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In order to figure out how much money it takes to buy a water softener, there are certain factors you need to focus on. Many buyers, when they calculate water softener price, often overlook additional expenses arising from installation, maintenance, and replacement of parts. That’s why there’s such a broad price range of $300 to $4000 when it comes to buying a water softener.
Here’s a detailed guide on water softener cost to help you find the answers.
Choosing the right water softener
Water softeners cost largely depends on the system you are planning to install. Let’s keep the additional costs aside for a moment and talk about the softener itself. The cheapest but not the best water softeners you can get in the market are magnetic water softeners. The core idea behind magnetic water softeners is that you pass water through a magnetic field created by strong magnets mounted outside of the pipe. It is believed that the powerful magnetic force pulls the ions or alters their structure and makes the water soft.
Considering the magnetic water softener price which is between $300 and $600, it is more of a liability than a solution. There’s no way you can determine its effectiveness on the water as you can’t exactly know how the magnets will affect the water that passes through your pipes. There’s no clear advantage, says a report by the Army Corps of Engineers. Another study published by the U.S. The Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information suggests the same.
There are many new water softening systems on the market aimed to deal with hard water-related problems which are not limited to scale formation and degradation of appliances. A salt-free template-assisted crystallization system is an ideal solution which costs a little more than the conventional magnetic softeners, but works more efficiently and is considered better than the ion exchange softeners.
Since the water softener cost is a concern, you can buy a mid-range salt-free TAC system for as low as $600 which is even less than many ion-exchange softeners available in the market. The TAC based systems are easy to maintain and cost less than the other alternatives.
Installation cost
Water softener price is a one time expense so is the installation cost if done right. The average cost of installation of a salt-based ion-exchange water softener system can be anywhere around $400. The installation cost of a dual tank system would be $600 and you will be shelling out a whopping $1000 for a high-end tank. The best way to save money on installation is to find DIY products.
It may sound daunting, but there are many solutions that are easy to install and don’t require highly skilled labor for installation. You can get such products and can install them yourself or take the help of a local plumber.
Maintenance and replacement
In the water softener market, a variety of solutions are available, but in order to keep the expenses in control, make sure to check the maintenance cost before buying. For instance, many water softeners cost less but their maintenance is a huge pain. For instance, buying a $10 bag of salt or a $25 potassium bag every month may not look big if you install an ion-exchange water softener, but shelling out this much money every month could easily affect your yearly savings. Also, remember that resins do expire and you will have to replace them with new ones.
Over to you
Now you know that no water softener is free from additional costs, but the good news is you can avoid most of these expenses by ‘investing’ into and not ‘spending’ on a water softener. The term ‘investment’ means buying a water softener that doesn’t put a burden on your wallet in terms of installation costs and insane maintenance costs which can be easily avoided.
Considering the salt-free template-assisted crystallization water softener cost, for instance, is less than every other solution available in the market. With DIY installation, one can not only save money, but the maintenance cost is also less as the media requires replacement not before one to three years from installation. With no electricity consumption, you can avoid out-of-pocket expenditure burdens.
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