Water Softeners offer a number of benefits to your home, health and even your bank account, especially if you live in an area with particularly hard water. Hard water has a negative impact on a number of things from your household appliances and pipework, to the heating elements in your boiler. But what are some of the other benefits of Water Softeners? Let’s dig a bit deeper and look at what the benefits would be of installing one of our Water Softener Systems in your home or business.

Approximately 60% of the UK is classed as having ‘hard’ or ‘very hard’ water with over 200 parts per million

Save Money On Heating Bills And Repairs

Firstly, let’s talk about money. Calcium (or limescale) build up in your boiler and on heating elements in other household appliances reduces their efficiency, meaning you have to spend more money on energy to heat your home or boil your kettle. This is because Calcium is not a conductor of heat, so scaled heating elements don’t conduct heat very efficiently. Scale formation in appliances and pipework also leads to breakdowns, meaning you replace costly appliances more often.

Once you have a water softener installed, you no longer have to worry about scale build up and the damage it can cause. But wait, it gets better! Softened water will remove existing scale over time, cleaning up the pipework in your house and restoring the efficiency of appliances.

• Feeding your boiler with softened water helps to maintain 100% efficiency over 15 years
• Homes in hard water areas can accumulate up to 70kg of scale every year
• Just 9g of scale reduces your boiler efficiency by up to 5.6%

A Water Softener Can Save You Up To £240 A Year On Energy Bills And Depreciation Of Appliances

Save Time And Money On Cleaning

Installing a Water Softener can save you cleaning time and money spent on detergents or de-scaling products. Living in the South East which is a notoriously hard water area, we are all too familiar with constantly cleaning surfaces, de-scaling taps and wiping down showers. With soft water you will no longer get ‘spotting’ on surfaces (like your shower screen) or scale formation on taps and showerheads, so no more buying descaler either.

Softened water also produces a foamier lather with soaps and detergents, meaning you use less shampoo, body wash, washing detergent, washing up liquid and more! Most modern dishwashers also have a built-in scale control system, with a Water Softener you no longer need to worry about topping up your dishwasher salt because your water softener is doing the job long before the water gets to your appliance.

• Reduce cleaning time by up to 10 working days per year
• Use 50% less washing powder on every wash
• Use up to 42% less product when cleaning

Save Upwards Of £30 A Month On Cleaning Products And Washing Detergents

Softer Laundry And Brighter Clothes

Softened water helps your laundry look brighter, cleaner and feel softer. No more stiff towels that won’t go fluffy no matter how much tumble drying they endure! Hard water can leave a mineral build-up that your laundry detergent can’t quite cut through, soft water not only prevents this but also helps soaps and detergents form a fuller lather, so less product is required. Just check on the back of your laundry detergent and you will notice a chart showing how much less product is required for people with soft water.

• Save 100% on the use of fabric conditioner
• Wash at temperatures as low as 30°C and achieve the same results
• Prolong the lifespan and efficiency of your washing machine

Wash At Temperatures As Low As 30°C And Achieve The Same Results

Healthier Skin And Softer Hair

Hard water can dry out your skin and hair, with the dissolved minerals and ions making it appear dry and damaged. As mentioned previously, softened water offers a thicker soap lather meaning your shampoo and body wash will go further as well as leaving you with silky soft skin and hair as opposed to that dry feeling after a hard water bath/shower. Stop blaming the wrong soap or moisturiser for your dry skin and start thinking about what’s in the water that you are washing with instead! 

• Use up to 50% less shampoo and body wash when washing
• Tackle the cause of dry and dull hair at the source
• Reduce frizz and the fading of dyed hair

Use Up To 50% Less Shampoo And Body Wash When Washing To Achieve The Same Results

Relief From Eczema

If you suffer from Eczema you have probably explored a whole host of products to help relieve the condition, from fragrance-free moisturisers and soaps to avoiding bubble baths altogether. But have you considered that ions like Calcium and Magnesium in your water can be an irritant? It has been proven by studies at the University of Sheffield that there is a link between washing in hard water and eczema. Here is a breakdown of what they found:

• Bathing in hard water accelerated symptoms in people already suffering from eczema
• Washing in hard water increases exposure to the irritant ‘SLS’ which has been linked to eczema flare-ups
• In children and infants washing in hard water can increase the chances of developing eczema

Trials Show An 86% Reduction In The Severity Of Eczema Symptoms

Should You Purchase A Water Softener?

The bottom line is, if you live in a hard water area you could benefit greatly from softening the water in your home. Studies show the average 4 person household could save £200 or more each year by installing a Water Softener. If you are unsure whether you live in a hard water area and could benefit from softened water, then check out our Locations With Hard Water page to get an approximate reading for your area.

If you have any questions or want to discuss the suitability of one of our Water Softening Systems then please feel free to give us a call, drop a quick email or use our online live chat.