Best Salt-Free Water Softeners

Millions of American homes have hard water — high levels of calcium and magnesium that form a chalky residue called limescale. Corrosive, it clings to everything from pipes to the element in your water heater leading to higher utility bills and costly appliance repairs.

It’s an expensive problem for which salt-based water softeners were once the only solution.

But the latest generation of salt-fee water conditioners is changing how we approach limescale. As effective as conventional softeners but without the high maintenance or environmental impact, they’re proving to be a better solution.

Best Salt-Free Softener Systems
	EDITOR'S CHOICEEDITOR'S CHOICE SpringWell Water Softener System	No impact on water pressure Virtually maintenance-free Lifetime warranty	Check Prices on springwellwater.com Coupon Code: QWL5
	Pelican NaturSoft Salt Free Water Softener	Produces zero wastewater Retains healthy minerals Low-maintenance	Check Prices on qualitywatertreatment.com
	BEST Cartridge BasedBEST Cartridge Based EVO-2000 Salt Free Water Softener	Family of 6+ Low maintenance Lifetime Warranty Won’t reduce water pressure	Check Prices on evowatersystems.com

7 Best Salt-free Water Softeners Reviewed

Quit wasting time weeding through the endless reviews on the web that are outdated or simply misleading.

We’ve spent countless hours of research and spoke with experts to put together proven NSF certified salt-free conditioner systems so you don’t have to waste your time or hard earned cash finding right system yourself…

#1 SpringWell FutureSoft Salt-Free Water Softener —Editor’s Pick

SpringWell’s salt-free water conditioner is an eco-friendly, hassle-free way to deal with hard water. Using Template Assisted Crystallization (TAC), it changes the chemical structure of minerals, keeping them suspending them in water, so they pass harmlessly through your pipes.

FutureSoft uses no electricity, requires no salt and produces no wastewater.

What we like best

Cutting-edge technology enhances fluidization, boosting the softening media’s performance — it lasts a lifetime. The FutureSoft is 99.6-percent effective at preventing limescale without affecting your water pressure. It can compete with any conventional softener.

Simple to install and virtually maintenance-free, the FutureSoft comes complete with a sediment prefilter. It’s backed by a limited lifetime warranty and SpringWell’s legendary dedication to customer care.

Read our Full Review

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Use Coupon Code: QWL5 to save!

SpringWell FAQs

Q: How often should I replace the sediment filter?
A: The sediment filter keeps large particles of dirt and rust out of the conditioning tank — it’s the key to preserving softening media efficiency. Replace it every 6-9 months for optimal performance.

Q: Does the FutureSoft remove hard minerals?
A: No, only salt-based softeners do that. You’ll continue to enjoy the fresh taste and health benefits of water with minerals.

Q: Can the FutureSoft condition well water?
A: Yes, but you may need prefilters filters to remove iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide, copper and tannins — contaminants common in well water that can damage the softening media. It’s a limitation among most brands.

What we like

Product Updates:

• Easy installation kit
• UV add-on
• Works with whole house filtration systems

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Use Coupon Code: QWL5 to Save!

#2 FilterSmart Salt Free Water Softener PRO Series — The Runner-Up

The FilterSmart PRO salt-free water conditioner controls limescale and reduces staining on bathroom fixtures without salt or chemicals.

Research-proven Template Assisted Crystallization (TAC) technology turns minerals into microcrystals that can’t cling to hard surfaces. Your appliances will breathe a sigh of relief.

Straightforward to install, it’s maintenance-free for a decade or more and comes complete with a protective sediment prefilter. Manufactured with NSF certified parts, it’s backed by a limited lifetime warranty.

Read our Full Review

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FAQs

Q: How often should the softening media be replaced?
A: Every 10-15 years based on your water quality.

Q: Will the FilterSmart PRO reduce my water pressure?
A: The FilterSmart PRO is available in two sizes — a 1-3 bathroom model with a 12 gpm flow rate and a 4-6 bath version offering 15 gpm. That’s twice the industry average, so any impact on water pressure should be negligible.

