

Salt-free water conditioning is a softening solution that is rapidly growing in popularity thanks to its low-maintenance, no waste operation. Regenerating also produces some water waste, which will contribute to your water usage.Ĭheck out our list of the best water softeners in 2023 – reviews and guide Salt-free Conditioners Potassium works almost as effectively in ion exchange and is a better alternative to salt to put into your drinking water, but it tends to cost more per year than salt.įinally, salt-based softeners will need to perform regular water softener regeneration cycles, which will add a little extra to your electricity bill. You can also use potassium in most salt-based softeners. While salt is fairly inexpensive, it’s a recurring cost that you need to be aware of prior to purchasing a softener, as the ion exchange process can’t happen without salt. You can leave the mineral tank alone for years, but you’ll need to top up the salt in the brine tank for ion exchange after roughly 6 to 8 weeks. Their initial price comes in at around $800-$1,500, which is fairly average but they require more money put into them in the long run. However, salt-based softener systems do carry some additional costs when compared to other systems.

Ion exchange is one of the most thorough and effective softening processes out there, as the hard water minerals are entirely removed from water. They use a process called ion exchange, in which calcium and magnesium hard water minerals are swapped out for sodium ions. Salt-based water softeners, as the name suggests, use resin to soften well or municipal water and use salt to regenerate. Here’s what you need to know about the five most popular types of water softeners, and roughly how much you can expect to pay for them. Water Softener Price by Typeĭifferent whole house water softeners have different associated costs. And that’s just the initial purchase – there will be additional monthly or yearly costs to factor in over the lifespan of your system, which I cover below. You can expect to spend around $1,000 on average for a water softener.

Additional Factors That Influence a Home Water Softener Cost.Water Softener Price Comparison by Brand.
