Dealing with hard water requires an effective solution, and typically, homeowners choose between a salt-free water softener and a salt-based system. So, which one should you choose?
To make the right decision, you should consider both the benefits and drawbacks of each option.
In this guide, we give you a detailed comparison of the two, highlighting the key differences, their pros and cons, and much more.
What is a Salt-Free Water Softener?
A salt-free water softener, also known as a water conditioner, reduces the effects of hard water by changing the properties of calcium and magnesium.
Salt-free conditioners are designed to eliminate the sodium-related problems that arise in water softening, making them a more eco-friendly alternative to salt-based devices.
What is a Salt-Based Water Softener?
A standard salt-based water softener device operates on the basis of ion exchange. In this process, a negatively charged resin bed attracts and traps the positively charged mineral molecules in the water. Then, sodium molecules replace the minerals.
A salt solution prepared in a separate (brine) tank regenerates and cleans the resin bed before the trapped molecules reach saturation.
However, the sodium-rich water you get with this method comes with its share of problems. Too much sodium can be detrimental to the environment around your home, as it can cause soil degradation in the short term and soil erosion in the long term.
Most households across the US have hard water problems, which can lead to limescale formation on appliances, stains on clothes after laundry, and itchy skin after washing. By installing a salt-free conditioner instead of a salt-based water softener, you can solve these problems without putting your plants and garden at risk of salt contamination.
How Do Salt-Free Water Softeners Work?
Salt-free water softeners should more accurately be called water conditioners because they don’t remove the hard water minerals. Instead, they condition them to reduce their negative effects.
The two main minerals that constitute hard, scaly water are magnesium and calcium. Salt-free devices use potassium to neutralize their effects, as it chemically transforms the molecular structure of these minerals.
This process is scientifically referred to as Template Assisted Crystallization (TAC). Similar to salt-based systems, TAC also features a resin bed, but unlike salt-based devices, this resin bed doesn’t trap and replace mineral molecules.
Instead, the nucleation sites in these resin beads crystallize the mineral molecules. When minerals are crystallized, they can no longer cling to surfaces, such as appliances, clothes, skin, or hair.
Salt-free systems require minimal maintenance, as they don’t collect the same level of gunk as their salt-based alternatives. For this reason, they don’t need to be cleaned or replaced at the rate that salt-based systems do.
However, as they condition minerals rather than remove them, they’re slightly less efficient than salt-based devices. A 2014 study established that saltless systems can reduce scale by up to 90%.
Customer reports suggest that salt-free devices are quite effective at reducing limescale formation. Customers also report improved skin and hair appearance thanks to these units.
Salt-Free Vs Salt-Based: Side-by-Side
| Salt-Free Water Softener | Salt-Based Water Softener |
| Chemically alters hard water minerals | Completely removes hard water minerals |
| Doesn’t remove healthy minerals | Removes healthy minerals |
| Doesn’t release sodium into the environment | Releases sodium into the environment |
| Needs almost no maintenance | Requires fairly regular maintenance |
| Less expensive | Tends to be more expensive |
| Compact & space-saving | Takes up more space due to brine tanks |
Pros and Cons of Salt-Free Water Conditioners
PROS
- They’re low-maintenance since they don’t trap mineral molecules in their system
- Because these conditioners don’t use salt, they don’t suffer from salt-related problems like salt bridges
- Healthy minerals in the water are retained in a crystallized state
- They’re more affordable than salt-based units because they’re less complicated devices that don’t have regeneration cycles or brine tanks
- The lack of brine tanks also means they take up less space than salt-based units
- They’re easier to install compared to salt-based devices because, again, they’re less complicated, smaller, and have no brine tank
CONS
- Not all of them are as long-lasting as salt-based systems
- They don’t remove minerals, and not all salt-free systems are equipped to handle high mineral presence
- It’s difficult to prove that they work, so none of them have certifications from third-party organizations like the National Sanitation Foundation. However, user experience, as well as our own experience and research, suggest that they’re at least effective at reducing limescale and improving the quality of laundry and dishwashing
- Despite big strides in water technologies, there are still only a few reliable salt-free softener options on the market.
How Much Does a Salt-Free Water Softener Cost?
The best whole-house salt-free water softener systems can cost anywhere between $300 to $1,500. Should you opt for professional installation, you might have to pay an extra $200 on top of that.
Salt-free systems are generally cheaper than salt-based ones, which can sometimes cost as much as $6,000. Salt-based systems also require frequent maintenance and salt replacement, which adds to the costs in the long term.
Salt-free systems are low-maintenance and don’t require regular salt purchases, making them more affordable than salt-based systems in the long run.
Saltless Water Softener Maintenance Requirements and Lifespan
Saltless water softeners require little to no maintenance. They don’t need to be replaced or maintained on a specific schedule because they don’t allow limescale buildup.
While they can certainly benefit from an annual cleaning, it’s not a requirement. Theoretically, they could be left alone for long stretches of time, years even, without any maintenance. Generally, the only maintenance required is replacing the filters every 1 to 2 years.
However, it’s always best to consult the manual to see if your system has any specific maintenance requirements.
On the other hand, salt-based softeners require new salt to be added about every 8 weeks. Additionally, their tanks need to be sanitized regularly to prevent mineral buildup and regularly inspected to ensure they’re working properly.
The lifespan of salt-free softeners varies between brands and models. On average, most salt-free systems can last for around 10 to 15 years before they need to be replaced.
Of course, the quality of the materials used in the system affects its longevity. You also need to replace the filters when necessary to ensure it works efficiently.
Should I Choose a Salt-Free or Salt-Based System?
