Do Homes in East Tennessee Need Water Softeners?

Hard water is more common than you might think in East Tennessee and the greater Knoxville area.

Caused by high levels of calcium and magnesium in the water supply, it can lead to issues like limescale buildup, reduced soap effectiveness, and unsightly stains on fixtures. While this may not seem like a major concern, the long-term effects on your home’s plumbing and appliances can be significant.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, almost 90% of homes in the United States are affected by hard water, so understanding how a water softener can prevent damage to your plumbing system, enhance appliance efficiency, and improve overall water quality is crucial.

At Pipe Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, we provide homeowners with the expertise and solutions to address hard water issues effectively. Keep reading to learn how your home can benefit from our water softener services.

Why Is Hard Water in Your East Tennessee Home?

Most homeowners in the U.S., including East Tennessee, get their water from surface water or groundwater. In cities, water often comes from surface sources, while in rural areas, it may come from private wells if the home isn’t connected to a municipal supply.

According to the National Groundwater Association, around 15% of drinking water comes from wells and 27% from groundwater, so it’s important to understand that each source brings its own level of hardness and potential contaminants.

How Does This Impact You?

If your local water supply has a lower pH, meaning it’s acidic, cities often add minerals and neutralizing agents such as lime (calcium carbonate) to raise the pH level and balance it out, making the water harder. This is normally done to help prevent pipe corrosion and reduce health concerns from water with high acidity.

Water hardness is measured in grains per gallon (gpg) and a hardness level over 7 gpg is considered high, while under 3 gpg is considered soft. For Tennessee homeowners with hard water issues, a water softener can be a valuable investment in maintaining an efficient plumbing system.

• Hardness in groundwater: Groundwater often has higher hardness levels due to its interaction with minerals such as calcium and magnesium in the soil and rock formations, making it more prone to issues like limescale buildup.
• Hardness in surface water: Surface water from major watersheds, such as rivers and lakes, typically has lower hardness levels than groundwater, as it’s less influenced by mineral deposits.
• Hardness in well water: Well water frequently has high hardness levels, as it’s drawn from underground sources that may contain significant amounts of calcium and magnesium and sometimes even bicarbonates and sulfates.

Water Softeners vs. Water Filters: What’s the Difference?

Some homeowners assume that water softeners and water filters are the same, but they actually work in different ways and have different benefits.

Water filters: These remove impurities and contaminants such as chemicals, bacteria, sediment, and even heavy metals that can help improve water quality, taste, and smell. Water filters can use different processes, such as reverse osmosis, sediment filters, and carbon filters to trap and remove contaminants. UV light also effectively kills bacteria as water passes through, acting as a different type of filter for smaller microbes.

Water softeners: These remove minerals from hard water, including calcium and magnesium, therefore softening the water and providing many benefits, including:

• Prevents limescale buildup and deposits in your plumbing system and pipes, as well as fixtures like faucets and showerheads. Scale buildup can cause blockages while reducing water flow and pressure.
• Extends the lifespan of your appliances such as water heaters, dishwashers, and washing machines by helping prevent corrosion and blockages from scale buildup.
• Helps soften skin and hair
• Lowers energy bills by reducing scale buildup
• Reduces soap scum, which makes cleaning easier in your kitchen and bathroom
• Helps you use 1/3 less soap and detergent
• Helps prevent stains on dishes, clothes, and appliances
• Results in cleaner and brighter laundry, along with fewer spots on dishes

Types of Water Softeners for Your Home

Finding the right water softener for your home can make a big difference in how your water feels and affects your plumbing systems, home appliances, including water heaters, and even your clothes and dishes. There’s a range of options to consider and each type has its own method of addressing water hardness.

Although we don’t offer all these different water softening, conditioning, and filtration options, we’ll suggest the best solution for your home. Knowledge is power, and exploring these different options can help you choose the best fit for your needs.

Salt-Based Water Softeners

Salt-based water softeners are popular for East Tennessee homes dealing with hard water. They use ion exchange to remove calcium and magnesium, the minerals that cause hardness, from your water.

