How Much Does A Water Softener Cost – Installation System & Price Factors

by Curtis Grossi | Last Updated: March 19, 2024

If you’ve been witnessing hard water sediments on your shower heads, tubs, basins, or faucets, it’s time you got a water softener for your home. A water softener improves the quality of tap water by removing calcium and magnesium ions.

This minimizes the time you waste cleaning kitchens and bathrooms besides minimizing maintenance expenses. Unlike what most home owners think, water softener installation doesn’t have to be a costly undertaking. A water softener is designed to add comfort and efficiency to water treatment, and it’s easy to get one within your budget.

These water treatment systems come in hundreds of styles, designs, and sizes. So, it should be easy to get a softener system that will work for your home. Let’s have a look at how much softener installation costs and the ideal system for your home.

Factors Affecting Water Softener Costs

When determining how much a water softener will cost, manufacturers consider various factors. And these are the core pointers, which every home owner should consider when making water softener installation choices.

1. Sizing And Design

The bigger and more powerful the water softener, the more it will cost. A water softener’s size is determined by the hardness and the amount of water being softened and the home size and available fixtures. Water hardness is calculated in the form of GPG. The more fixtures and the bigger your home, the more you will pay to install a water softener.

On the same note, the number of cartridges used for the softener will affect the upfront and installation costs too. A softener may have a single tank or dual tank configuration. A dual tank will be a much better option for a busy home as it never shuts down completely when self-cleaning. It’s upfront and installation costs may be higher. But it ends to pay for itself down the road.

2. Components And Features

The quality and superiority of the features the water softener system has is another common cost determining factor in softener installation. A highly intelligent and automated water treatment system will always cost more than the traditional time-based system.

Softeners with more efficient and durable softening resin will as well cost more. So if you want a more advanced and super intelligent unit for your home, you should be ready to part with a higher amount of money.

3. The Type Of Valve

The valve is the brain and the central unit of an installed water softener system. A system with smart and high-quality valves will deliver clean and soft water on demand. Basic valves have limited powers and always have inefficiency and water waste issues.

Consider getting units with programmable metered valves as they are not only more efficient and user-friendly but also environmentally friendly. Particularly, an intelligent water treatment system will be an excellent addition if you have a smart home.

4. What You Want To Filter

The hardness of the water you want to soften also affects your water softener installation expenses cost. Harder waters will require more powerful and efficient softeners to treat. And as you know, the more powerful a unit is, the more advanced features and functions it needs.

So, get your water supply analyzed to determine the levels of calcium and magnesium level. This is a critical water softener installation step as you’ll be able to determine what system works for your home.

5. The Ownership Cost

The cost of owning, operating, and maintaining a water softener can vary significantly from one softener to another. A cheaper water treatment system will often cost you more to operate and maintain as compared to the more costly options. Cheap softeners require more maintenance work and last for fewer years.

Water softener ownership cost, also determines how energy efficient the system you want to buy is. Units that are designed to be energy-efficient and user-friendly will cost you less to operate and maintain.

Cost Of Water Softeners Based on Type

The cost of these systems is chiefly dependent on the type of softener. They come in various types and sizes as follows:

Ion Exchange Softeners

Ion exchange softeners are some of the most efficient and reliable water softeners in the modern-day era. These units install easily and are capable of supplying water to multiple appliances.

They can be installed anywhere in the basement or garage. Ion exchange water softeners cost anywhere between $400 to $3000, depending on size and efficiency. It may cost you higher if you are considering installing higher capacity units for a whole house.

When calculating the cost, do not forget about the installation and transportation costs. The cost of changing the materials from time to time should as well be factored in. Ensure you factor in the cost of the salt to be used in the brain tank to help soften the water.

Magnetic Water Softening Systems

Magnetic softeners are another amazing choice for homeowners. These water softening systems use a simple working mechanism that involves linking two magnets on each side of your water pipe.

Magnetic softeners do not have the power to remove the magnesium and calcium present in water. However, water softened this way will not leave deposits on surfaces. The system is super easy to install and can be easily installed using DIY techniques.

