You’ve just moved into your new home, and it has an old water softener in it that looks like it has seen better days. The previous owner didn’t leave any information on the water softeners’ age or any service records. Do you need a new water softener? Maybe not! How Long Does A Water Softener Last?
An inexpensive big box store water softener may last up to 10 years. A mid-priced to expensive water softener may last 15-20 years. A quality mid-priced water softener may last up to 30 years with minimal repairs.
The price of a water softener does not always reflect how long it will last.
The most expensive water softener may not last any longer than the least expensive, it will depend on how hard the water softener will have to work, and how well the parts of the system hold up.
It’s not how long a water softener will last, but how long you can make it last!
A water softener can last for as long as parts are available to repair it. The problem is, at some point, the water softener control valve will need to be rebuilt, or replaced and the resin may also need to be replaced.
At this point, the repair bill may be as much, if not more than a whole new water softener. The trick is knowing what type of water softener will work best for you without getting more than you need and considering the future possible repair costs.
A better question than how long does a water softener last maybe how much will different water softeners cost you to maintain before they cost more in maintenance than they did when they were purchased.
An inexpensive water softener will often last 5 – 10 years before it is not worth repairing. A mid-priced water softener should last 10-15 without needing major repairs. An expensive water softener may last 10 – 15 years before requiring expensive major repairs.
How long will a low-cost water softener last?
A very simple, low-cost water softener can last 10 to 15 years if it only has to treat slightly hard water and if the amount of water being used is very low.
A single person with only 5 grains per gallon of hardness in their water may only have their water softener regenerate once every month.
In this situation, even the least expensive water softener can last a very long time with little to no service needed.
But this is not a typical situation, many people don’t even bother to soften water that is only 5 grains per gallon hard. And single-person households are not very common.
A more realistic scenario would be a family of 4 with 10 grains per gallon of hardness needed to be removed by a water softener.
In this case, a small, low-cost water softener may have to operate once every other day to provide softened water for the family.
This kind of heavy demand can greatly shorten the life of budget water softener.
In this situation, a low-cost water softener may require replacement or at least a significant amount of parts in need of replacement, after just a few years.
Iron or sediment in your water can make the lifespan of a budget water softener even shorter.
Iron in your water can build-up on internal parts of low-cost water softeners, and because they are often made primarily of a single piece of molded plastic, there is very limited access to the inside of the system where the iron can cause the most problems.
Sediment can wreak havoc inside of any water softener, but if sediment gets inside of a budget water softener where it can’t get out, the system may be done for.
So the most expensive water softeners will last the longest?
I wish that I could say that this is true, but it certainly is not the case in real life. Most high priced water softeners are actually not very different than a mid-priced, or even low priced water softener.
Expensive water softeners are often just inexpensive water softeners with a fancy cover on them and useless bells and whistles.
Watch this quick video on how a water softener softens your water.
Many water treatment companies spend huge amounts of money on boosting the name of the company, rather than improving the quality of their products.
If a water softener salesperson wants to talk about a water softener that they claim is the best on the market, ask them what it does besides softening your water for the $3000.00 that they want to charge you.
If they seem a little nervous when you ask them this, there is probably not much benefit to the extra gadgets that their system offers.
What about a non-electric water softener, do no electric parts mean a longer lifespan?
In my opinion, it is actually just the opposite. A non-electric water softener relies solely on the flow of water turning small, and very delicate gears and moving pistons that need to seal just so to operate correctly.
These gears and other fragile parts are operating whenever water is being used in the home. They are made of plastic that can wear, jam, and break if even the smallest thing goes wrong.
And what hurts the most, is that they can only be fixed by the dealer that you bought the system from because they are the only ones that can get the parts for it.
The cost of servicing a non-electric water softener will vary depending on your location and of course what needs to be repaired. But if your control valve needs to be taken back to the shop for an overhaul, be prepared to pay a pretty big bill to get your system running again.
This is one of the important things to consider when looking into any expensive water treatment system.
If the costs of future repairs to the system are the same price as a mid-priced system that will do the same job, you may be better off saving your money up-front and just getting a new medium-priced system 10 to 15 years later.
So does a mid-priced water softener last as long as an expensive one?
In most cases, the answer is YES! A mid-priced or expensive water softener is made up of just a few parts.
The tank that holds the water softener resin is made of very durable fiberglass, and will most likely last much longer than any other part of the system.
The water softening resin inside of the tank is made of tiny plastic beads that can last for decades if it is properly regenerated by the water softening system.
The water softener control valve on an electric water softener has a piston that moves back and forth to control the water flow for the different cycles of the system.
This piston may need to be replaced after several years on any system regardless of price.
Some electric water softeners work with a rotating spindle that opens and closes flapper valves. These flappers may need to be replaced if they fail to seal correctly after many years of operation, whether the system costs $700 or $7000.
My personal recommendation for a water softener that will last a very long time with minimal maintenance is to stick with a mid-priced system without the bells and whistles.
I have selected just a few that fit into the category of long-lasting water softeners.
If you want expensive gimmicks, they are out there for the right price. But if you are looking for reliability, stick with the basics.
