It is business as usual in the water softening industry given the high demand, because water softeners have become a necessity rather than a luxury. Hundreds of water softener companies are flooding the companies with as many as two to five models to choose from. The products range from a price variable of a few hundred to a few thousand dollars and are geared satisfy the most diverse of needs. Depending on your demand you can opt for a water softener ranging from a small machine to a full fledged treatment plant. These machines can also be picked to tackle different levels of hardness in the water so that they are optimized for your water supply.
Water softener companies can give you basic models which will simply soften the water to more complex machines that will remove contaminants such as lead and chlorine apart from bad odor and taste. These water softener companies will also supply water softening solutions wherein you can pre-decide whether the machine will clean itself at a definite time interval determined by you or whether the cleansing will be based on an analysis of water usage.
Some water softener companies offer a free installation in the water softener package, whereas others will charge you extra for it, yet others are producing units that do not require any installation and the unit simply has to be turned on to start it functioning.
One very important aspect of water softeners is the maintenance required to keep it up and running in good functional order. Some companies offer you units that require little or no maintenance, while others push forward maintenance – free products. Normally these water softening machines can be fixed and controlled by you if you are even slight handy around the house.
Water softener companies also offer features such as no salt or salt less and salted water because health conscious persons would prefer to choose a no salt option over a salt water softener.
Like most products in the market, water softener companies also offer differential warranties since a water softener is a big investment, at least eight years is a must. These warranties may not include parts, so read the fine print and take a water softener where the company offers a warranty on parts especially the control valve. The control valve is the heart of a water softening machine, because it determines when the resin beds need regeneration by measuring the flow of water.
Replacement or repair of water softener parts is an expensive proposition, so even a good warranty on parts will not cover them for too much more than three years.
With the plethora of water softener companies and the intra company options available, it is a good idea to read as many reviews as you can find in reputable magazines.
