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If you have hard water in your home, you know the struggles! Constant limescale buildup, dry hair and skin, and inefficient appliances are just some of the casualties of hard water. Luckily, there are some inexpensive fixes for the issue. While salt-based softeners are most popular, salt-free water conditioners are also very useful in some situations. This guide will help you find the best salt free water softener for your needs, and explain why you may wish to use one over a traditional salt-based softener.
Quick Picks for the Best Salt Free Water Softener 2020
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- Top Quality Pick — SpringWell
- Second Pick — Eddy Water Descaler
- Budget Pick — iSpring ED2000
- Luxury Pick — Aquasana EQ-1000-AST
Our Research
Review of Our Top Picks for the Best No Salt Water Softeners
What is the best no-salt water softener? The guide below lists the top 3 products on the market, in our expert opinion. Let us know if you have questions!
The SpringWell FutureSoft Salt Free Softener system is a fully salt free appliance that requires no electricity unlike other systems. It uses ion exchange to mitigate the issues found with hard water minerals that allows scale build up and is harmful to skin and hair.
The system has a pre filter that will need to be changed once per year as it is hard at work removing contaminants such as copper, silica and oil to keep them out of the main FutureSoft system so it can do its work fully optimized. This keeps the main system clean and operating at fully capacity meaning less maintenance and it never having to be changed.
Water contains healthy minerals that your body needs so you would like to keep them when filtering the water, the SpringWell system does this so it’s a good choice for healthy skin, hair, food and clothes.
With less limescale build up and other contaminants your household appliances will need fewer repairs and also stains will be removed with this system in play.
The Eddy Water Descaler is a good salt-free water softener from a trusted brand. In our tests and research, we determined it to be the second best salt free water softener overall. It prevents limescale buildup and protects appliances, without removing healthy minerals from your drinking water. It’s simple to install and use, and requires virtually no maintenance. It’s a compact design, but still has the capacity to descale your entire water system.
The Eddy is backed by a 12-month satisfaction guarantee. After that, it’s protected with a lifetime repair or replace warranty! So, despite the low cost, this is a product that the manufacturer truly stands behind. And if you read customer salt free water softener reviews, you’ll see that most people rate this unit quite highly.
Timilge Electronic Water Descaler
Using complex frequency-modulated electromagnetic signals, the Timilge Water Descaler helps to break down water molecules and prevent them from attaching to surfaces like pipes and fixtures.
This means that you can keep the water’s natural minerals without worrying about damaging your pipelines or causing any alterations to the PH level of your water. Plus, the Timilge Water Descaler is easy to install – simply wind the coil around your main water supply line and enjoy scale-free water throughout your entire home.
Hansing Water Softener
This innovative device uses 3/4″ FNPT stainless steel threaded, treated water with no added sodium or phosphorus. It is effective at preventing scale buildup, and it does not require any routine maintenance such as programming, salting, or fouling, which will save you money in the long term.
In addition, the water descaler element is formed of polysaccharides from fruits and coconut-activated carbon, making it a healthier option. The device is also designed with a 0.2-micron pleated filter, which increases the filtering area to 970 square inches. Test results show that the anti-clogging effectiveness has been improved sevenfold.
Budget-Friendly: iSpring ED2000
Key Features: Affordable & compact; prevents limescale buildup; designed for very hard water
Price Range: $
The iSpring ED2000 is the best salt-less water softener of 2020, for those on a budget. It costs less than $200, yet it’s a well-built, durable and effective water conditioner. It’s designed to handle very hard water of up to 10-19 grains, and has the capacity to soften water for your entire system.
The unit is also very easy to install and use. Once setup, it requires no maintenance, and it works with just about any type of piping. It is very energy efficient, and in fact it can help reduce your total energy consumption by improving the efficiency of appliances! The device is protected with lifetime support, and a money-back guarantee for the first 12 months.
The Aquasana EQ is a whole-house salt-free water softener. It’s also an advanced water filter, with multiple stages of filtration including a UV light filter to kill viruses. Aquasana reviews from customers are almost always positive as the brand is known for great quality, performance, and value. As you can tell from the picture, this is a LARGE unit that’s designed to install under your sink or in a utility room, and supply water to the entire house.
The Aquasana helps to soften water without the use of salt, and also removes chemicals like chlorine, heavy metals and other contaminants. The salt-free softener helps protect your appliances and reduce limescale, while the filtration tech helps improve the quality of your drinking water. If you have the budget for it, this is the best salt free water softener on the market.
We recommend buying direct from Aquasana through this link – and you can use our discount code AQWFD50 to save 50% on your purchase!
