Pros and Cons of a Water Softener
Whether it’s high water bills, a constantly running toilet, or leaks that might be signs your water pressure is too high, only one thing’s certain. High water pressure can cause many plumbing problems and may cost you a good amount of money in the long run due to expensive water bills and plumbing repair and replacement.
Furthermore, not only does it lose you money over water bills, a water pressure that’s too high and uncontained for long can lead to damaged fixtures, leaks, and corrosion. It can also destroy your appliances that use water such as washing machines and dishwashers.
In that sense, water softener is sometimes used to reduce water pressure. However, water softener has both advantages and disadvantages. Here are some pros and cons you need to consider before buying it:
Pros
- Reduce Electric Bills
Since water softener can improve the heat exchange efficiency of your water heater, it can help you save energy bills. This will also affect your pumps and other appliances positively.
- Balance the mineral content of the water
Water softener reduces the level of magnesium and calcium in the water by replacing it with sodium. This makes the water safe for consumption which benefits one’s health.
- Reduce appliance repair and maintenance
Soft water can preserve your pipes, which means preventing you from endless repair service requests. Also, water softeners prevent your water from causing annoying stains on your sinks, faucets, and bathtubs.
- Make general cleaning easier
Water softener eliminates all your trouble in doing your laundry and washing your dishes by causing the soap to react faster rather than having a hard water. It prevents clothes from being stiff and dry after the laundry and keeps your kitchen wares from unnecessary stains.
- Reduce the onset of skin problems
High levels of hard water can make your skin dry and prone to diseases like eczema. Thus, using water softener can avoid this problem by making the water non-irritant to the skin.
Cons
- Water may contain too much sodium
When not managed properly, water softeners can cause water to contain more sodium ions. Although this won’t have an intense effect on your health, it can still be alarming if you would consume more than your recommended intake. Also, too much sodium can lead to septic problems that might need the attention of a plumber.
- Expensive to install and maintain
Water softeners are expensive and can cost thousands of dollars to install. Plus, they require regular maintenance to make sure that it does not run out of resin beads which exchange other minerals to sodium.
- May mess to dietary supplements of some people
Some people need minerals from hard water that is required by their diet and using water softeners will get rid of these minerals.
Bottomline
Before you consider buying and installing water softeners, you need to make sure that you seek the help of a professional plumber by a leading residential plumbing company Sydney. An expert plumber knows exactly the benefits and the disadvantages of water softeners to you and your family.