Q: How can I tell if it’s working?
A: Salt-free water conditioners neither add nor remove contaminants. Testing will reveal no changes. The best way to tell if it’s working is to inspect appliance parts, such as the element in your water heater, for a reduction in limescale.

What we like

Product Updates:

• Nothing to share as of yet.

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#3 Aquasana Salt-Free Water Conditioner

Aquasana’s salt-free water conditioner protects your plumbing and appliances by inhibiting limescale. Minerals are transformed into inert crystals that slip through pipes and down the drain.

You get most of the benefits of a traditional water softener with none of the work.

What we like best

Engineered for easy maintenance, there’s nothing to do except to change the sediment filter regularly and swap out the softening tank every six years.

Mix and match it with Aquasana’s other budget-friendly filters to create a custom home filtration system.

Read our Full Review

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FAQs

Q: What’s the Aquasana’s flow rate?
A: The flow rate is 7 gpm depending on your water quality. That’s slightly higher than the national average, but half of what similar brands offer. You may experience a slight drop in water pressure when multiple taps are open.

Q: Can it be installed outdoors?
A: It can, but failure to protect it from the elements may void the warranty. It must be shielded from direct sunlight and freezing temperatures.

Q: Are filter changes difficult?
A: Cartridges screw on and off. It’s easier than changing a light bulb.

Our Take

Product Updates:

• Anti-scale technology by transforming hard minerals into inactive microscopic crystal particles.

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#4 SoftPro Elite Saltless Water Conditioner

The SoftPro Elite is a best seller for a reason. It’s advanced, salt-free design prevents up to 99-percent of scale while retaining healthy minerals.

There’s no salt to store, and it doesn’t waste water — a plus in drought-prone areas or where water and sewer rates are high.

What we like

Salt-free water conditioners are welcomed in ecologically sensitive areas, so even if salt-based softeners are off limits, you can still protect your home from the damaging effects of hard water.

Kits come with an upgraded prefilter that removes chlorine, preserving the life of the softening media and refining your water’s taste. While supplies last, you can get the Quick-Connect Hose Kit free just by asking. It makes installation effortless.

Read our Full Review

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FAQs

Q: Will the SoftPro Elite reduce my water pressure?
A: The SoftPro Elite comes in one size offering a maximum 12 gpm flow rate. That’s plenty for the average household but less than what you might need for a home with more than five bathrooms. If you have a very large house, consider the SpringWell FutureSoft.

Q: How often should the Filtersorb media be replaced?
A: Every six years.

Q: Can the SoftPro Elite handle very hard water?
A: Absolutely! Very hard water is classified as more than 10 grains per gallon of hardness. The SoftPro Elite treats up to 17 grains per gallon.

Our Thoughts

Product Updates:

• Free Pre-filter upgrade
• Improved anti-scale technology
• Now offering free quick connectors to help eliminate soldering

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#5 Pelican NaturSoft® Water Softener Alternative

Pelican is a leader in softening technology. Their NaturSoft® salt-free water conditioner is the only alternative softener to be IAMPO certified to NSF/ANSI 61 standards.

Third-party tested, it prevents 99.6-percent of limescale, and Pelican discloses the test results to prove it.

What we like

The unique NaturSoft® media is unlike any other. It’s catalytic granules are son-sacrificial, so it works like a champ for a lifetime, maintaining peak conditioning efficacy. When performance matters, you can count on the Pelican.

Read our Full Review

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FAQs

Q: How often should the sediment filter be changed?
A: Every 6-9 months is ideal.

Q: Will the NaturSoft® reduce my water pressure?
A: The 10 gpm flow rate is more than brisk enough for most families. Homes with above-average usage may see a minor reduction in pressure.

Q: Is this compatible with well water?
A: Yes, but like all salt-free softeners, iron, copper, manganese, tannins and hydrogen sulfide should be removed first.

