Conventional Water Softener | Watts Scale Prevention System | |
---|---|---|
Requires Salt | Yes | No |
Requires Drain Connection | Yes | No |
Requires Electrical Connection | Yes | No |
Prevents Scale Formation in Pipes and Appliances | Yes | Yes |
Uses water for backwashing | Yes | No |
Requires an Electric Control Valve | Yes | No |
Number of Tanks Required | 2 (or more) | 1 |
Removes Chlorine | No | No |
Removes Iron | Yes (a limited amount) | No |
Removes Calcium and Magnesium | Yes | No |
Chlorine Tolerant | Somewhat | Somewhat |
Expected Media life when used with chlorine-free water | 10 years | 3 years |
Adds Sodium to Water | Yes | No |
Recommended maximum hardness for standard unit | Many variables to consider, but higher than alternative unit | 75 grains per gallon (with standard media load) |
Life expectancy of the unit other than the media | Several Years | Many, many years. (No moving parts, nothing to wear out.) |
Reduces previously existing scale buildup | No | Yes |
Requires cleaning and chemical additives | Sometimes | No |
Extends the life of reverse osmosis units downstream | Yes | Probably |
(whole house & well units)