These are some of the cheapest water softeners, which cost anywhere from $15 to $5000. Good enough, the cost can be lower or higher, depending on the material used, unit size, and the manufacturer. It’s advisable you determine the amount of water you want to soften before you settle for certain units.

Double Twin Tank Water Softeners

The double twin tank water softeners employ the same technology as ion water exchange softeners. Since the double twin tank water softener has storage tanks for storing the purified water, your family will always have access to enough softened water on demand. Families that need high water supply every day should consider installing this type of water softener.

Twin tank softeners are bigger in size and more reliable, and so you should expect to pay more to secure one. The cheapest model you can get will not be lower than $1000. The costs of maintaining and replacing the brain tank will as well be higher for these types of water softeners. Consider this water softener if you want to get your water fully purified of all the magnesium and calcium.

Reverse Osmosis Softener

Reverse osmosis is the most powerful and efficient water softening unit. They have the power to cleanse water of magnesium, calcium, mercury, chlorine, lead, and iron. These water softening units employ multiple filtration stages to deliver pure and clean water. Reverse osmosis does not involve the use of chemicals, meaning the water dispensed is safe for human use.

These types of softeners are not as costly, though. You can get a cheaper unit for about $400. But if you want a more advanced and patented unit, you should spare more money for a bigger purchase. The whole house reverse osmosis water-softening filters will cost you about $18,000. Most of these units need professional installation, and so you should factor in such costs, too.

Salt-Free Water Softeners

Salt-free water softeners employ a salt-free technology to soften water. The technology and features it packs enable it to turn hard minerals into crystals, which cannot stick to fixture surfaces. Many types of salt-free water softeners differ in cost. The cheapest will ask about $400 while the most expensive goes for around $4000.

The cost will also depend on the capacity of the softer as well as the manufacturer. While factoring in the cost of your salt-free water softener, do not forget about the cost of installation, filter replacement, and bags of salts to be used occasionally.

How A Water Softener Will Save You Money?

One of the main things homeowners pay attention to when buying water softeners is how much they will save at the end of the day. There are many ways the right water softener can save you money and here are the main ones.

1. Get Cleaner Clothes

Soft water mixes well with most types of soaps and detergents. Cleaning clothes with soft water requires less detergent. While softening the water will cost you on electricity, you’ll be surprised to realize that you are spending about 50% less on detergents. Your clothes won’t lose their color vibrancy or wear out quicker than expected.

2. Increase Your Appliances’ Lifespan

Soft water does keep the costs of maintenance and repair low. Hard water triggers the buildup of crusty scales on faucets and pipes, which restricts smooth water flow. The harder your faucets and pipes have to work to deliver water at the desired efficiency rates, the more energy is consumed and the more often you will have to replace the pipes and faucets.

3. Lower Energy Bills

When scale builds up in your pipes or faucets due to hard water, your appliances won’t perform as efficiently as possible. Removal of the hard minerals in the water will minimize the buildup of scales on applications, which will improve the efficiency of your appliances. And that will automatically translate to increased savings on energy bills.

Bottom Line

The market currently boasts a wide range of high-end water softeners for sale, most of which promise to offer actual value for money. Every homeowner wants a high-quality softener that will fit well in their plumbing and electrical wiring system. The many different brands and models of water softeners available differ in efficiency, reliability, and performance.You’ve to budget for your next purchase if you surely want to get the right piece of water softener that will add efficiency to the way water is softened in your home. Besides how much the system costs, think of the installation and maintenance expenses. Most importantly, check what different manufacturers and brands, have to offer. Most Canada water softener companies are some of the most reliable players here.To this point, we trust you now understand how much a water softener will cost you.

Curtis is the founder and owner of softeningwater.com. He is the lead guy concerning all the water-softening accessories in this site's guides and reviews. If he is not writing a reviews, guides or any other useful tips, you will find him testing them to find out their suitability. He is passionate about softening water. You will find him extremely helpful and always willing to educate the general populace all there is concerning water and its effects on their health and appliances.