Our guide to buying a water softener
We have created this comprehensive water softener buying guide to provide you with more information about hard and softened water.
Whole house softening
Uninterrupted soft water
Quality assurance
Made In Britain
Get Started
Things to know before buying a water softener
At Harvey™ Water Softeners, we have over 40 years of experience in building the very best water softening technology. We have created this comprehensive water softener buying guide to provide you with more information about hard and softened water.
The following are some key things you should know before buying a water softener, and will be covered for you in this guide. If you do have any more questions, you can get in touch with our team or book a free, no obligation demo where a qualified technician will visit your home and talk you through how the softener will work for you.
What is a water softener?
A water softener is a device which connects to your plumbing system at an easy access point, like underneath a kitchen sink. It removes the calcium and magnesium minerals found in hard water to convert it into soft water. Using a water softener allows you to avoid many of the problems caused by using hard water.
Water softeners work using a process called ion exchange, in which calcium and magnesium ions from hard water are exchanged with sodium chloride (salt) via a special resin. The water goes into a pressure vessel where it moves through the resin beads, and the calcium and magnesium are replaced by sodium. These calcium and magnesium ions are then removed in regeneration cycles, leaving behind only soft water.
How do I find the perfect water softener?
The perfect water softener for your home will depend on many different factors. Here are some of the things you’ll want to take into account:
How often does my water usage change?
For example, do you have family that come to stay, or do you often go away at weekends?
How much water do I use?
Do you have a large family, or do you often find that everyone in the household needs to use water at the same time of day?
What sort of plumbing do I have?
A system with large pipes will need a water softener that can process water more quickly. A system with tanks in the loft will have a more constant pressure, whereas a system with a mains water supply that enters through the garage will need a different installation plan.
Request your free personalised quote today!
What is hard water?
Hard water is water which contains a high volume of mineral ions due to how the water has travelled through the Earth. Hard water contains magnesium and calcium minerals, which makes it hard to form a soap lather. This can often make water seem cloudy and is responsible for causing limescale to form. Soft water, on the other hand, contains little or no dissolved calcium or magnesium and forms a soap lather much more easily. As no salts are present, soft water does not contribute to the formation of limescale. This is the main difference between hard water and soft water.
Is hard water making
your life hard?
your life hard?
Test the mineral content in your home’s water.
If it’s 100ppm or above, a water softener can help you avoid limescale buildup and improve skin and hair health.
* PPM stands for parts per million and indicates the concentration of dissolved limescale minerals like calcium and magnesium in water.
How does a water softener work?
Water softeners work using a process called ion exchange, in which calcium and magnesium ions from hard water are exchanged with sodium chloride (salt) via a special resin. The water goes into a pressure vessel where it moves through the resin beads, and the calcium and magnesium are replaced by sodium. These calcium and magnesium ions are then removed in regeneration cycles, leaving behind only soft water.
Types of water softener
Single cylinder or Twin cylinder?
Water softeners typically come in either single cylinder or twin cylinder varieties. When you require a large amount of soft water, perhaps for a big wash after a family meal, you will find the single cylinder system struggles to keep up with demand. Water softeners rely on a two-stage process involving the separation of the calcium and magnesium ions followed by their removal through the regeneration process. When single cylinder systems are forced to treat large amounts of water, the regeneration cycle has trouble keeping up.
Usually, the regeneration cycle is triggered by an electrical timer, which regenerates the system when it is not typically in use (during the night or the working day for example). The result is that hard water will flow from your taps and the regeneration cycle may take 4-5 days to complete and it will waste water and salt in the process. Twin cylinder water softeners work off pressure and can regenerate continuously.
Electric or Non-Electric?
Electric water softeners (or electronic water softeners) use an electric timer. At a set time, usually once a day, the timer tells the water softener to flush the resin bed with water and salt, so it can continue softening water. This means that at times the resin bed is cleansed before it’s necessary, therefore wasting both salt and water.
Some makes of electric water softener come with just a single tank, this works fine until the time comes for it to regenerate. It can take some time to complete the process – during that period there’s no output of softened water, so you will have a proportion of hard water running through your system. The Harvey dual cylinder system maintains the softened water supply 24/7 because when one cylinder is regenerating, the other continues softening.
Non-electric water softener systems, like Harvey models, work on a geared, throughflow model rather than an electric timer. The water displacement meter in a Harvey water softener has been developed so that it only triggers the cleansing process when enough water has passed through it to make cleaning necessary. This means that the water softener only regenerates when it needs to – avoiding salt and water wastage and thus saving money.
How much does a water softener cost?
The cost of your Harvey™ Water Softener will vary according to the type and size you choose. However, the savings provided by a water softener can produce a payback within at little as 2 – 4 years. We also regularly receive feedback from our customers that the benefits they experience from using soft water more than justified their decision to invest in a water softener.
We can provide you with a free quote for a water softener, and we also offer a lot of flexibility in regards to payment options available or if you’d simply like to have a no-obligation demonstration.
Request a Quote
- Learn more about it’s features and our current offers
- Discover how a Harvey water softener works
- Book your free, no-obligation in-home or virtual demo
90-Day Money Back Guarantee
Fill out this form and one of the team will be in touch or call our team to speak to one of our experts 01483 753404.
Frequently Asked Questions
Drinking Softened Water
Is softened water safe to drink?
Softened water is considered safe to drink in the majority of cases. Over the past 40 years, various concerns about the ...
About Water Softeners
How much does a Harvey Water Softener™ cost?
The cost of installing and running a water softener can vary depending on a number of factors, including the plumbing sy...
About Water Softeners
Why is a Harvey Water Softener™ better than an alternative product?
What makes a Harvey Water Softener so special? As the leading UK brand of domestic water softeners, we’re incredib...
Home Care
What boiler and system do I need to use a water softener?
Our water softeners are designed and manufactured in England to suit UK homes and plumbing systems. Most boilers, cent...
Home Care
Can I use softened water in my garden?
You can use softened water for gardens, but it might be advisable to limit the amount. In the UK, an increase in sod...
Water Softener Installation
What if I move home?
A Harvey water softener can be easily removed and refitted in any home, whether it’s a house, bungalow, flat or...