Do Water Treatment Systems Save Money?

Is it true that water treatment or water conditioner systems such as water softeners can actually save money? To answer this question you need to understand what hard water is and what it can do in your home.

Water is considered “hard” if it contains 120 to 180 milligrams per liter of dissolved minerals. The most common minerals are calcium and magnesium. These substances are not removed by municipal treatment of drinking water, which focuses on viruses, bacteria, solid particles and hazardous organic products. 

In some cases you can see these minerals that enter your home in your water. They form bathtub rings and those white scaly deposits on drains and taps. It is the unseen effects of hard water, however, that can have a significant impact on your household budget.

A good example is the appliances in your home that use water. According to the American Water Works Association, hard water can reduce the life expectancy of your dishwasher and clothes washer by 30% and your water heater by 50%. In terms of the plumbing, the study found that faucets need to be replaced 40% sooner and toilets 70% sooner.

Based upon these findings, if the problem of hard water could be remedied, the time that would elapse before a new clothes washer would require replacement would be increased by almost one third. A water heater that normally lasts 10 to 15 years would not need to be replaced for 20 to 30 years. Switching to soft water by installing a water treatment system will also reduce the cost of future plumbing repairs caused by pipes clogged with calcium deposits.

Most companies that sell water softeners will do a free water test to determine if you need a whole house water treatment system.

What is Hard Water?

In many parts of Canada, the water coming out of our taps contains a significant concentration of dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium. These compounds are absorbed the water passes through earth on its perpetual journey known as the water cycle. The level of concentration determines the relative hardness or softness of the water we use for drinking, bathing, washing our clothes and cooking.

Water is considered “hard” if it has between 120 and 180 milligrams per liter of dissolved minerals (see Table 1). Based upon this standard, the populations of several Canadian urban centres use hard and in some cases very hard water every day.

How does using hard water affect the household budget? In other words, can installing a water treatment system save money? These days one budget item seems to be on everyone’s mind: energy. Whether it is the rising price of gasoline, electricity or natural gas, saving energy means saving money.

Take the water heater as an example. Research has demonstrated that using hard water causes calcium deposits to accumulate inside the water heater. The U. S. Bureau of Standards reports that a build up of ¼” of scale inside of the water heater can waste a significant amount of energy. A study conducted by New Mexico State University found that in electric water heaters, using soft water resulted in a 21.7% savings in energy. With gas-fired units, the energy saving was 29.5%. Given that water heaters account for approximately 20% of energy usage in the average household, the use of a water softener could reduce energy costs significantly.

There are many firms that market water softeners or whole house water treatment systems. They will be happy to do a free test of your drinking water and provide you with an analysis of the results.

Why should I use a whole house water treatment system?

Basically a whole house water treatment system processes all the water that enters your home by removing the minerals (mainly calcium and magnesium) that make it hard. Your water acquires these substances as it passes through the water cycle and ends up in the lake or ground water that serves as the course of all your water

The benefits of using such a system come in the areas of improved quality of life and economic savings. Quality of life improvements are related to the taste of food, ease of cleaning, more efficient clothes washing, and personal hygiene benefits.

People who use soft water report that food cooked in it and beverages such as juices, tea and coffee made with it simply taste better. When it comes to cleaning, soft water makes the job easier whether it is washing the dishes or cleaning the sinks taps and tubs in the home. Clothes come out looking whiter and brighter when washed in soft water and you come out of the shower or tub with smoother, softer skin and silkier, shinier hair.

The economic savings of using soft water come in three main areas. First, using soft water increases the effectiveness of all your cleaning products that are used in water such as laundry detergent, hand and body soap and dish washing liquid. This is because hard water requires more soap to clean things well. The softer the water, the less soap needed for the same or better results.

The second economic benefit of a water treatment system is that your appliances that use water will last longer. Studies have shown that soft water will increase the lifespan of dishwashers and clothes washers, faucet, toilets and water heaters. Soft water also prolongs the lifespan of your clothes by up to 15 percent according to one study.

The third savings that results from treating hard water is a reduction in the amount of energy required to heat water. Over time, calcium deposits can build up on the inside of your water heater, thus reducing its efficiency. A U.S. Bureau of Standards study demonstrated that soft water can save up to 21.7% of the energy used by an electric water heater and 29.5% by a gas-fired unit.

There are many water treatment system firms that will do a free water test to determine if you have hard water in your home.