Salt-based water softeners have a resin tank filled with tiny beads with a negative charge, that attract the calcium and magnesium ions. By replacing these minerals with sodium ions, salt-based softeners help ensure your water is more manageable and better for your household needs.

Salt-based water softeners:

• Can last 10 to 15 years depending on water quality
• Replace hardness-causing minerals with sodium ions
• Require regular salt refills to function effectively

Dual-Tank Water Softeners

Dual-tank water softeners usually work like standard salt-based systems but improve performance with two separate tanks. While setups can differ, typically one tank is dedicated to water softening and the other to water filtration, often using a carbon filter to eliminate various contaminants, including chlorine.

Chlorine can severely damage water softeners by degrading the salt-based resin beads that soften the water. To combat this, a whole-home water filtration system can be paired with the water softener. This dual system removes chlorine and other contaminants before the water reaches the softener, helping prolong its lifespan and maintain its effectiveness.

Dual-tank water softeners:

• Are better suited for areas with a high chlorine concentration in the local water supply
• Require more space and can be more costly
• Offer improved water quality over a stand-alone softener or water filtration system

Salt-Free Water Conditioners

While often referred to as salt-free water softeners, some systems are more like salt-free water conditioners. These conditioning systems use a technology called template-assisted crystallization to address hard water minerals without adding salt. This process generates microscopic crystals that are less likely to adhere to surfaces, helping prevent the buildup of hard water limescale in plumbing.

Many homeowners prefer these systems because they require little maintenance and don’t increase sodium levels in the water. They’re an excellent option for those seeking a low-maintenance solution, although they’re most effective in homes with lower mineral content and lower water usage.

Showerhead Water Filters

Showerhead water filters are similar to water conditioners or descalers but can be a practical solution for improving the quality of your bathing water without needing a whole-house water softening system.

These are designed to filter out hard water minerals as the water flows through the showerhead, using a specialized carbon or conditioning filter that prevents calcium, magnesium, and other minerals from sticking to pipes that contribute to water hardness.

While they’re simpler to install and more affordable than whole-house water softening systems, plumbers often consider them less effective and recommend other water softening options as better alternatives.

Showerhead water softeners:

• Prevent residue on skin and hair
• Cost less than whole-house systems
• Are simple to install and maintain
• Last for years with regular cartridge changes

Magnetic Water Conditioner

Similar to showerhead water filters, magnetic water conditioners are actually water conditioners or descalers that help keep your pipes free from mineral buildup. Thanks to a handy and easily installed magnet attached to your pipe, they use a magnetic field to neutralize heavy minerals like magnesium and calcium as water flows through.

However, they’re only effective on water that passes near the magnet, so effectiveness sometimes has mixed results, and magnetic conditioners aren’t often recommended by plumbing experts.

Magnetic water conditioners are:

• Compact and easy to install
• Perfect for small spaces
• Affordable
• Able to plug into any power outlet

Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System

Although they technically filter rather than soften water, reverse osmosis water filtration systems are a great way to enhance water quality right at your sink. They use high pressure to push water through a special membrane, which filters out chlorine, nitrates, metals, minerals, and microbes such as bacteria and viruses from the water.

This setup is typically installed under the sink, or near water sources, making it perfect for getting cleaner, better-quality water for drinking and cooking. A reverse osmosis system combined with a carbon filter is often considered the most effective way to get cleaner water.

Reverse osmosis water softening:

• Removes sediments and contaminants for cleaner drinking and cooking water
• Typically consists of one to three cartridges and a holding tank
• Provides purified water at a single point in your home
• Can last 10 to 15 years with proper maintenance

Why Choose Pipe Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Cooling for Water Softener Services?

At Pipe Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Cooling, we proudly serve over 30,000 satisfied customers in the Knoxville area. As a local business, we’re deeply committed to our community and dedicated to providing trusted plumbing services. Our water softener solutions and water treatment systems feature the finest products and materials, ensuring top-quality results.

We offer reliable, expert care if you need regular maintenance or emergency support. Trust our plumbers for all your water softener needs and experience the difference of working with a company that truly cares.

Pipe Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Cooling is your trusted plumbing partner. Contact us to schedule water softener services in Knoxville today.