What we like

Product updates:

• Offers more installation kits to accommodate all plumbing types and sizes.

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#6 Quest Salt-Free Water Conditioner

Crystal Quest’s salt-free water softener is a multi-stage filtration and conditioning unit. Like most models, it comes with a prefilter to remove sediment, but it also includes a block carbon filter that removes chemicals from pesticides to VOCs plus a 0.2-micron ultra filtration membrane that eliminates most biological contaminants.

What we like best

Proprietary Eaglesorb anti-scale media prevents mineral build-up and forms an additional anti-corrosive layer to protect your pipes.

This unit requires more than average plumbing skills to install — we recommend hiring a professional. But for maximum protection, the filtration capability is unsurpassed.

Read our Full Review

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FAQs

Q: When should pre- and post-filters be changed?
A: Every 12-18 months based on your water quality.

Q: Is this system NSF certified?
A: All parts, components and media are certified to NSF 42 and 61 standards.

Q: How much hardness can this conditioner handle?
A: Up to 25 grains per gallon.

What we like

Product updates:

• Nothing new, yet.

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#7 GreenWave Salt-Free Water Conditioner

GreenWave’s salt-free water softener tackles the toughest hard minerals, It’s 97-percent effective at reducing limescale, transforming unwanted calcium and magnesium into nanocrystals that won’t stick to your plumbing or corrode appliance parts.

What we like best

Vortech technology eliminates channeling, increasing the media’s contact time with water for better conditioning results — with pretreatment, it can handle a whopping 81 grains per gallon of hardness.

When equipped with the optional carbon filter, The GreenWave also removes chemicals from chlorine to herbicides — a bonus for well water.

A breeze to install, it’s made in America and backed by a limited lifetime warranty.

Read our Full Review

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FAQs

Q: Does the GreenWave come with a sediment filter?
A: No. You can choose no filter or a radial carbon cartridge that improves the efficiency of the softening media and removes the sediment and chemical impurities that make your water taste bad. It will, however, work with an existing sediment filter.

Q: How long does the conditioning media last?
A: It’s guaranteed for four years, but it could continue to perform well long after that depending on your water quality.

Q: Is this system compatible with 3/4-inch pipes?
A: Absolutely. Kits are assembled with your choice of 3/4- or 1-inch fitting sizes.

Our Take

Product updates

• Now offers valves sizes for 3/4″ and 1″ plumbing
• Pre-treatment carbon filter

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Compare All 7 Salt-Free Water Softeners

(Mobile users: Swipe to scroll)

Compare Brands & Models	#1 SpringWell FutureSoft	#2 FilterSmart Salt-Free	#3 Aquasana Salt-Free	#4 SoftPro Elite Conditioner	#5 Pelican NaturSoft	#6 Crystal Quest Softener	#7 GreenWave Conditioner
Rating	5/5	5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5
Price	$$$	$$$	$$$$	$$$$	$$	$$$	$$
Process	TAC	TAC	NAC	NAC	TAC	TAC	NAC
Max Hardness	81GPG	75GPG	25GPG	17GPG	75GPG	25GPG	81GPG
Flow Rate	12-20 GPM	12-15 GPM	7 GPM	12 GPM	10 GPM	12 GPM	10-25 GPM
BlueTooth	✔️	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Warranty	Lifetime	Lifetime	6	Lifetime	1 year	1 Year Limited	Lifetime

Saltless Water Softener Buyer’s Guide

More than 80-percent of the country has hard water — excessive minerals that form limescale, a sticky, corrosive residue that clogs pipes, hikes your utility bills and sends big-ticket appliances to an early grave. Ecologically disastrous and challenging to maintain, salt-based water softeners were once the only solution to hard water. But today, there’s a better way to send limescale packing.

Saltless softeners, or water conditioners, offer most of the benefits of conventional softening with few disadvantages. This buyer’s guide explains how water softeners work and what you need to know to choose the best salt-free water softener for your home.