If you prefer, this unit is also available on Amazon.
Salt-Based vs Salt-Free: Which is Better?
There are two types of water softeners: salt-based, which are more common, and salt-free.
Salt-based water softeners actually remove hard minerals such as calcium and magnesium. This results in softer water with reduced mineral content. In many cases, it will increase the sodium content of the water, however.
Salt-free water softeners really aren’t water softeners at all. They’re best referred to as water conditioners. They do not remove hard minerals. Instead, they stop the minerals from sticking to your pipes and appliances, by crystallizing the hard minerals and altering their structure.
Which is better? It depends on what your goals are. If you intend to simply protect your pipes and appliances from mineral buildup, a salt-free water conditioner will be your best bet. If you want to actually remove hard minerals (to soften your shower water, for instance), then a traditional salt-based unit will be more effective.
There are also some considerations for those on low-salt diets. Traditional salt-based water softeners actually add sodium into your drinking water, which may be harmful to folks on strict salt-reduced diets. On the other hand, the best saltless water softeners will not increase the level of sodium in your drinking water.
Benefits of Saltless Water Conditioners
Salt-free water conditioners are primarily used to protect appliances and reduce the buildup of limescale. Some benefits include:
Environmental Friendliness – Saltless water conditioners are much better for the environment. They don’t release hazardous chemicals into the water supply, and they use less energy than traditional water softeners.
Easy to Maintain – Saltless water conditioners don’t require nearly as much maintenance as traditional systems. You won’t have to add salt to the system on a regular basis, and you won’t have to worry about the system corroding over time.
Protects Appliances – the hard minerals found in hard water can build up inside appliances that use water (such as washing machines, dishwashers, and water heaters). Over time, this can cause the appliance to function less efficiently, and can even cause damage. Given the high expense of replacing appliances, and the high cost of electricity needed to run an inefficient appliance, it’s highly beneficial to use a water conditioner if you have hard water.
Cleans More Effectively – hard water can leave spots on dishes fresh out of the dishwasher. It can also reduce the effectiveness of washing machines, and even results in more detergent being necessary for the same load of clothes.
Reduces Limescale Buildup – limescale and mineral deposits can cause unsightly stains on faucets, sinks, showers, and more. While typically not harmful in any way, they can make an otherwise sparkling kitchen look a bit lackluster – and they can be hard to remove. The best salt-free water softener will help by neutralizing the hard minerals, preventing them from sticking to surfaces.
Less Sodium – salt-based units can actually increase the amount of sodium in your drinking water. For those with cardiovascular health concerns, this can be a problem. Salt-free units do not alter salt levels, so they may be a better choice for those watching their salt intake.
What to Consider When Choosing a Salt-Free Water Softeners
When you’re choosing a salt-free water softener, consider the following:
- The size of your home and the amount of water you use on a daily basis – a larger home or one that uses a lot of water will require a more powerful water softener.
- The hardness of your water – the harder your water is, the more likely it is that you’ll need a higher-capacity water softener.
- The warranty and service agreement that came with the unit – a good warranty will give you peace of mind in case something goes wrong, and a good service agreement will ensure that you always have access to expert help when you need it.
How We Chose
Flow Rate: The flow rate is the measure of how much water can be treated in a given period of time. A high flow rate means that more water can be treated, which is important if you have a large household or if you use a lot of water.
Filter Capacity: We picked units that had a high filter capacity, so they would last a long time.
Reviews: We chose units that had earned good ratings in salt-free water softener reviews – both from customers and from industry experts. A high filter capacity means that the softener will be able to remove more impurities from your water, resulting in softer, better-tasting water.
Durability & Value: We looked at the long-term outlook for each unit to determine how long it would likely last, and how much value it offers over the course of its lifetime.
Conclusion
A salt-free water softener is a great way to improve the quality of your water without adding salt or chemicals to your home. These devices use a variety of methods to remove minerals from your water, leaving it softer and cleaner.
When shopping for a salt-free water softener, keep in mind the size of your home, you may not need as large of a unit as someone with a bigger home. You’ll also want to consider how much water you use. The more water you use, the more often you’ll need to regenerate the unit.
Once you’ve considered these factors, take a look at our reviews of the best salt-free to have any questions about salt-free water softeners, please leave them in the comments below and we’ll be happy to answer them.
Thank you for reading! We hope this guide was helpful in finding the best salt-free water softener for your needs.
Austin is the lead water consultant and blogger for Water Filter Data. With 10 years of experience in the water quality industry, Austin can instantly pinpoint the cure and the cause for the water pollutant.
