5 Best Water Softeners For City Water

There’s a high chance that you’re enjoying a steady supply of water If you’re living in the city. What you may not be aware of is, even city water needs softening and filtration! It is important to know that the water supplied in the cities mostly contains calcium and magnesium minerals.

These are the minerals that make water hard and cause many other related problems.  The water supplied to most cities is usually treated with chlorine to eliminate bacteria and choosing water softeners is a great way to reduce such chemicals while making your water soft.  The water softeners will not only enhance the taste and softness of your water but will also save you a lot of time and money.

Choosing the best city water softener can become a daunting experience if you do not have the important information. This is why we have put together this article to give you a complete buyers guide and review of the best city water softeners available. This article will definitely help you in making the right purchasing decision when it comes to choosing the right city water softener.

Why Salt-Free Water Softeners Are The Way To Go

Hair & Skin

It has been found that when there is a higher mineral deposit  of magnesium and calcium in water, it makes hair less pliable and very difficult to style after a wash. It can change the colour of hair dye or even make it fade faster.
With skin, hard water residue deposits a film that can cause clogs pores which can also lead to breakouts and aggravating skin conditions like eczema and acne. It can also cause irritation and acne by stripping through moisture from the surface of the skin.

Dishes

Instead of dishes looking clear and clean after washing them, you will realise a cloudy,  white residue on them thus, when you use hard water. This is from the minerals in the water that are left behind on their surface.

Limescale

In places where hard water is present, limescale can build up over time and once this happens, it tends to stick. It is even more difficult and trickier to remove limescale from areas such as pipes and other areas of appliances.

Faucets and Pipes

Your plumbing can be damaged by limescale deposits caused by hard water

This damage can even go beyond the bathroom and kitchen features. It can restrict the flow of water for example,  water passing through the pipes is dragged back by the limescale.

Appliances

When hard water passes through your home’s appliances for a long period of time, it begins to have adverse effects on these appliances. For example,  your dishwasher may not be able to clean effectively as it would if it sure hard water and with time, limescale will build up in your dishwasher and reduce its performance eventually leading to a total breakdown. Although the effects of hard water can be seen in your bathroom especially on your showerheads and faucets, a build- up of scale in the toilet can cause long-term damage.

Reduced Water Heater Efficiency

The efficiency of your gas water heaters may be affected when you use hard water for a long period of time. It forms a build up at the bottom of the tanks and this then acts as an insulation, preventing your  water heaters from heating up quickly.

Laundry

You will need to use almost two times the amount of detergent in a machine that uses hard water, compared to one that uses soft water when washing clothes.

Important Considerations When Selecting a System

Physical Space Available

It’s important to consider the space you have available to install your water softener by taking note of its dimensions.  Most water softeners take up a lot of space as they are bulky in design. It is important to note that the bigger the water softener capacity, the bigger the tanks.  Be sure at the end of the day, you have enough room for the easy installation of your water softener system, its maintenance, and cleaning.

System Size (Capacity)

When it comes to determining the size of your city water softener you need, there are several ways to go about it. You can start by multiplying the number of gallons you use per day by the number of people in your home. However, if you’re not aware of the number of gallons you use per day at home, you can use the average figure of 80 gallons per person. The next thing is to multiply this number by your water’s hardness in grains per gallon. This is what will tell you how many grains of water hardness you need to remove per day. With this information,  you can then search for the specific water softening solution that’s well equipped to handle this load.

System Control & Features

To be able to check the status of your house’s water softening system and amend the settings,  most water softening systems come with a control panel. Some water softeners can automatically regenerate based on calculations of your home’s water usage. Aside from this, you can personally select the date and time for the system to regenerate

Costs Involved

Some water softening systems are more expensive than others and the truth is,  any type of water softening is a big investment

Water Flow Rate

The water flow rate of your home is what determines how fast water flows through your pipes and plumbing and how quickly it flows out of your showers or faucets. Measured in gallons per minute, you can determine the flow rate of your showers,  toilet, etc. This is important to know as you will require a water softener with a higher service flow rate if you live in a big household. You can find flow rate guides for household appliances online if you’re keen to figure out the average flow rate of common appliances.

Reviews Of The Best City Water Softeners.

1. Genesis Duo Water Softener

This water softener is known to soften hard water with ease. It comes with unique and extraordinary features. It is the ideal water softener for anyone looking for a water softener for a whole house.

Genesis Duo comes as a Combo with a filtration system. When it comes to its process of water treatment, the Genesis Duo has a two-step treatment cycle. To begin with, the water goes through the filtration process. The system then removes the hard water causing minerals and other chemicals such as chlorine.

Genesis Duo does this through its ion exchange technology. The Genesis Duo comes in 3 types all having different grain capacities. These are the 32,000, 40,000, and 48,000 grains. All these variants are suitable for small families in cities.

Upflow Brining: This water softener system uses a retention process known as the up-flow brining. With this process, the resin regenerates from the bottom up in these water softeners. Unlike other water softeners with the top-bottom regeneration process, this process is more precise.

Catalytic Carbon (Filter Media)

The filter media that prevents chlorine from entering the resin tank has carbon present in it. Genesis Duo is a normal occurrence for chlorine to slowly damage the softening beads of the water softener system but this catalytic carbon reduces the damage and ensures the durability of the resin tank.

On-Demand Metered Control

This Genesis Duo water softener system features on-demand metered control.  This is what helps users to set the parameters of the water softening process as per their requirements.

