5 Key Health Benefits of Having a Water Softener
There seems to be a much greater focus on health these days. People are focusing on ways to improve their health through diet, exercise, and environmental changes. Many health conscience people are not aware that there are actual health benefits that owning a water softener can bring to a household. In this post, we will explore five key health benefits you will enjoy with a water softener system.
1. Improved Energy Efficiency is Healthier for the Environment
Conserving energy is not only important for keeping household costs down, it is healthier for the environment. A water softener can lower your gas or electric bill by helping appliances run more efficiently. Inside your pipes, hard water build up decreases the space available for water to pass through, which means higher water pressure is needed for water flow. It also means inefficient heat transfer, forcing your water heater to run higher to compensate, using more energy.
Installing a water softener has proven to reduce monthly bills, and it can also significantly reduce your environmental footprint.
2. Cleaner, Healthier Skin and Hair
Soft water helps promote healthier hair and skin by improving the effectiveness of bathing and showering. The mineral ions in hard water prevent it from dissolving soaps properly. Homes with a water softener enjoy a better lather and a better bathing experience. Softened water also eliminates the harmful effects hard water has on your body due to destruction of natural oils in your skin and hair. Removal of natural oils can dry out your skin and scalp causing itchiness and irritation. Soft water can help balance your hair’s pH level, meaning hair that is healthier and more manageable.
3. Reduced Expenses Lower Financial Stress
Having hard water in your home can not only cause you a lot of headaches, it can also mean added expense to your household budget. Since the current economy is challenging for most homes, it is easy to see how lowering expenses could improve health by reducing stress.
How Does Softened Water Save You Money?
Hard water mineral buildup is rough on appliances and pipes, often leading to costly repair bills and shortened product service life. Appliances that are particularly vulnerable include water heaters, dishwashers, washing machines, coffee makers, and ice makers. Severe hard water levels and mineral deposits can also cause serious damage to plumbing, meaning expensive replacement or time-consuming repairs.
Even day to day expenses are reduced when you have softened water. An unlimited supply of clean, pure softened water right from your tap means you will be free of the expense and inconvenience of buying bottled water. Better tasting water may even inspire you to prepare home-cooked meals more often, which is additional savings!
Water softener owners also find that they use less soap and detergents. Soft water allows cleaners and soaps to dissolve better, meaning more suds and lather, so less product is needed for cleaning, bathing, and washing. Hard water actually requires twice the amount of cleaning product to achieve the same amount of suds as softened water. You can even save on hot water expenses by using cold water for laundry. Doing laundry with cold water will also save your clothing budget, since colder water keeps clothes from shrinking.
4. Cleaner, Healthier Home Environment
Whether it is brighter laundry, cleaner sinks, or clearer fixtures, cleaning with soften water brings benefits you will see and feel. Smoother surfaces also mean that they are less likely to trap contaminants and bacteria.
Anyone who has been responsible for cleaning a home with hard water knows that hard water mineral deposits make it impossible to thoroughly clean tubs, sinks, and toilets. Even if you invest the time and elbow grease in removing the build up, it just returns, again and again. Softened water allows you to get rid of mineral deposits for good. And, as mentioned before, your cleaning products will work more effectively and last longer.
5. Soft Water Is Healthy, Tastes Good, and Encourages Hydration
The recommended amount of daily water consumption for good health ranges from 72-104 ounces per day. People that have hard water usually find the taste and smell of their water very unappealing and avoid drinking it. Unless they spend a lot of money on bottled water, they are probably not getting a healthy amount of daily hydration. A water softener provides a convenient supply of clean, pure, great-tasting water right from your tap.
But What About the Sodium?
Some people have concerns about the amount of sodium a water softener will add to the water you drink every day. The average amount of sodium in a quart of water (the amount the average adult drinks per day) from a properly functioning water softener is 75 to 100 mg. To put this amount in perspective, consider the sodium levels in other common dietary items:
- 1 cup of 2% Milk -116 mg
- 1 slice of Whole Wheat Bread -112 mg
- 1 ounce Slice of Cheddar Cheese -174 mg
- 1 Pack of Goldfish Snack Crackers -120 mg
- 2 Oreo Cookies – 132 mg
The actual amounts of sodium in softened water are very minimal and most people don’t even notice it.
WaterBoss Has Water Softeners to Meet Every Need
Different homes have unique water requirements. WaterBoss offers a variety of customizable water softeners to meet specific home water needs. Browse our selection of WaterBoss water softener models or contact us to learn more!
