People & Lifestyle
Are Salt-Free Water Softeners Really Effective?
You may have heard about water softeners and how they work, or probably your neighbor has one at home. Salt is one of the key elements to having soft water at home. Or you might have read reviews of water softeners. The salt washes away unwanted minerals from your tap water.
To get this, you’ll have two or more tanks to have your whole house fresh and clean water. The traditional process includes quite an effort to pull off. The calcium and magnesium present in the hard water undergo a process called ion exchange with the help of salt.
In here, the water goes through a tank and goes back and forth to achieve soft water. Afterward, water waste comes out of the tank through a tube, and then the soft water goes straight to your tap.
However, if you think salt won’t do the work for you, there are salt-free water softeners available in the market. Compared to the salt-based water softener, salt-free water softener conditions the water. Here’s how it works:
A salt-free water softener uses a process called TAC or Template Assisted Crystallization. The water goes into a TAC media, which consists of small-scale polymer beads capped by nucleation sites. These nucleation sites are the ones who do the magic. You can check this company here to know in detail about the functioning of these water filter systems.
When the water approaches the nucleation sites in the TAC media or tank, the hardness of micro-crystals starts to form. And when the crystals reach a particular size, they begin to break and flow out with the water.
Technically, the water filter converts the hard minerals in your water into crystals. The crystal produce won’t harm your health and home. It will not stick around to any surfaces, so you don’t have to worry about it.
In addition to that, the crystal structures are sturdy and will flow smoothly throughout your plumbing system. Expect no scale build-up as it is known to be destructive and will cause deterioration to your pipes.
Even though the name “softener” comes with it, salt-free water softener systems do not soften the water. What the system does is; it conditions or neutralizes the water. With this process, no minerals are blocked and turned into waste. Then, there’s no need to clean your filter regularly.
To get to know more about how salt-free water softener works, check out the best water filter products at Filtersmart.
The market has several options to fight the oldest enemies of plumbers– scale formation. One of these several ways to fight scale formation is by using TAC or Template Assisted Crystallization.
Earlier it is explained that salt-based water undergoes the process of TAC. That TAC transforms magnesium and other chemicals present in the hard water into a micro-crystal form. This technology includes polymeric beads to serve as the nucleation point where the conversion of water takes place and where the crystals start to form.
After reaching a particular size, the crystals will break and is released from the bead. These microscopic crystals will run within your water. However, it will not result in scale formation or interfere with soap.
If we walk down memory lane, Germany was the first country to use the TAC water filtering process. Later on, it is introduced to the USA and Canada. And with favorable results, the market seems to patronize the product.
This new way of water conditioning brings several advantages that made it to the market today. It is not only recommended by professional plumbers, but it is also This new technology is now considered one of the most-effective no-salt water treatments.
Low Maintenance
Salt-free water softeners consist of only a few parts. Unlike salt-based water softeners, the installation of a salt-free water softener is less complicated. The system only includes a single tank or cartridge, depending on the scale you need.
Salt-free water systems do not also have regeneration processes or water backwash. It means there’s no need for a water drain tube. Since it does not use salt, it doesn’t require brine tanks or valves to monitor the number of backwashes.
It is less likely to see your plumber most of the time when you use a salt-free water softener. These water systems do not need necessary regular check-ups or maintenance from your plumber. The water conditioning system itself is less complicated and won’t affect your pipes and water flow.
Cheaper
With all the not-included counterparts, salt-free water softeners are cheaper than salt-based water softeners. It only includes a few tanks or TAC media and other necessary equipment.
You’ll also save money on electricity. Salt-free water softener systems do not require electricity to operate, unlike salt-based water systems. The cleaning cycle does not need electricity and does not produce water waste.
Generally, salt-free water conditioners are cheaper than salt-based water softeners. The installation is easy as long as you have all the necessary types of equipment.
Eco-friendly
With the absence of salt and other chemicals, the machine does not produce any water waste. It simply means, there is no chloride or dump water that goes to our streams that is harmful to our environment.
It also means that no water turns into waste. With a no-salt water conditioning system, you make the most out of your water. No waste. No harm.
Instead, the minerals remain in the water and changes in form that won’t harm you and your family in any way. So technically, you are saving money, saving the environment, and saving water as well.
Space-saving
The system is not only eco-friendly but also space-saving. Compared to traditional or salt-based water systems, no-salt water systems consume only a small amount of space to filter the water of the whole house. So, if space is an issue, salt-free water systems might fit your needs.
There’s also a vast option available for your water filtering needs. If you don’t need a whole house water filtration system, you can have a variety of cartridges instead. However, if you need a water filtering system to fill your entire home, whole house salt-free water conditioning systems are available in the market.