There are a number of water softeners on the market, each with its own pros and cons. While all water softeners do essentially the same job – that is, to add positively charged ions charged ions such as sodium or potassium to the water to bond with negatively charged minerals such as iron or calcium – not all water softeners are created equal. This is why water softener ratings systems are in use, to allow consumers an easy point of comparison between different makes and models of water softeners when deciding on a purchase.

Most water softeners cost between $1000.00 and $1600.00 installed. Within this range, there is an enormous variety in both water softener efficiency and customer support after purchase, varying between no supports at all to a regular regeneration service.

Water softener ratings are a measure only of the cost effectiveness of the water softener itself. Factors that affect water softener ratings include the size and cost of the system, how often it needs to be regenerated (meaning how often the softener crystals need to be replaced) and how much water it is capable of treating.

Water softener ratings are measured in grains per gallon. The average person uses approximately 80 gallons of water daily, including not only drinking water but also water for washing dishes, laundry, and showering. For a family of four with a water hardness of 10, this would work out to 3200 grains daily.

The daily use is then multiplied by the number of days the household would like to go between regenerations. For most families, regeneration every two weeks is a good number. In the case above, a water softener rated at 44,800 would be required to meet this length of time.

Water softeners come in ratings of 20,000 to 100,000 grains per day, which means that if the household illustrated above so desired, they could go as long as a month without regenerating by purchasing a larger water softener. On the other hand, if they didn’t find regeneration to be overly bothersome, they could purchase a smaller system and regenerate the crystals as often as every week.