What Is Hard Water?

Hard water is water with high levels of calcium and magnesium.

Effects include:

• Dingy clothes
• Spots on glasses
• Soap that won’t lather
• Limescale stains on bathroom fixtures
• Itchy skin
• Haystack hair
• Low water pressure
• Clogged plumbing
• High utility bills
• Frequent appliance breakdowns and more

Present across the country, not all hard water is hard enough to need treatment. Slightly hard water may be a nuisance, but more than 7 grains per gallon of hardness is likely to have serious consequences for your home.

Do I Have Hard Water?

If you live in the United States, chances are you do. At least half the country is plagued with water hard enough to require treatment. The USGS has created hardness maps to help you determine your risk, but they don’t tell the whole story. A water test is the only tried-and-true way to know how hard your water is.

The Benefits of a Water Test

A water test is a trove of valuable information about your water quality — it’s affordable and easy – see our top rated water testing kits.

Before buying a softener, it’s critical to know two things:

Do you have a hard water problem?

Occasionally, issues that appear related to hard water are caused by other contaminants. Only a test stands between you and a costly purchase that may not solve your problem.

Is your water chemistry compatible with a softener?

Both salt-based and salt-free softeners have limitations based on your water’s chemical composition. Iron, sulfur, manganese, copper, chlorine and tannins can irreversibly ruin softening media. The good news for homeowners is that prefilters will solve the problem. But only a water test can tell you which you need.

You can arrange for testing through a local lab — we recommend using a certified drinking water laboratory. They use only scientifically proven testing methods so you can rely on the results. Or purchase a test kit online. Better water conditioner vendors offer testing without obligation.

What is a Salt-Free Water Softener?

Conventional water softeners use salt to eliminate hard minerals. Positively charged calcium and magnesium ions cling to negatively charged softening resin. Once saturated, a burst of saltwater from the brine tank breaks the bonds, flushing excess minerals down the drain while rejuvenating the resin.

Salt-free water softeners don’t rely on salt or chemicals to prevent limescale. A single, self-cleaning conditioning tank does all the work.

How Do Water Softeners Work without Salt?

A saltless water softener doesn’t remove minerals, it changes their chemical structure, so they can’t stick to hard surfaces.

How do they do it? The process is known as Template Assisted Crystallization (TAC), also referred to as Nucleation Assisted Crystallization (NAC). Simply speaking, hard water ions are attracted to so-called nucleation sites on the conditioning media. There, they form crystals that grow until they’re large enough to break off. Stable, they remain suspended in water and flow harmlessly down the drain instead of forming mineral scale in your plumbing system. Research conducted by the University of Arizona in 2011 confirms that TAC technology reduces mineral scale up to 97-percent.

A lesser-known type of salt-free conditioner is a tankless water softening system called an electronic or magnetic descaler. These units rely on electricity generated by coils wrapped around your water pipes to change the molecular composition of hard minerals, so they can’t adhere to plumbing.

Do they work? Evidence suggests they may help prevent limescale when other types of treatment are off the table. Less effective than either salt-based softeners or TAC water conditioners but cheaper, they’ve nonetheless earned positive reviews from consumers who swear they do the trick. But until there are further studies, we recommend sticking with proven technology.

Are Saltless Systems Better than Salt-Based Systems?

Salt-based softeners are the gold standard for treating hard water. Despite their many drawbacks, they eliminate all symptoms of hard water.

Salt-free water conditioners control limescale, the most damaging and costly impact of hard water, but they’re less effective for resolving nuisance issues, such as skin irritation. Let’s look at their pros and cons.

Benefits of Salt-free Water Softeners?

The obvious benefit of salt-free water conditioners is that they prevent limescale. But what makes them a better choice than salt-based systems?

