are water softeners worth it?

i let a salesmen in tonight, they're installing a water softener on monday (1 month trial)

are they worth their mega costs?
do they really save money?
is it really that much better for my pipes and clothes?

 

[Balt]

You got taken, my friend.

If your water was that hard, you would have noticed it.

 

[CraigRT]

I cannot stand softened water.... feels like I am bathing in lithium grease... yuck!

first thing my parents did when they moved into their most recent house, rip out the water softener... POS!

 

i haven't spent a dime yet, nor do i really plan to
my water hardness level is 18 (anything over 5 is 'too hard')

i knew i had really hard water...but it doesn't bother me

i'm just wondering if the stuff about my pipes and clothes getting ruined is true
and if i can save money by using less soap and stuff

 

[azazyel]

Text

 

[BespinReactorShaft]

Not unless you live in Germany.

 

[dullard]

Most people use way too much soap since it doesn't lather enough for them. When you have a water softener it lathers more, and thus many people use less. Lather is the worst judge of how much soap to use. If you go by the amount of lather, then either (a) use less knowing lather is unimportant or (b) get a water softener. But really, if the cost of soap is a critical factor in your budget, you have bigger problems to tackle and probably cannot afford the $3 a year of salt to run the water softener.

I don't think you really have to worry about your pipes or clothes. Yes buildup can be a problem, but I think it is fairly rare and minimal.

The main difference is just whether you like the feeling of a hard water shower or a soft water shower. I personally think a hard water shower makes me feel completely different than a soft water shower. It is hard to put in words the exact difference. You'll just feel it once you try it out. You may or may not like the difference.

 

[kaymin]

There's a study that shows that hard water is actually better for your health. According to the test, there were more instances of cancer in areas with softer water versus harder. I wouldn't go for the softer water for free, let alone pay for it.

 

[bunker]

Go to lowes/home depot etc. and buy your own test kit and check the hardness. If it is actually above 15 then yes, there is a possibility of lime and scale buildup in your pipes.

 

[DnetMHZ]

Can I interest you in a bridge by any chance?

 

[Amused]

A water softener would be good in areas with REALLY hard water just to dial down the hardness a bit. Otherwise, it's pointless.

And I'm talking in areas where the water is so hard it ruins your drinking glasses and leaves a crust all over your sinks, tubs, showers and washing machines.

 

[Wizkid]

18 grains of hardness is pretty bad... a water softener will allow you to use less soap, glasses in the dishwasher won't have spots anymore, no buildup of crap in water heater, faucets will last longer, your hair and skin will feel better b/c all of the soap will be removed... just ask your wife about this after about 2 weeks. I used to sell water softeners part time and 99% of my customers would NEVER go back to hard water in their homes... this was in a town with about 20 grains of hardness, which is very similar to what you have.

 

[jdini76]

I have a water softener, We had to get it becuae there was a white film over everything. the dishes came out of the dishwasher with white all over them, and the heating elemnet was covered in white. Hard water can diminish your appliances much quicker. plus, soft water doesn't leave any soap scum on so you will find that you won't have to clean so much. I love the water softener. it really comes down to personal preferance.

EDIT: Wow wizkid almost identical posts.

 

[bleuless]

hey i just found this post since i was doing some research on hardwater myself. yes, my house's water is so hard we have lime and scale build up EVERYWHERE. my clear plastic cups appear nasty white after i wash them repeadily. my sinks faucet gets semi clogged and i have to clean out the rock formation every once in a while. my mom complains her shower is getting weaker because of rock build up in the shower head. the list goes on and on.

i think i am qualified to use it unless like the previous poster said that it'll give me cancer if i use softwater.

anyways, i found that there's a "permanent fix", you can install these magnets can it'll some how fix it for you. the website i found is from google, just search for water softener gmx.

now my question to you guys is, do these magnetic filterings work better over conventional salt?

our house's previous owner had salt softener, but it was pretty expensive, and according to gmx's website the magnetic ones are the new revolutionary ways.

anyone has any experience with both or know something about this? thanks.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Amused
A water softener would be good in areas with REALLY hard water just to dial down the hardness a bit. Otherwise, it's pointless.

And I'm talking in areas where the water is so hard it ruins your drinking glasses and leaves a crust all over your sinks, tubs, showers and washing machines.

Bedford, Indiana.

When I would boil water, there would be dust on the bottom of the pot.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: Amused
A water softener would be good in areas with REALLY hard water just to dial down the hardness a bit. Otherwise, it's pointless.

And I'm talking in areas where the water is so hard it ruins your drinking glasses and leaves a crust all over your sinks, tubs, showers and washing machines.

Bedford, Indiana.

When I would boil water, there would be dust on the bottom of the pot.

I hear that. Where I moved the water is "relatively" soft at 36

Brockport water can be as hard as 100!

 

[EyeMWing]

Clothes? Maybe. Pipes? GOD NO.


Our water is "20", and quite frankly, there's no difference between the hard and soft water (We had a water softener for a short time) - except that the soft left MORE scum.

We ripped out our old copper pipes since then, and they were remarkably un-screwed-up. We replaced our water heater and cut it open - very little crud, and it was never drained/cleaned/whatever you want to call it.

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: Amused
A water softener would be good in areas with REALLY hard water just to dial down the hardness a bit. Otherwise, it's pointless.

And I'm talking in areas where the water is so hard it ruins your drinking glasses and leaves a crust all over your sinks, tubs, showers and washing machines.

And the bottom of your water heater.

 

[EyeMWing]

Originally posted by: dullard
Most people use way too much soap since it doesn't lather enough for them. When you have a water softener it lathers more, and thus many people use less. Lather is the worst judge of how much soap to use. If you go by the amount of lather, then either (a) use less knowing lather is unimportant or (b) get a water softener. But really, if the cost of soap is a critical factor in your budget, you have bigger problems to tackle and probably cannot afford the $3 a year of salt to run the water softener.

I don't think you really have to worry about your pipes or clothes. Yes buildup can be a problem, but I think it is fairly rare and minimal.

The main difference is just whether you like the feeling of a hard water shower or a soft water shower. I personally think a hard water shower makes me feel completely different than a soft water shower. It is hard to put in words the exact difference. You'll just feel it once you try it out. You may or may not like the difference.

Wait - soap lathers? I thought that only happened in movies.

 

[TechnoKid]

I'm thinking about putting in a large capacity (dual 10", 5micron sedi and carbon, or dual 20") whole house filter, since our city water is provided by wells, more sediment/silt/sand/etc than hardness (hardness, if i read google right, has more to do with dissovled solids, sediment/sand/silt is not dissolved solids). I use a reverse osmosis (5 stage) water filter where I need good drinking water.

Reminds me, I gotta change the prefilters out on the reverse osmosis...