When I search “Salt Free Water Softeners” on Google, one of the menu items that pops up references a scam. What’s that about?
There are quite a few water companies out there who will promise you that their salt free water softener will work better than a salt-based system, plus save you money because there’s no salt to replenish.
But the facts don’t bear that out. While Salt Free Water Softeners are indeed salt free, they do not soften water. In fact, if you look closely at their literature, companies that sell these products even admit as much: Their products do not correct hard water. Plus, they are significantly more expensive than salt-based systems to install.
Salt Free “Water Softeners” are more accurately known as descalers. A descaler doesn’t actually remove dissolved materials such as calcium and magnesium like a water softener does, rather it prevents them (as long as the water is flowing) from being deposited on the inside of your pipes, dishwasher and washing machine. The water that exits your faucet or shower head is still “hard”. And in places where water sits, such as your hot water heater, coffee pot, furnace, etc. limescale will still form. Which means you may have saved a few dollars on salt, but you’ve greatly compromised the life expectancy of some key household appliances.