They’re Easier to Install

Salt-based systems send contaminants down the drain, limiting where they can be installed. If you don’t have a drain handy, you’ll need a plumber to create one or improvise alternative drainage. They also require electricity to operate and must be installed near enough to an outlet not to require an extension cord.

With more parts to assemble and limitations to consider, conventional water softeners are considerably more challenging to install than water conditioners requiring no drain or electricity. With only a single tank to set up, even the least tech-savvy homeowner can install a salt-free water softener in a few hours.

They Take Less Space

With two tanks, salt-based water softeners have a considerable footprint. And because they need frequent maintenance, you’ll need to allow additional area, so you can squeeze in to reload the brine reservoir. Hefting 40-pound bags of salt is back-breaking enough without having to do it at an awkward angle. Saltless water conditioners take less than a square foot of space and fit in areas salt-based conditioners can’t.

They Require No Maintenance

The brine tank on a conventional water softener must be refilled regularly — once a month on average. Some have gaskets and parts that need lubrication or periodic replacement. Remember that salt is corrosive. A salt-free conditioner requires no upkeep — it’s the ultimate low-maintenance water softener.

They Cost Less to Operate

The average homeowner spends $300-$600 annually on softening salt, plus the cost of electricity, additional maintenance, and water and sewer fees for discharging wastewater every time a salt-based system regenerates. Over five years, that’s a vacation to Disneyland! There are no ongoing expenses associated with water conditioners.

The Water Tastes Better

An oft-overlooked benefit of conditioning water without salt is flavor — salt-softened water without minerals has a bland taste most people don’t enjoy. It also adds sodium to a salt-restricted diet and can impact cooking. Recipes may need to be adjusted to avoid salt overload.

You Get the Health Benefits of Minerals

Americans typically get all the calcium and magnesium they need in their diets. But minerals in water can play a role in good health, especially for children and post-menopausal women concerned about bone health. Unlike salt-based softeners, water conditioners don’t strip beneficial minerals. So why buy supplements when you can just drink more water?

They’re Ideal for Gardens

Salt-softened water is a nightmare for gardens. Not only does it lack most minerals, but it contains more sodium than most fruits and vegetables can handle. Conditioned water is safe for both indoor and outdoor plants.

They Have No Environmental Impact

Salt-based water softeners discharge briny wastewater that’s hazardous to the environment. It doesn’t harm leach beds, but wherever it goes, it can potentially impact ground or surface water if not properly managed — they’ve been banned in ecologically sensitive areas.

Conventional softeners waste 40-150 gallons of water per week during regeneration and are not welcomed in drought-prone areas. And salt-softened discharge contains so many minerals that it strains local treatment plants and is almost impossible to repurpose agriculturally.

Water conditioners use no salt, require no electricity and produce no wastewater. They’re an environmental bargain.

They Lower Your Utility Bills

Water-using appliances are carefully calibrated to work with a certain amount of water. If they don’t get enough because your pipes are clogged with limescale, they work harder than they should have to, causing premature wear and higher electricity usage. Some studies suggest that a water conditioner pays for itself in 3-4 years in savings.

They Add Value to Your Home

A survey of realtors shows that a salt-free water conditioner can add thousands to the value of your home. Buyers want protection from the unexpected. They know they’ll benefit from lower utility bills and fewer appliance repairs without the hassle of a salt-based system. Whether you’re staying in your home long-term or selling soon, they’re a good value. Softeners with a transferable warranty are a bonus.

What Are the Cons of No-Salt Water Conditioners?

Salt-free water softeners have one major drawback. Because they don’t remove minerals from water, they’re less able to reduce the effects of hard water caused by the mere presence of minerals. Calcium ions, for example, are abrasive. In laundry water, they add to the wear and tear on clothes, causing brights to fade prematurely. In the dishwasher, they can cause etching on delicate glassware.

If the goal is to eliminate every effect of hard water, you may be disappointed with salt-free conditioners. But for protecting your home from limescale, they work almost as well as conventional softeners without the high cost, maintenance hassles and environmental concerns. Unless you have extremely hard water, salt-free conditioners do more for less.

