You may have noticed the difference in the water quality. Maybe you're living in the region where the naturally obtained water is hard or you may have experienced the change in the taste of water when you had moved to another city. This happens because the water naturally available in different regions is of different hardness.

What Is The Hard Water?

Normally rain water which is obtained on the surface of the earth is soft and does not have any minerals or salts in it. When the rainwater falls on the ground, it goes underground passing through limestones and other rocks beneath the Earth's surface. Such water has Calcium and Magnesium ions in the form of compounds, which are the two main components responsible for the hardness of the water.

What Is A Water Softening Process?

When the rainwater falls on the Earth, it is soft. Eventually, it dissolves some compounds containing Ca and Mg. The removal of these ions from the hard water is called the water softening process. The softening process doesn't remove the compounds containing Ca and Mg but it replaces them with Sodium ions.

Many people believe that the taste of the soft water is different and salty because it contains more sodium now. It's not completely true because the fact is something different, it is not necessary that the Na present in the soft water is NaCl (salt). Yeah, it does change the taste of water for sure but it's not that bad or too salty.

It is not unknown that the clothes washed in hard water get dingy, your hair gets a bit sticky and it takes a lot of detergents and the soap. Using soft water for daily chores can be so useful and will save some money on the soap and detergent wastage. Using a good water softener can solve the problem of water hardness. And there are certain things you need to consider before purchasing it. Ask this 5 questions to yourself and it will be a piece of cake to choose the right water softener for your home.

1. How Much Soft Water I'll Need?

This is the first question you should ask before you go out and purchase a water softener. Take a note of how much water will be consumed in your home per day. This will help you determine the amount of soft water you will get from the softener after a specific period of time. If you need too much soft water then not getting enough water when you need is meaningless.

2. What Will Be The Type Of The Softener?

You have three options to choose from; manual, semi-manual, and fully automatic. The choice is yours whether you are able to run the softener manually or not. The most times when you need a large amount of soft water per day, you'll need an automatic type water softener. So, pen down what suits you!

3. How Much Will It Cost Me?

The cost factor is prime to be considered when you're purchasing something. Well, nothing's worth if it goes out of your budget, right? Decide your requirements and do not decide to purchase even a bit more than what you need. The first expense would be the purchase cost of the softener. Your budget will have to add up all the three; ie, purchase cost, installing cost, and the running cost.

4. Is It Durable?

After determining the cost of the product, you need to check the durability of the softener. If it ceases to work very soon than a normal one, you need to rethink before purchasing it. Read the reviews from famous reviewers across the globe and choose the good water softener. It should at least have the label of UL or NSF which certify it to be of superior quality.

5. How Will Be Its Operation And Maintenance?

You should put into your mind your willingness to participate in the maintenance and the operations of the product. Many times when we decide to save some money on the purchasing cost, the maintenance cost would be so high that it will cost you the same or even more than the softener with the high purchasing cost.

One more caveat here is that a 'fully automatic' machine is a myth. You will need to restock and change the salt supply for the brine solution inside at times and there is nothing you can do to make it fully automatic.

These were the 5 must questions you need to ask yourself and answer before purchasing a water softener. This homework will definitely help you decide what's befitting your requirements.