Most modern BWT Luxury Water Softeners will easily fit into a standard 500mm kitchen cupboard.

Whilst a water softener uses salt in the process of softening your hard water it does not add it to the water you use in your home. The salt is actually used to refresh the resin that removes the hardness minerals that cause scale and scum.

A water softener removes the minerals that cause limescale from the water. A physical water conditioner does not remove these minerals, and whilst it will inhibit the build-up of scale it will not offer the life style benefits of Luxury Water.

 There is no real reason why the average person can’t drink softened water, and in most cases, it is simply a matter of choice. However, softened water does contain a very slight increased amount of sodium (this will increase with water hardness) and for that reason, it is not recommended for people who are on a low sodium diet or for the preparation of baby formula milk. See Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000 for more details. 

The truth is that softened water will taste different but it is myth that it will taste salty. The salt used in the regeneration process does not enter your water supply. The light increase in sodium is a result of the ion exchange process where sodium ions are exchanged for the hardness minerals that cause the water to be hard in the first place.

Water softeners only require periodically top up of salt, water for the regeneration process and a minimal amount of electricity. The exact amount will vary depending on the size of the household and the local water hardness. The saving on toiletries, household cleaning and laundry products can also offset any running costs reducing the impact on the family budget to a minimum.

The amount of salt used will depend on the model of water softener you select, the type of salt and the amount of softened water you use. Generally, a modern water softener fitted to a four person family home will use about 10 x 25 kg bags per year* data based on 140 litre per person per day.

Modern water softeners are typically fitted in a kitchen cupboard, but can equally be fitted in a utility room, garage and even outside (in a specially constructed cabinet), providing there is access to the incoming mains water supply and a suitable drain.

This is not true, like any domestic appliance, your water softener will benefit from the occasional professional service, whether as part of a planned service agreement or an ad-hoc visit. For free advice, call our service team today on 01494 83810

There is no guarantee how long a water softener will last. However, it is not unusual for a water softener to last in excess of ten years when correctly installed and serviced in a family home.

It is unlikely you will need to use additional salt in your dishwasher, simply follow your dishwasher’s instructions to set its internal water softener to the off position or its lowest soft water setting.

Many boiler manufacturers now recognise the benefits of fitting a water softener in your home and provide explicit instructions for water softener owners. These include filling the primary/ radiator circuit in your home with only un-softened water/hard water and then adding the appropriate amount of chemical scale inhibitor. This can be simply achieved by by-passing the water softener during the installation and setup of the primary circuit