Performance Features — What to Consider

Most salt-free water softeners are similar, but they’re not all created equal. Let’s take a closer look at the features that make them tick.

Capacity

Capacity refers to how much water a salt-free conditioner can treat before the softening media must be replaced. Better manufacturers offer estimates based on average conditions, but life doesn’t happen in a laboratory, and results can vary significantly based on your water quality and usage.

How important is capacity? It’s critical. Water conditioners are self-cleaning, but some do a better job than others, improving long-term performance. TAC/NAC media also varies in quality. Some get progressively less effective as time goes on and must ultimately be replaced. Others are non-sacrificial and last a lifetime.

As with most things, you get what you pay for. Premium water conditioners cost more upfront but last longer. Bargain brands are more affordable initially but cost more down the road.

We recommend being investment-minded when it comes to conditioning your water. Top-tier conditioners tend to have a lower total cost of ownership.

Flow Rate

Flow rate reflects the number of gallons a saltless water conditioner can treat per minute. For large families, it’s an important feature.

Household activities like flushing a toilet and taking a shower require at least three gallons per minute. If your water conditioner can’t keep up when several taps are open, someone’s shower may turn into a trickle.

Industry-wide, the average flow rate among water conditioners is 6 gpm — a rate we think is too low for families of four or more. The best salt-free water softeners offer 10 gpm or more. The higher the rate, the better.

Other Contaminants

Water conditioners are not filters — they don’t remove contaminants. Homeowners worried about lead in their city water supply or sediment in well water can add pre- or post-filters to create salt-free water purification systems.

You may need additional filters if:

• You have a well contaminated with sediment, chemicals or heavy metals.
• Your city water contains high levels of residual chlorine other elements not compatible with conditioning systems.

Better manufacturers make complementary filters to meet a wide range of needs. If you know you have other contaminants to remove, buying all filters from the same maker eliminates compatibility issues.

System Controls/Features

Unlike conventional softeners with programmable electronic valves to control backwashing, a salt-free water conditioner operate without external controls. Set it and forget it.

Bypass valves that allow you to switch between softened and non-softened water weren’t always a given, but few of today’s models lack this crucial feature. Not only do they make the occasional maintenance easier, but they also extend the life of the softening media by letting you use unsoftened water for things like washing the car.

Certifications

The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), the organization that tests and certifies filters and softeners doesn’t yet certify residential water conditioners. No US laboratory does.

Many manufacturers use NSF-certified parts — a small consolation for consumers searching for reliable products. Look for NSF/ANSI 61 certification that guarantees components, such as media tanks, gaskets and valves, are free of contaminants that could leach into your water. NSF/ANSI 42 certification ensures parts are of sound structural integrity.

NSF certification is expensive for manufacturers — it’s not government-affiliated and entirely voluntary. Some claim NSF compliance rather than NSF certification, meaning the components they use are similar to certified parts but haven’t been third-party tested. How can you tell the difference? Only certified components can carry the NSF logo. Still, some companies post it on their website if even one of their products is certified — it may not be yours.

The NSF makes its list of proven products public so that any consumer can look them up, but conditioner components come from various sources and may not be listed under the seller’s name — it’s confusing at best. Unless the documentation is clear, we recommend asking the maker point-blank about certifications.

The best salt-free water conditioner makers submit their conditioners for testing by alternative labs, the most popular of which is DVGW in Germany. It’s the most stringent water testing organization in the world.

The DVGW W510 Standard assesses a TAC water conditioner’s ability to prevent scale — they require 80-percent or more for certification.

The DVGW W512 Standard examines products under real-world conditions, ascertaining their long-term performance against challenging well water. What some TAC water softener reviews won’t tell you is that while some manufacturers claim their conditioners reduce “up to” 99-percent of limescale, that could be as little as 50-percent.

