Water conditioners vs. water softeners, are two systems you hear about often. You may be wondering what the difference between a water conditioner vs. water softener is, and in truth, they are not much different from each other. These are two common types of water treatment systems that come up frequently. With water being essential to our daily lives, it is important to filter out unwanted minerals and impurities. This is where water treatment systems come into play, helping to improve the quality of your water. We’ll help you to navigate water conditioners vs. water softeners.
What is a Water Conditioner?
A water conditioner is any system that changes the condition of water. There are a wide variety of water treatment systems that treat different types of poor water conditions and improve them. The term water conditioner is mainly used as a sales tactic.
A “Water Conditioner” can refer to various systems, depending on who you talk to. For example, they may refer to a carbon tank that mitigates the chlorine levels in the water as a water conditioner.
What is a Water Softener?
A water softener is a type of water conditioning system that is specifically designed to remove hard water minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, from the water supply. Water softeners use a process called ion exchange to replace the hard water minerals with sodium or potassium ions.
Water softeners are particularly effective at removing the minerals that cause hard water, which can lead to the buildup of scale in pipes, appliances, and fixtures. By removing these minerals, water softeners can help to extend the lifespan of your plumbing and appliances, and can also improve the effectiveness of soaps and detergents.
Water softeners are often used in homes and businesses where the water supply is high in hard water minerals. They can be installed at the point of entry, where the water enters the building, or at specific points of use, such as the kitchen or bathroom.
When To Use Water Conditioners vs. Water Softeners
When it comes to water conditioners vs. water softeners, both can be useful in different situations, depending on the specific needs based off of the quality of water. Below is a breakdown of what water conditioners vs. water softeners are used for.
Water Conditioners:
- Homes or businesses with high levels of dissolved minerals in the water supply
- Situations where the buildup of scale in pipes, appliances, and fixtures is a concern
- Locations where the water has a high mineral content but is not necessarily considered “hard”
- Situations, where the user wants to improve the taste and appearance of their water without necessarily removing all of the minerals
Water Softeners:
- Homes or businesses with hard water, where the water supply is high in calcium and magnesium
- Situations where the buildup of scale in pipes, appliances, and fixtures is a major concern
- Locations where the user wants to improve the effectiveness of soaps and detergents
- Situations where the user wants to reduce the amount of soap and detergent needed to clean effectively
As you can see when comparing water conditioners vs. water softeners are almost identical and the terminology is more used as a sales tactic. At Berks Water Technology, we like to be specific to avoid confusing our customers, which is why we use the term “water softener” instead of water conditioner. We try to avoid the overarching term of water conditioner, not just when it comes to water softeners, but with all of our water treatment systems. We strive to make sure our customer understand the difference between water conditioners vs. water softeners and educate them on the systems we are installing in their homes.
Are you having issues with your water quality? Contact us today at Berks Water Technology and we can assess the proper water treatment solution for your home based on your unique water quality.
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