ᐅ Is a water softener system advisable or not?

Created on: 11 Feb 2019 18:12
A
Alexius
I already asked some questions about our gas supplier in another thread—thanks again for the feedback.

Now we are facing the decision: "Water softener system—yes or no?"

Our house is about 10 years old (just bought it). Unfortunately, we have very hard water here (around 23). You can already see it on the faucets (where the water comes out), and of course, this isn’t ideal for cleaning or for the pipes either.

We were advised to install a water softener system (we had the idea before, too). However, the local utility company advises against it, and I have also read that these systems can be prone to bacterial growth if they are not properly maintained. Also, chemicals are said to be added to the water (I initially thought it worked through a special salt). Maintenance and service costs also seem quite high, on top of the initial purchase price.

How have you dealt with this? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages?

At the moment, I am leaning toward not installing one.
Mycraft27 May 2020 17:47
Since VE water is used anyway in underfloor heating, there is no need for descaling or softening.
Lucrezia29 May 2020 11:08
Mycraft schrieb:

Since the underfloor heating system requires deionized water anyway, there is no need for descaling or softening.

Thanks, Mycraft. Is it really true that only demineralized water is used for the underfloor heating? My husband said that you sometimes need to top up the water—but then only with deionized water, which is specially bought in containers?
Mycraft29 May 2020 13:41
Normally, no refilling is necessary. But if it is needed, using a VE canister or cartridge is up to you.
B
Bin_UserX
19 Jul 2021 16:54
Hello everyone,

Regarding water softeners, my advice is to steer clear of Eckstein. It’s better to buy Grünbeck or similarly good descaling systems. At a home show, I was persuaded to buy their system. They promised no scale and no change in taste. I was even given three months to test it.

However, it didn’t perform as promised. The water tasted bad, and while it did reduce scale, it was nowhere near completely scale-free as claimed. The salesperson lied just to make the sale.

I thought I would return it, but here’s the catch: they would not accept the return and said that purchases made at trade shows are non-refundable. Apparently, this is indeed the case. There is no right to return. That’s why they promise everything—they know you can’t return it anyway.

I asked around among colleagues and friends, and none of them knew there was no return policy. That’s probably why Eckstein doesn’t sell online. Hasn’t anyone noticed this?

So, avoid Eckstein or similar devices you see at home shows. There is definitely no return policy—feel free to research online. Inform yourself, and if you decide to buy, do so online, because then you usually have a 4-week return period.

Just a tip from me.
K1300S19 Jul 2021 19:47
The seller can say a lot. If the contract does not include a three-month return policy, then they are not selling a device to me. Those who can read ... Otherwise, the devices are probably neither better nor worse than those of their competitors.
T
tumaa
19 Jul 2021 20:24
Best investment in my house = water softener system