TAC water conditioners are new enough on the market that DVGW certification is relatively uncommon. Like NSF certification, it’s costly, and you’re likely to see that reflected in the price of a water conditioner. But the standards are high, and products certified to meet both standards are of the finest quality. DVGW certification is meaningful.

Average Cost With Installation

Salt-free water conditioners run from $700-$2000. A DIY installation costs nothing more than your time. For a pro, it’s an easy job averaging a few hundred dollars — a fraction of what it can cost to install a salt-based system.

What Kind of Maintenance Is Required for Water Softeners Without Salt?

Salt-free water conditioners require no routine maintenance, but they may occasionally need a media change. It’s a relatively simple process that takes most homeowners less than an hour to complete every 5-10 years. Systems with lifetime-guaranteed media require no maintenance at all.

You’ll pay more upfront for water conditioners with long-lasting media, but it pays off in the long run. Replacement costs range from $200-$800, in some cases, equaling almost as much as the initial price of the softener. Run the figures before you buy.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the most trusted salt-free softener brands?

We recommend focusing more on features than the brand. But several stand out for their quality and features. SpringWell FutureSoft water conditioners have lifetime media and superb customer service. Pelican systems are DVGW-certified for exceptional performance.

2. Do salt-free water softeners remove iron?

Salt-free water softeners do not remove iron. If you have even low levels present in your water, you’ll need a prefilter to remove it.

3. Is softened water safe to drink?

Salt-softened water contains extra sodium — about as much as in a tablespoon of ketchup or slice of white bread. The consensus among health experts is that it’s not harmful, but it contributes to your recommended daily allowance of salt and could be a problem for people on salt-restricted diets. It may be even riskier for pets. Salt-free softened water contains no added sodium and is safe for everyone.

4. Do I need a water softener if I have a whole-house filter?

Most whole-house filters have no impact on hard minerals — the exception is the rare reverse osmosis filter. Whole-home RO filters are uncommon, but they remove most substances from water including minerals. Installing a water softener before an RO filter can, in certain circumstances, safeguard the RO membrane.

5. Does a whole house filter go before or after water softener?

Both. It depends on the treatment goal. Prefilters that remove substances that affect softening media, such as sediment, iron and chlorine, go before the softener. Filters that remove chemicals are typically installed after the softener.

6. How do I know that a salt-free water softener actually works?

It’s simple to verify the performance of a salt-based water softener. Reduced mineral levels show on a TDS meter or test strip. But with salt-free softeners, nothing about your water’s chemistry changes.

Conditioned water makes mineral stains on your fixtures easier to clean. Instead of being crusty and hard, they’re soft, sometimes even powdery. But the primary benefit of conditioning is limescale reduction, something you’ll see mostly in your closed plumbing system.

Since water heaters are among the appliances most likely to suffer from limescale, checking the buildup on the element is among the simplest ways to gauge your conditioner’s efficacy.

7. When might I want a salt-based water softener instead?

Salt-based softeners are the only filters that remove minerals. For true soft water, they’re the only solution. If your primary concerns are itchy skin, spotty dishes and clothes that just don’t get clean, a conventional softener is a better choice if you can live with the cost, maintenance and environmental impact. As with most things in life, there are trade-offs.

For the reduction of limescale, early water conditioners were recommended only for slightly and moderately hard water. Today’s best versions can handle levels that far exceed the 10 grains per gallon threshold for very hard water.

8. Will a saltless water softener remove existing limescale?

Most do. Layer by layer, even the thickest build-up may be slowly pared away. It’s not uncommon for water to be milky when the tap is opened soon after a water conditioner is installed — it’s the presence of dissolved calcium carbonate.

9. How can a salt-free softening system benefit me and my home?

The best salt-free water softeners prevent more than 99-percent of limescale, protecting homeowners from low water pressure, premature appliance repairs and sky-high utility bills. They enhance home values and pay for themselves in energy savings. It’s a winning combination and a risk-free investment.