £880 | Buy now from Screwfix
If you have a large family, or you are just an ordinary family with an unusually high water consumption rate, then you need to ensure that your water softener system can easily meet your needs. Enter Best Water Technology’s WS755, a metered softener that can process up to 4,167 liters of water per day—enough to keep the entire Kardashian family in soft, silky water.
Naturally, when you have a water softener capable of producing such a large amount of water, the unit size will be considerable. BWT WS755 is indeed a bit like a unit, 80 cm high, so please make sure you have enough space to install it.
WS755 has low operating cost and simple use. It is our choice for large households with variable water demand.
Main specifications-Maximum daily capacity: 4,167 liters; electric: yes; fully automatic: yes; WRAS approved: yes; size: 48 x 27 x 80.4cm
Price: £814 | Buy now from Plumb2U
For those who are not keen on the idea of mixing water with mains electricity, or for those who do not have an available power point near where a new water softener needs to be placed, there is an option that provides all the advantages of power softening without the need for a plug socket : Monarch Water Ultra HE.
Powered by a single V9 lithium battery (included), this ingenious dual tank meter system is equipped with Sof'N'polish, which doubles the contact time of ion exchange and provides super soft, silky water and showers for the most luxurious bathrooms. Incredibly effective scale protection and absolute relief for those who suffer from skin irritation due to hard water.
More importantly, Monarch's unique resin beads have a larger surface area, which can increase the capacity for each regeneration. It also uses the company's proprietary Opti-Brining technology, which regenerates only used resin.
Ultra HE's built-in CPP (Customer Protection Program) detects leaks, learns water usage patterns to reduce salt and water usage during regeneration, and automatically adapts to BST and GMT time changes.
Monarch Water Ultra HE is suitable for large and medium-sized households and can provide 1,520 liters of softened water per day.
Main specifications-Maximum daily capacity: 1,520 liters; Electricity: 9V battery; Fully automatic: Yes; WRAS approved: Yes; Dimensions: 48.9 x 27 x 55.7cm
Buy now from Plumb2U
Price: £140 | Buy now from Amazon
This apparently unusual device is not a water softener, but a way to prevent scale from accumulating in pipes and equipment. Therefore, although it will not provide you with super soft water that is good for your skin and hair, it does provide a very cheap way to protect your washing machine, dishwasher, boiler and all related connections from damage.
It can be easily installed into your water inlet pipe (metal or plastic) without any knowledge of pipes. Eddy uses a coil to generate an electromagnetic field, and your water will be exposed to the electromagnetic field when it passes through. This changes the adhesion properties of scale, which means that it no longer sticks easily to kitchen and bathroom surfaces, nor does it accumulate in pipes or appliances.
It is more suitable for smaller families. This is an easy to install, low maintenance, environmentally friendly and very economical way to reduce scale.
Main Specifications-Maximum Daily Capacity: Not Applicable; Electric: Yes; Self-cleaning: Not Applicable; WRAS Approval: Not Applicable; Dimensions: 17 x 3.5 x 9cm
Price: £648 | Buy now from Amazon
BWT's compact WS455 is the perfect water softener for ordinary households, providing enough soft water for up to 4 people a day (the average household in the UK today is only 2.39 people).
WS455 is specially designed for British households and can easily fit into standard-size kitchen cabinets. It is an efficient and economical fully automatic option that works only when needed to save water and salt.
Installation is simple, just connect the inlet, outlet, drain and overflow connections, and electrical connections. Once connected, you can set the time, water hardness, and regeneration time through the device's keyboard. You can then simply let it continue to work and enjoy the excellent soft water as needed.
Main specifications-maximum daily capacity: 1,500 liters; electric: yes; self-cleaning: yes; WRAS approval: yes; size: 48 x 27 x 53.2cm
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