Thanks to this on-demand metered control, the user doesn’t need to reset or reprogram the settings after each reservation process.

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2. Fleck 5600SXT Water Softener 

The Fleck 5600SXT water softener is able to soften different levels of hard water with minimal wastage and high efficiency.

It does not only remove the hardening minerals but also removes other contaminants from the water. This is a good choice for small families in cities as it is mainly ideal for families of 4-6 people.

The  Fleck water softener system comes with amazing features such as digital controls, high durability, and a sleek design.  It is interesting to know that it comes with an amazing 5-10 years warranty.

Intelligent Regeneration

The Fleck 5600SXT regeneration process settings are something you totally don’t have to worry about. Fleck 5600SXT comes with a meter and this meter calculates the amount of water that is being used in the household.

This intelligent system is able to detect high or low water consumption and by itself automatically alter the settings to match the requirements. This helps reduce water wastage.

Digital Display

This  Fleck 5600SXT system comes with a digital display. It shows the amount of water being used and regenerated and also shows the time left for another regression process to start.

If there are problems, such as in the system, this digital display will show an error message to help users prevent the system from malfunctioning.

Safety Float

When it comes to water wastage, the Fleck 5600SXT goes the extra mile to reduce potential water wastage. It comes with a safety float that prevents water from selling out and overflowing.

Easy Installation: If you’re good at following instructions, then you can easily install this system.

Fleck 5600SXT comes with a complete instructional video on how to install the whole water softener and also comes with a small USB stick. This is meant to make the process of installation very easy.

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3. Ecopure EPHS Water Softener and Filter System

This Ecopure EPHS water softener system will not only soften your hard water but will also remove freshwater iron.

Ecopure EPHS water softener is interesting to know that Ecopure. As a brand is highly reputable and has been providing water treatment services for almost a century for thousands of happy families. The Ecopure EPHS water softener automatically calculates how much salt and water is needed during the regression system.

This is to ensure that the process doesn’t wastewater. The system is able to filter out the taste of chlorine and odor from the water. When it comes to warranty, the company provides a 3 years warranty on limited electronics, 1-year warranty on parts and labor, and 10 years warranty on tanks

Iron Filter

This Ecopure EPHS water softener system is able to remove every iron present in the water. It can filter ferrous iron from hard water as well as up to 3ppm of clear water.

Demand Initiated Regeneration

Another great thing about the Ecopure EPHS Water Softener is its demand-initiated repetition mechanism. The system on its own can analyze the water being used and only initiates the regeneration process when it’s needed.

Easy Installation Process

When it comes to the installation process,  this Ecopure EPHS water softener system is very easy to install. It comes with a well, detailed step by the step installation manual

Efficient Cleaning

Unlike other water softeners, the Ecopure EPHS water softener doesn’t need to be disassembled before cleaning it. It comes with a bottle of Ecopure EPCL cleaner that the user can use to clean the system every four months.

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4. Tier1 Eco Series Whole House Water Softener

This is a water softener designed to last for years to come. Aquasure as a brand is well known for its high-quality products.

The Aquasure whole house water softener is very suitable for smaller families. You don’t have to worry about the mechanical noise that comes with water softeners as this water softener operates quietly.

This softener comes with a digital control head which is very easy to use. The system then works by analyzing the amount of water being processed and then completes a backwash cycle only when it is needed. It is designed to last long as the whole system is made from fiberglass-lined polyethylene.

Customizable Control Head

This water softener features pre-set default controls. Users can customize the values on the control head as per their requirements. It is important to note that the standard settings generally work very well for most households.

Prefilled Premium Resin

The Aquasure comes with a pre-filled resin. This resin is a  1.5 carbon-fiber premium grade which works well for homes with 3 to 4 bathrooms.

Precise Backwashing

Unlike other water softeners, the Aquasure Harmony Series is very quiet and the backwashing process is only carried out when it is needed. This helps to save a lot of water thereby reducing water wastage.

Three Regeneration Types

When it comes to regeneration,  the Aquasure user can select up to 3 regeneration types. These include the meter immediate control, meter delayed control and the clock delayed regeneration.

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5. Nuvo H2O Dphb

This Nuvo H2O is a salt-free water softener and as such, also lowers the pH levels of water in addition to removing the hardening minerals.

The NUVO H20 water softener is both FDA and NSF-approved. It is also a great alternative to electrical salt-based softeners.

Salt-Free Cartridge Water Softening

Unlike other water softeners, Nuvo H2O doesn’t need salt for the softening process.

It comes with a salt-free cartridge which is used to soften the water without any difficulties.  The only thing needed is the replacement of the cartridge every 5 to 6 months.

Easy Installation

Nuvo H2O is very easy to install in this water softener system. Along with the manual, customers receive a box full of tools that are required for the installation process.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is my city water hard or soft?

There is no straightforward answer to this question. Some cities supply hard water while others don’t.  However, if the water supplied to your city shows the adverse effects of hard water, then the water is hard.

What does regeneration mean?

Regeneration is the process of removing the hardening minerals build-up or the grime from the resin filter.

Is a water softener a water filter?

No. A water softener removes hard water causing minerals from water while a filter removes contaminants like chlorine and iron.

Do you need a water softener for city water?

Yes, that is if the water supplied to your home contains minerals like magnesium and calcium and thus, causes water to be too hard.

Conclusion

There are a lot of options to choose from when it comes to selecting the right water softener for city water. This is our detailed buyer’s guide and reviews to assist you in making the best purchasing decision.  It’s important to know that investing in a good water softener will go a long way

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