Have you ever wondered why after taking a bath in a hotel, your hair feels so soft and silky, but when you wash your hair at home, they get all frizzy and rough? What if we tell you this is not because of the shampoo you get in the hotel but the water you use at your home?
That’s right – you are probably getting hard water. We have curated a list of the best water softeners in India for your home. But before we go deeper into the details, let us first understand why we need a softener at all.
What Causes Hardness of Water
The water we receive in our homes is either from the municipal supply or through underground boring. Over the past few years, with industrialization, modernization, climate change, global warming, use of chemical processes and a myriad other reasons, dangerous chemicals have leached into our natural water sources.
Among these chemicals are two such elements – Calcium and Magnesium.
We know Calcium and Magnesium are essential elements for our body, but because of the above listed reasons, their concentration has risen up to undesired levels. The best water softeners are those that can efficiently remove them from the water you receive in your homes and prevent hard water.
Dangers of Hard Water
When Calcium and Magnesium rich water in your taps comes in contact with the soap you use, it forms a foamy scaly substance called “scum”.
When this scum comes in contact with your body or your bathroom, it can harm you in the following ways:
- Scaling of taps and tiles
- Hairfall
- Dry skin
- Blockage of taps and pipelines
- Staining of clothes
A water softener is used to remove this hardness and prevent scum formation. But not all of them are good. Using the best water softeners is essential to ensure systematic removal of hardness.
How a Water Softener Works
The most popular technique used for water softeners is the ion exchange method. In this method, water is passed through an ion exchange resin which replaces the hardness causing elements with Sodium or Potassium. The best water softeners use the ion exchange method as it proficiently reduces hardness and makes the water soft.
This type of softener comes with a salt tank in which salt tablets are added. This salt is used to clear the resin from time to time to make it fit for softening again. This process is called regeneration and helps to recharge the resin for further use.
The best water softeners come with automatic recharge technology, while the other ones require manual intervention.
Types of Softeners
There are two types of water softeners on the basis of usage:
- Point-of-use water softeners
- Whole house water softeners
Point-of-use Water Softeners
Point of use water softeners are used for specific applications. As the name suggests, they are connected at the specific point of usage. There are some that are directly attached to the tap which softens water whenever the tap is running, while others can be fixed directly for a certain use, like water softeners connected to a washing machine. The best water softeners, however, are the ones that are used in whole house applications.
Whole House Water Softeners
Whole house water softeners are attached directly to the water tank of the house. Depending upon the requirement and pressure availability, one can either attach it after or before the tank. Before the tank application is a better option as it fills the tank with already softened water which can ensure consistent supply as and when required.
Regardless, whole house softeners are considered to be the best water softeners as they ensure no loose ends remain during the process and every tap of the house is supplied with soft water.
Contact us via our website and get a free hardness test done at your home. Book a home visit today!
Best Water Softeners for your Home:
1. ZeroB AutoSoft (Before Tank Softener)
The ZeroB Autosoft before the tank softeners comprise of a range of water softeners that are connected before the water tank. They are available from 3000 lph all the way upto 8000 lph.
The reasons it ranks the top of our list of best water softeners are:
- Comes with a 100% food grade resin which makes the water safe to drink.
- Fills the tank with soft water which can be used anytime.
- Efficiently removes hardness with minimum water wastage.
- Best after sales services, with engineer available only in 24 hours.
- Comes with a separate salt tank and recharge pump, all within the same price.
- Comes with an automatic recharge feature, an LED screen to track performance and has the highest customer satisfaction rate.
- Budget friendly and competitive prices
Overall, it ranks first in our list of best water softeners available in India. ZeroB is a subsidiary of Ion Exchange India Ltd, a renowned name in the water treatment industry.
For enquiries related to ZeroB products, contact us at VS Electricals.
2. ZeroB AutoSoft (After Tank Softener)
ZeroB after tank water softeners are used for applications requiring lesser flow rate as compared to before tank options. They come in models with flow rate of 1000 lph and 2000 lph.
The difference between these two models and the other models is that these are connected after the tank, which softens water alongside usage. All the rest of the benefits stay perfectly same, with after tank options being cheaper.
The only drawback with these two models is that they turn off the water supply for 30-40 mins every time they undergo a recharge cycle, which happens only once or at most twice per week, depending upon usage.
This is what ranks AS1 and AS2 models second among the best water softeners in India.
3. 3M WTS
The 3M WTS is a product offered by 3M, which is a big name in the industry. The WTS comes with a separate brine tank and it is available in 3 different models. It offers the following benefits:
- Removes hardness and softens the water efficiently.
- The company provides excellent after sales services.
- Automatic recharge feature with an LED screen for complete control.
- Uses a food grade resin with excellent softening abilities.
All these qualities put it third in our list of best water softeners in India.
However, the only drawback of 3M water softeners is that it comes at an extremely high price, making it a premium product while its performance is quite similar to those of other brands.
4. 3M SFT
The 3M SFT is another softener offered by 3M Water Solutions. It comes in two models SFT-200 and SFT-200Fe, with the latter having iron removing capabilities. This ranks it fourth among the best water softeners in India.
Again, the drawback with 3M SFT is the same as other 3M models – its price. The SFT and WTS and great products but come at a price much higher than other softeners available in the market, with performance similar to other budget friendly companies like ZeroB.
5. Kent Water Softener
Kent is a popular name in the water industry and its water softener manages to rank among the best water softeners in India. The benefits of their product are:
- Efficiently removes hardness and softens the water.
- Comes with automatic regeneration and LED panel for complete control.
- Competitive and budget-friendly prices
However, the Kent water softeners have been known to cause problems for many customers. At multiple sites, the softener has been found to be nonfunctional and the dissatisfaction rate is high among customers. This ranks it last in our list.
Choosing the Right Parameters
Before choosing a water softener for your home, you need to consider the following factors:
- Number of bathrooms
- Number of members
- Quantity of water used on a daily basis (Keeping in mind any special applications)
The above factors can help you decide the ideal parameters for you. The best water softeners will provide you the option to choose the regeneration time based on either the flow rate or hardness or usage.
Conclusion
A large variety of water softeners are available in the market. When choosing the right one for yourself, make sure to consider not just the features but also the after sales services. ZeroB Autosoft ranks the highest in our list of best water softeners for your home in India, owing to its excellent functionality, reasonable prices and outstanding after sales services. 3M also offers great products, but their cost is quite high, with no difference in performance as compared to other alternatives. Kent products have a high dissatisfaction rate, making it last in our list. Make sure to choose wisely and get rid of all your hard water problems.
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