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Water Softeners

14 replies

herewegoagainst · 12/08/2021 10:37

I've got my heart set on getting a water softener for the house before we replace 2 of the bathrooms, plus DH has eczema which is should be good for as well.

None of the website's I've seen (local and national) have anything about initial costs and installation only about the refill cartridges which aren't really the problem.

Can anyone tell me what they paid for theirs?
I've seen that renting is an option with some companies which we wouldn't be against if it was a good deal!

We're in Essex, so hardest water in the country!

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Ariela · 12/08/2021 11:17

I would recommend a mechanical softener eg Kinetico or Harveys, as no electronic parts to go wrong - ours is at least 25 years old as we inherited it with the house. I'd think about £1.5K incl installation if you need a plumber to install the connections (you can then take the softener with you if you move) . Salt blocks are about £5 a pack of 2 round here.

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herewegoagainst · 12/08/2021 11:27

£1.5k is what I was expecting but definitely worth it, although the reviews that say we'll save it on soap costs always make me laugh.
We've got Harveys coming to look next week so that's reassuring, definitely leaning towards mechanical softer as well.
Do you find it effects your water pressure? Ours is pretty average at the best of times and with a combi boiler our options for improving shower pressure are limited.

I'm hoping the install won't be too complicated as we have a double wide cabinet under the sink where the mains water comes in so minimal shuffling about, I'll just need to move the tea towels!

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Popetthetreehugger · 12/08/2021 11:34

We’re essex too , had one put in when we had cottage renovated . You won’t regret it ! 2 1/2 years on , everything is like new . We get sacks of salt delivered ( big cubes , that you put in like filling an ice bucket ) from a company in Braintree, nowhere near us so they must go all over !

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Elmrosie · 12/08/2021 12:26

We're in Essex and have just moved from a house with a water softener to one without. I can easily believe you'll make back the amount you spend on it through savings on soap, shampoo, conditioner etc. I can't believe how much we're getting through now!

Screwfix do a bulk discount when you buy multiple bags of salt tablets.

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TobyHouseMan · 12/08/2021 16:16

A water softener is a very simple device, with no complicated technology in there. Any which doesn't take salt is likely not to work.

Harveys are expensive but popular. There are cheaper options.

For instance here is a water softener available on Amazon for £399:-
www.amazon.co.uk/Water2Buy-W2B200-Softener-efficient-people/dp/B009SOYMTE?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

I have one of these. A decent plumber will install this in a day - Say another £250 + £50 parts. I fitted my own so saved the plumber cost.

So you have a base price of £700 - remember this when you get your quote from Harveys.

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MrsIronfoundersson · 12/08/2021 16:58

We're in Thames Valley so very hard water - I can feel the difference in the shower when I've forgotten to top up the salt, shampoo and soap don't work so well! We have a Kinetico that we fitted in our last house in about 1995 and brought with us - I think it was about £1k then? Worth every single penny. Salt is 4.50 for two blocks delivered and lasts a month. It cleans out your old limescale in pipes over time if it's an older house too.

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herewegoagainst · 12/08/2021 17:36

This is all great information, thanks everyone.

I genuinely hadn't considered buying from Screwfix/Amazon and fitting it ourselves, we're quite good at DIY and plumbing so it could be an option even getting a plumber in for the day wouldn't hurt.

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Yellownotblue · 12/08/2021 22:53

This is a very interesting thread - thank you OP for starting it. We have hard water (SW London) and we want to install a permanent solution. We’ve been looking at the various options on the market. For all you lucky gals with water softeners, is that one central system that softens the water in all your taps/washing machine/showers? And does that mean you can’t drink the water? I’m trying to find a solution that will both filter and descale. Thank you!

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EveryBreath · 12/08/2021 23:42

Yes one system softens all of the water in my house. Then I have a drinking water tap that goes through an additional RO filter.
The one mistake I made was not getting a bypass for the softened water for the dishwasher. Apparently softened water is very hard on dishes. I had to replace all my glasses and now hand-wash those.

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TobyHouseMan · 13/08/2021 00:35

@EveryBreath

That is strange! Dishwashers use salt as a consumable in order to soften the water! I'd it damaged glasses then why do they make them so they soften water - doesn't make sense.

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CoolKitkat · 13/08/2021 10:32

Can anyone share what the major advantages are? What are the tangible differences you notice on a day to day basis (other than needing less soap/shampoo etc)?

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EveryBreath · 13/08/2021 17:59

@CoolKitkat

Can anyone share what the major advantages are? What are the tangible differences you notice on a day to day basis (other than needing less soap/shampoo etc)?

The water feels nicer on your skin. And no limescale build up on sinks, taps, toilet, inside water cylinder etc. I use it in my iron and humidifier too.

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EveryBreath · 13/08/2021 18:07

That is strange! Dishwashers use salt as a consumable in order to soften the water! I'd it damaged glasses then why do they make them so they soften water - doesn't make sense.

Good question! The only explanation I can find is that the system- softened water is more damaging to glass than adding salt to the dishwasher. However, I am using the same (soft) water to hand-wash the glasses with no ill-effect (touch wood), so you are right, it is very strange.
Perhaps it is the dishwasher itself that damaged my glasses.