Whether to get a water softener is often a matter of preference for the individual customer. A water softener should be seen as a worthwhile solution if your water hardness exceeds 8-10 °dH. Filter-Online’s recommendation is to reduce the hardness to 4-6 °dH.

Water is considered to be medium hard at 8-12 dH°, fairly hard at 12-18 °dH, hard at 18-24 °dH, and very hard at 24-30 °dH.  The exact hardness values for your drinking water may vary from those on the map. For this reason, you also have the option of testing your drinking water using a Brita total hardness test, which you can find here. (Brita Water Test) Using such testing equipment will ensure you get an accurate measurement of your drinking water, which can help you to assess whether a Smartflow water softener could be a worthwhile solution.

A common worry among customers is that drinking water will taste bad or different after the calcium content has been reduced. It is correct that the taste may change – but it will both taste better than before and be healthier to drink. Most customers who have installed a Smartflow water softener have been positively surprised when tasting softened water for the first time. When the water is set to 4-6 °dH, it will have the same hardness as the majority of bottled water you can buy in the supermarket

Some water treatment plants have begun softening the water before it reaches your home. Despite this, as a consumer you should not expect the water hardness to be at the ideal value of 4-6 °dH. Usually, water pre-softened by the treatment plant will have been reduced to 12-14 °dH, which still gives it a classification as fairly hard water.

The fact that some water treatment plants soften the water down to this level is beneficial if you are considering investing in a water softener. Instead of e.g., having to soften your water from 24 to 6 °dH, you only have to reduce the hardness from 12-14 °dH to 6 °dH. As a result, you can reduce your need for salt crystals, and your system will last longer as it has to work less.

If you have calcium-rich water, then there will be several signs of this in e.g., your kitchen. You may have noticed limescale deposits in your coffee machine, or your kettle, or your dishwasher. Depending upon the amount of calcium in the water, it will settle quickly on the heating elements in your appliances.

Not only does limescale reduce the performance of your appliances, but it will also increase your electricity costs, as the appliances have to work harder to reach the desired temperature. If your taps are supplied by ultra-soft water, then you will no longer have to deal with the challenges of limescale deposits – even your taps will remain free of it, despite being one of the most exposed appliances.

Calcium-rich water can also find its way to the bathroom. This is particularly the case in the shower cubicle, where limescale deposits tend to accumulate on the tiles and shower head, as well as the glass walls, if you have such a shower cabin. If you have a shower cubicle with one or more glass walls, and have a hard water supply, then you have no doubt seen how quickly limescale deposits build up.

Removing them requires both a number of cleaning products e.g., limescale remover, and elbow grease. Both the time you spend cleaning, and the cost of cleaning products, can be significantly reduced by installing a Smartflow water softener.

A Smartflow softener is also greatly beneficial for when doing laundry. Why ss this?

With ultra-soft water of around 4-6 °dH, you will be able to minimise, or perhaps even completely get rid of, the need to use fabric softener when washing clothes, towels, and bed linen. Very soft water eliminates the need for additional softening agents, which we otherwise enjoy using when washing bed linen. If you still want to enjoy the pleasant scent from the fabric softener, then a small amount can be added. This will merely be for the sake of the linen smelling pleasant; otherwise, this is not necessary.  

Water containing a high level of calcium requires a larger amount of soap, if you really want to achieve the very best result in terms of clean soft laundry. If you have reduced the amount of calcium using a softener, you can also reduce your use of washing detergent by up to half, without negatively affecting the results.

When washing using ultra-soft water, your clothes will be exposed to much less wear. Among other things, this means that they will more effectively retain their colours, as well as retain their colours for a longer period of time when compared with washing in calcium-rich water.

Not only your kitchen appliances, shower cubicle, and clothes thank you for using soft water. So too will your body.

Many people assume that water softeners remove all traces of calcium and are thus worried that they may not get enough calcium for their body and bones. Although water softeners are able to remove virtually all calcium from the water, we recommend, as previously mentioned, that your water has a hardness of °dH. This will ensure that your body gets sufficient calcium to maintain healthy bones etc.

The food you consume on a daily basis also provides your body with calcium. No doubt you are aware that milk contains calcium - but did you know that calcium is also found in products such as prawns, eggs, salmon, almonds, spinach, oatmeal, and broccoli? This is just a short list of a few food products that are rich in calcium.

If you have read this far, you will have learned how a water softener can give your household a number of cost savings on products you use daily.

Below is a complete overview of where there is money to be saved, if your home is supplied by ultra-soft water.

Smartflow 125 & 250

Softeners in this series are powerful and contain a high amount of resin, meaning the system does not have to regenerate as often, unlike many other softeners on the market. The system is easily loaded up with salt, since the lid is placed at the top at an approximately 45° angle. This is a particularly smart design detail if the softener is to be installed in a tight space.

Here you can read more about the two softeners:

Smartflow 125 water softener

Smartflow 250 water softener

Filter-Online offers alternative solutions to achieving softer water. One of the most commonly used methods of filtration is Crystal ECO PRO, which is a series of filters with different strengths; one of which boasts softening qualities, thus helping to reduce the calcium content in your water. The filters are fitted together, and in addition to the softening quality, the other filters work to remove suspended matter, such as dirt and sediment, as well as ochre and heavy metals.

The Crystal filter solution is mounted on the individual appliance. So, if you want soft water from your kitchen tap, then the filter must be installed there. If you also want soft water in your shower cubicle, then a separate filter must also be installed there. For this reason, this solution is unable to ensure soft water for your entire home by installing a single filter. Despite this, it is a superb solution if you want soft water from individual appliances.

Another alternative is water filter jugs, of which we offer several different variants – Amethyst and Prestige by Aquaphor, and Marella Cool and Marella XL by Brita. Not only are they effective at reducing the level of calcium in the water, but they also reduce the amount of heavy metals, pesticides, ochre, rust, and colour contaminants. Water filter jugs provide you with an easy and transportable solution for achieving softened water.

Water filter jugs serve many purposes. Most commonly they are used at home to filter water before using the softened water in the kettle or coffee machine. By doing so, you are doing your home appliances a big favour, since they will last longer with softened water.

As the water filter jugs are easy to take with you on the run, many people take them on holiday – particularly campers. This includes campers in Scandinavia, but especially campers who travel south, where the water quality at their destination is unknown. A water filter jug can easily and efficiently filter your water, where it can be stored chilled, fresh, and soft – the perfect refreshment when out and about in the sun.