Especially if you are regenerating the system often.
Can a water softener damage a water heater.
Potentially harmful to the environment.
A water softener will not damage a hot water heater.
There are a lot of anecdotal accounts of softeners prolonging a water heater s life span as well as some anecdotal accounts of water softeners causing water heaters to fail sooner so this really needs to be clarified qualified.
Hard water is worse on a hot water heater as the water is heated the hardness particles calcium manginess expand and drop out of suspension and build up in the bottom of the heater tank.
Keep outside faucets on hard water to save soft water and salt.
Water softeners use salts to remove the minerals from the water but they do not salinate the water.
It speeds up the decay of the steel tank by about 5 times.
However what many people don t know is that a water softener can have damaging effects on their water heater which can cause them to have to replace their water heater sooner than expected.
To reduce the risk of hot water backup piping between the softener and water backup piping between the softener and water heater should be as long of a run as possible.
Cons of a water softener.
Soft water will extend the life of a hot water heater.
Improves efficiency of hot water heaters by 22 to 29 percent.
No longer does soap coagulate and leave film however water softeners can shorten the lifespan of your water heater.
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Soft water can help reduce this mineral buildup in a water.
The ion exchange that happens inside the softener swaps calcium and magnesium for sodium.
Lets dig a little deeper into it.
Water softeners periodically go through a regeneration cycle to keep them functioning.
Adds a small amount of sodium into the water still falls well into the safe drinking zone yet may be an issue for some folks.
It destroys tank water heaters.
This fixes all the problems we mentioned above and it may save your water heater from an early replacement.
The main reason that water softeners can shorten the life of your water heater has to do with the anode rod.
Why hard water water is dismal for a water heater.
The popping sound a water heater can make while heating is sometimes caused by the interior mineral buildup expanding and contracting.
A plumber can install the best solution a whole house water softener.
They normally last about 8 12 years.
Some of the minerals especially iron leave deposits that are prone to oxidation.
The less sodium you add to the water the better.
Made of metal and constantly heating water this appliance will eventually corrode.
These minerals aren t harmful to consume.
Hard water is water that contains a high mineral count of magnesium gypsum and or calcium.
Water heaters are appliances that heat the water you use in your home.