It depends on what you want your system to accomplish.
If you want to avoid scaly buildup on your dishes, clothes, and appliances, you can choose either one. Salt-free systems accomplish this goal just as well as salt-based ones.
However, if you want to truly soften your water by removing hard water minerals, you’ll have to go with a salt-based system because, as we’ve discussed, salt-free systems condition water rather than soften it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. They are completely safe for your home, and although they don’t remove the minerals from the water, they effectively prevent buildup.
If hard water is making your hair dry and brittle, a salt-free softener might not be the best solution. These issues are caused by hard water minerals, which salt-free systems don’t remove.
Even when chemically altered, the calcium and magnesium present in your water can lead to dry, irritated skin and dull hair. This is more likely for people with eczema or irritated and itchy skin. To address these specific issues, it’s best to use a salt-based system.
A salt-free softener may help reduce issues with dry skin to a small extent. However, to fully address this issue, you need a salt-based softener that removes hard water minerals, as these are the main causes of dry skin.
Dear Mr. Scott Winfield
Your article was very easy to understand. By the way, how popular is the salt-free water system in the United States?
Please let me know your opinion. Thank you in advance.
Thank you, Kumada. Salt-free systems are fairly popular in the US. More people are switching to potassium-based systems, if they feel the additional investment in the material is worthwhile for their needs.
“Through TAC, the salt-free system conditions the water and stops the minerals’ abilities to cling and adhere to surfaces. The minerals remain present in the water, only altered from their original state.”
Q:
Does this ‘altered state’ prevent their uptake in the body? i.e. is drinking this water safe and beneficial ?
Do these minerals get trapped in a carbon type drinking water system?
I have hard municipal water, and get scale on dishes, cars, shower glass, etc. when rinsed and left to dry. I want to eliminate this with a whole house system, but then have really pure, tasty, healthy drinking and cooking water at the kitchen tap. What combination of coditioners/filters can solve this?
Hi Grover, one of the key advantages of salt-free systems (versus RO systems, for example) is the fact that the minerals are still available for our consumption, which is healthful. No, carbon blocks also aid in overall water filtering for quality and do not block beneficial minerals. Yes, a salt-based system, such as those from SpringWell are one of our readers’ favorites and come highly recommended by us. Thank you for reading.
Does the salt free system need a drain?
Hi Laura, generally speaking, the salt free systems function exactly the same as their salt-based peers. The only difference is the medium that is used (potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride). Ultimately, you’ll have to decide on which brand and model you’d like to get and then the details will come forward in terms of exactly how the system works and requirements it has for your home and installation.
Hello:
I hope this isn’t an overly anxious questions, but do salt-free systems–the processes by which they work–pose any health concerns? Have they been used long enough for this to be known? I ask because one thing I read mentioned “chelation” as part of the process (specifically, the Nuvo system: https://nuvoh2o.com/faqs/), and I know there has been some concern about that process as a medical therapy (https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/what-is-chelation-therapy). I recognize that I’m comparing dissimilar things with a likely superficial, perhaps only nominal, link. But I like to understand everything before I do anything, and I’ll appreciate any perspective you can offer.
Thank you.
Jeff
Hi Jeff, thanks for your question. First, please note that chelation isn’t something exotic and it simply refers to a process of bonding. So Nuvo will use the word to describe how bonding happens in their water process to give you a desired outcome with their system. As well, in medicine, you take something that will bond to something inside your body and then more easily get removed through normal body processes like urinating.
Salt-free systems have been used for decades and there’s nothing really strange about how they work that should produce any health concerns. The industry is well governed through both governmental oversight as well as industry groups like the Water Quality Association (WQA, of which we are a member), and there are no issues that are identified with quality manufacturers’ systems available to the public. You’ll note that from a health perspective, it’s actually salt-based systems that produce some concern for those that are strictly controller sodium in their diets because of their introduction of additional sodium into the drinking water.
I understand that hot water will case scale using a salt free system. I have one and am seeing a buildup in my tankless unit as well as my shower heads. Is this because of the heating issue or just the age of my unit?
Hi Ronald, that is generally not true in our experience. Salt-free system does not cause scale build up. That said, there are some system brands that use disposable salt-free media in which case that could happen. Systems such as the SpringWell salt-free system would not have scale build up take place.
I am looking into whole house water conditioners and have two questions. Is there an advantage to adding a point of use water filter for the kitchen faucet for drinking and cooking? Which are the better water conditioners or where can I find information about recommendations as to which are the better water conditioners (i. e. saltless).
Hi Keith, thanks for your questions. The advantage of adding a point-of-use filter for the kitchen faucet for drinking and cooking is that you could have a whole-house system for conditioning the water to reduce hardness and than a countertop RO system to deliver the purest water for your consumption. That’s a sound way to address both hardness and water quality for your different needs in the household.
As far as recommendations, all of our research and work has gone into producing our product reviews and buying guides to help you decide what is best for you. If you want to investigate the approach I mentioned above, you should look at our BEST WHOLE HOUSE WATER FILTER SYSTEMS and 6 BEST COUNTERTOP REVERSE OSMOSIS SYSTEMS articles.
What do you know about the Sideon Integro water conditioner? I’ve tried to find objective reviews but all I get are reviews and pages that point back to the manufacturer. They claim to be using their system in industrial settings and around the world. The lack of other data out on the web concerns me. Do you know anything about it?
Hi there. In short, not a lot. They seem to be mainly a foreign (outside the US) brand that has established a US presence. I’ve asked around my peers in the industry and not much is known about them. Is there a reason why you are considering them versus so many other high quality choices of very well known companies?