NO SALT WATER SOFTENERS
Anti-Scale Facts vs Hyperbole
MicroPure Water Systems in Albuquerque is a full service water conditioning business with over 28 years of experience. We offer a wide range water improvement products such as our bacteriostatic Hydronex i-Gen, anti-scale systems like our Goodspring BWS, to our Micromax 7000 Reverse Osmosis systems and everything in between.
The difference is we have the proper testing equipment to provide a no-hassle and zero pressure consultation with no vested interest in steering you into any one product. Essentially, it comes down to getting an unbiased professional to provide you with good data… “Just the facts”.
Don’t be confused, as none of the popular “alternate” systems provide soft water in the traditional sense. Scale prevention (salt-free) systems attempt to bind up the hardness minerals, so they remain in the water but don’t attach to plumbing and appliance surfaces. Soft water uses a chemical ion exchange to remove the hardness minerals, so they are unable to attach. That’s basically where the similarity ends. If you are looking only for scale reduction in always wet areas, then scale prevention no salt water systems in that arena may be as good as a softener.
The no salt scale prevention technologies promoted by many water quality improvement companies are comparable in their objective and theory. When properly designed and applied, they can do a good job of keeping scale-producing minerals in solution, reducing and even preventing scale in wet areas of the plumbing. If the primary goal is the prevention of boiler scale and related heat transfer efficiency, then template assisted crystallization, scale reduction media and other technologies will have varying positive impacts. Unfortunately, when the treated water is exposed to the atmosphere, the benefits and performance degrade quickly and substantially. Scale prevention is just one of the benefits of softening, this is where there is “wiggle room” for some to call scale prevention a softener of sorts.
If you are looking for benefits like significant soap/chemical use reductions, silky skin, longer-lasting fabrics, retention of brighter colors in your clothes and lessened spotting issues with your dishwasher, then you will need traditional water softening. The keys here are your definitions. Does scale reduction lessen spotting? From a technical sense, it can mitigate spotting issues, but not nearly to the extent of softened water. Of course, softened water is better at preventing spotting because it actually acts as a filter, physically removing the minerals from the water.
No salt devices seem to cost hundreds of dollars less than traditional softening systems, and usually have some type of iron clad “Satisfaction or Money back Guarantee”. But consumers who purchase on-line must still arrange for installation of the water filtration system, so those savings dwindle and the frustration begins. The conundrum of returning a bulky product that must be disconnected by a professional and can weigh several hundred pounds leaves many consumers extremely dissatisfied.
Because most internet sellers have NO local presence, the consumer is left without any service. MicroPure receives hundreds of calls from Albuquerque and Rio Rancho residents looking for service for a random filtering system they bought over the internet one or two years ago, that is now having issues. They don’t understand that a filter or carbon tank still needs to be serviced or replaced, even when they were promised NO MAINTENANCE. Any device that filters or conditions water will eventually need service. Nothing lasts forever!
MicroPure has found that most people accustomed to soft water will not respond well to a change to a scale prevention technology. The silky feeling of the skin after using soft water will not be found when employing typical no salt systems. This silky feeling, some call it slippery, is one of the primary advantages to soft water. The silky feeling is not residual soap that refused to rinse off, but rather a lack of your skin being dried by hard water. Not convinced? Wash your hands with soap and hard water, rinse and when the slick soap feeling is gone (almost immediately) lick your hand and note that you can still taste soap even though it has been “rinsed off”. Now repeat with soft water and rinse thoroughly. Even though your hands still have that silky feel, the soap taste is gone. The slick feel is your own skin oils that haven’t been stripped, not residual soap.
For those that are not accustomed to soft water, a scale prevention system combined with our Silvershield carbon such as our Goodspring BWS as part of a comprehensive POE filtration solution can be a meaningful improvement. Water quality offerings are often substantially similar, but differences do exist. MicroPure does not stretch facts into hyperbole. We want to provide you with a water solution that works for your home and family, without confusion, so we’ll take the time to explain the differences and benefits or potential drawbacks of all the systems we sell. This will allow you to make the best decision for your individual needs, and your budget.
