Water is essential to our lives. We use it for a variety of reasons, from drinking to washing our clothes. The water that we receive in our homes has been through a stringent treatment process to remove unwanted minerals, gases, bacteria, viruses, metals and chemicals. In order to eliminate these elements, the water companies will use chemical products like chlorine, which gives a bad taste and unpleasant odour to the water. Additionally, the water companies don’t treat the water for hardness – hard water damages your appliances and increases the amount of energy you consume.

A way to counteract this is to have a water softener installed in your home. A water softener is often regarded as a luxury, but in actual fact having one in installed in your home can prove to be a great investment. The following are some reasons for installing a water softener:

To save you money

One benefit of a water softener is that it will help you to save money on cleaning products such as scale removers, shower cleaners and floor cleaners. This is particularly pertinent to homes in hard water areas where limescale build up is a problem and can lead to blocked pipes. A reduction in limescale will also help to keep your boiler running efficiently. As we explain elsewhere on this website, by installing a water softener a family of four can save up to £400 per year!

To help improve the environment

Water softeners improve the efficiency of your pipes and heating system, making your home more eco-friendly. By reducing the effects of limescale, water softeners also help to reduce the amount of soap and cleaning products you need as well as increase the lifespan of household products, making your home more environmentally friendly.

To make washing clothes easier

Hard water can make rinsing detergents from clothes a lot more difficult. In addition to this, hard minerals can become trapped in the clothes making them more uncomfortable to wear. Soft water alleviates these problems, resulting in clothes that will last longer and whites that will stay white instead of becoming dingy grey!

To increase the lifespan of household appliances

Softer water can help to make your kitchen and bathroom appliances last longer by years . In addition, a water softener can help reduce the maintenance needs of your boiler, heating system, plumbing, hot water cylinder, washing machine, dishwasher, bath and shower, saving you money on repairs and renewals.

Some more benefits

Here are some more general benefits of having a water softener:

• It leaves your hair soft and easier to manage
• It can help certain dry skin conditions such as eczema
• It can remove existing scale deposits from appliances over time
• It rinses completely away without leaving scum, even after shaving
• It makes laundry brighter – your glasses and dishes will sparkle and shine
• It makes washing the car easier and will reduce streaking and spotting

Contact Total Softwater to discuss your options if you are considering installing a water softener.

(Photo by sburke2478)