The Best Water Softener 2020

Safe drinking water is essential for human health, during a pandemic or otherwise. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the novel Coronavirus of 2019 hasn’t been detected in water supplies and the current risk is low. While there’s no evidence showing that Covid-19 can be spread through drinking water, recreational water, or wastewater, adequate water filtration is one way we can keep our families healthy. There’s no higher priority than protecting our loved ones by making good, clean water available at all times.

The method of filtration and type of water filter you use should be determined based on your budget, preferences, lifestyle, and the properties of your home’s water. Each household is unique, and each method has its advantages and disadvantages. In the case of hard water, the most obvious choice in filtration is to employ a whole house water softening system.

Salt-based softeners use a process called ion exchange to filter out hard minerals. It’s the only way to safely and effectively remove the calcium and magnesium minerals that make water “hard.” But before you can find the best water softener for your home, let’s look at what hard water really is, and the most reliable ways to address hard water problems.

Hard Water

Hard water is a natural result of minerals like calcium and magnesium accumulating during the water cycle, and can occur within well water as well as city water. The more calcium and magnesium dissolved into the water, the harder it becomes. Varying degrees of hardness can occur in cities within the same state. Therefore, you may have hard water in your home, even when friends down the road do not. There’s no guarantee that your water won’t become susceptible; testing is the most accurate method to monitor your household supply.

Water with more than 7 grains per gallon (gpg) of calcium carbonate is considered hard. The hardness level can also be expressed in parts per million (ppm) or milligrams per liter (mg/L). Telltale signs of hardwater are clogged showerheads, low water pressure, plumbing maintenance due to limescale, residue on coffee makers, rough-textured laundry, white clothing that turns yellow, and film on glasses and dishware. In certain cases, when hard water also contains iron, you’ll find orange or rust colored stains inside toilets and bathtubs as well.

Types of Water Softeners

There are two types of water softening systems—timered or on demand. A timered water softener regenerates at a predetermined schedule regardless of the amount of water used. It’s difficult for homeowners to use the same quantity of water each day, so timered softeners may regenerate too infrequently, leaving you with no choice but to use hard water. Or, when water usage is overestimated, a timered water softener will regenerate unnecessarily, wasting a great deal of water and energy.

An on demand water softener works on an as-needed basis. Regeneration occurs when your softener flushes its resin beads to get rid of built-up minerals. On demand water softeners will regenerate as needed; the more minerals that build up in the beads, the more frequently it will regenerate. This technology guarantees an uninterrupted flow of soft water.

On demand softening systems are the best water softeners for eliminating hard water-- regardless of how long it takes to consume a pre-set volume of water, an on demand system will only regenerate when that amount has been use. This avoids over or under regeneration of the softener, even when water demand rises or declines. Ideally, water softeners regenerate just before reaching capacity—making on demand softeners the most cost-effective choice.

Choosing The Best Water Softener 2020

A water softener is typically installed at the point of entry—the point where water first enters a home. Therefore, the size of the softener should take a household’s daily water usage into account. On demand systems are the most commonly installed systems because of their efficiency in regard to salt and water usage, and because you’ll never run out of softened water.

The best water softener in this class of systems is the Genesis 2. The Genesis 2 Upflow Premier is the only 1.25” upflow softener available online, setting a new standard for high performance while offering more features designed to make installation easier and faster than ever.

The Genesis 2 softens water in addition to providing descaling benefits for pipes and appliances. Upflow brining calculates the precise amount of salt brine required to regenerate, saving you up to 30% more salt than other models. This system is also backed by an outstanding warranty, boasting a lifetime control valve and a lifetime tank warranty with 10% crosslink resin.

The best water softener of 2020 with the ability to remove iron as well as soften your water, is the Genesis 2 Iron Pro Max all in one water softener/iron filter. The Genesis 2 Iron Pro Max uses special resin to prevent iron from deeply imbedding within the resin bed, allowing it to be easily removed and flushed down the drain. The best water softeners of 2020 are high efficiency, on demand systems that improve the longevity of your water-based kitchen appliances, boost water flow, and provide better quality water for economical cleaning. The best water softener can even improve skin health and water heating efficiency. When you’ve got hard water problems, just ask the experts at Discount Water Softeners for the answers.