Is a Water Softener for Shower Worth the Money?

In Florida, hard water is a common problem faced by homeowners. The heavily mineralized water here leaves deposits in appliances that use water as well as on your faucets and fixtures.

In addition to the issues that hard water can cause in terms of home maintenance, it also affects the health of your skin and hair. Hard water deposits minerals on everything it touches. It can leave your hair and skin feeling dry and looking dull. It also renders cleaning products less effective.

One solution that is sometimes suggested is installing a water softener for the shower. Often, the minerals in hard water are not necessarily unhealthy to drink. You may be wondering: is a water softener for the shower worth the money?

How do Water Softeners for the Shower Work?

A shower-specific water softener may seem like an affordable solution to the hard water problem in your home. Let’s look at how these water softeners for the shower work.

Most shower water softeners come in the form of shower heads with a built-in hard water filter. The filters are usually replaceable so that you can buy the shower head once and replace the filter as needed.

The filters themselves may use activated carbon or another substance to capture hard minerals as they come through the pipes. They trap the minerals in the filter, thus preventing them from affecting your skin or hair. They also keep your shower head free of limescale and mineral deposits.

Is Installing a Water Softener for the Shower Expensive?

One of the things that homeowners find attractive about installing a water softener for the shower is that it is less expensive than installing a whole house water softening system.

Most quality water softeners for the shower cost less than $100 for the initial purchase. However, you should also factor in ongoing expenses for replacing the filter cartridges. The cartridges may last between three and six months depending on how much use your shower gets.

Of course, if your home has more than one shower then you will want to install a water softener in each one. That multiplies the costs.

The quick answer is that shower water softeners are not expensive. However, it is worth considering the potential hidden costs of installing one.

How Does a Water Softener for the Shower Compare with a Whole House Water Softener?

On the surface, it might seem far less costly to install a shower water softener than it is to invest in a water filtration and softening system for your entire house.

When it comes to comparing up-front expenses, of course the shower-only option is cheaper than installing a full water filtration system. It’s important, though, to factor in other issues before you decide.

For example, a shower water softener only softens water in the shower. It won’t take care of the potential damage that hard water can do to the rest of your home.

Hard water mineral deposits can shorten the life of appliances such as your washing machine and dishwasher. They leave ugly stains in your toilets and sinks, and clog up your faucets. They can also cause plumbing issues as the mineral deposits collect in your pipes.

You may end up using more laundry and dish detergent than you would otherwise, and your clothes and dishes may not get truly clean.

In other words, a shower water softener takes care of your shower, but is it really cost effective when you consider the other issues that hard water can cause in your house?

We designed the Guardian Water Systems water refiner to eliminate hard water problems and deliver healthy, fresh-tasting water to your entire home. If you’d like to learn more, click here to schedule your free water quality test today. Your family is worth it!