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Water Softeners

Everything You Need to Know About Water Softeners

What is a water softener for?

A water softener is designed to prevent limescale from forming in the water in your plumbing system. It contains an “ion exchange” resin that replaces calcium and magnesium with sodium. As a result, calcium bicarbonate and sodium bicarbonate become sodium bicarbonate, which cannot crystallize and form limescale. The sodium ions come from the salt (sodium chloride) you need to add regularly to your softener's tank to allow the ion exchange resin to regenerate each time you use a set volume of water. A water softener therefore helps you prevent scale buildup in your pipes, water heater, and household appliances. This considerably extends their lifespan, and your water softener quickly pays for itself.

Can you install a water softener yourself?

When it comes to connections, a water softener only requires 4 things:

A cold water inlet
A cold water outlet
A drain for regenerating the ion exchange resin
An electrical outlet to power the metered valve (except in the specific case of manual water softeners)

If your plumbing system already has an inlet and outlet (particularly if an older water softener or pre-filter was previously installed where water enters your home), simply screw the flexible hoses supplied with your softener onto the inlet and outlet. Arrows indicate the connection direction on each of our water softeners.

The drain tubing simply needs to be inserted into a drain, so all you need to do is drill a hole in the PVC pipe with a basic drill/driver, matching the tubing's diameter (usually 9mm). We recommend that you do not drill a hole wider than the tubing so that it stays securely inside the drain. There is some pressure during resin regeneration. You can then set the metered valve in one minute by following the steps described in this article: https://www.josmose.fr/en/blog/66-setting-water-softener-electromechanical-valve

The different types of water softeners we offer

Salt-based water softener

The most widely used water softening solution, and therefore the one for which we offer the widest selection, is the salt-based water softener. This system is the most effective because it removes 100% of limescale (or less, but only if you prefer) from large volumes of water while producing a reasonable amount of wastewater. The water discharged during ion exchange resin regeneration accounts for less than 10% of the total volume of water used. It is also a very economical solution because a salt-based water softener costs around 1,000 euros (from 500 to 1,200 euros depending on capacity on our website), and salt consumption is low: allow for one 25kg bag of salt every 2 to 3 months for a family of 4, or less than 50 euros per year.

Electrolysis water softener

On our website, we offer an even less expensive alternative to the salt-based water softener: the electromagnetic water softener: https://www.josmose.fr/adoucisseur/adoucisseur-sans-sel/systeme-electro-magnetique-decal

This device is also installed where water enters your plumbing system and only needs an electrical outlet to operate. It mounts on a wall using the supplied screws, and electrical wires wrapped around your pipes transmit an electromagnetic current that forces magnesium and calcium ions to repel each other, preventing them from crystallizing to form limescale. You can then protect your water heater and pipes for the long term with a very reasonable investment.

This system has both advantages and one disadvantage.

The advantages of an electrolysis water softener

Price: just 400 euros to protect your water heater and pipes for the long term. It's practically a giveaway!
Environmental benefits: an electromagnetic water softener uses very little electricity, produces no wastewater, and does not need salt to operate.
Installation: all you need is an electrical outlet and a very small space to install this system.

The disadvantage of an electrolysis water softener

Effectiveness: water electrolysis is an unstable phenomenon whose effects quickly disappear on contact with air. It therefore cannot protect certain household appliances or your skin because limescale is not removed, only temporarily neutralized. This makes it difficult to observe the effects of an electrolysis water softener in the short term. You will only notice them after several years, when you do not have to replace your hot water tank or pipes as you used to do every 10 years before installing this equipment.

Water softener for washing machines

If you want to remove limescale at a specific point, only for your washing machine, for example, to keep your laundry soft over time, we have a very affordable solution for you: https://www.josmose.fr/adoucisseur/adoucisseur-sans-sel/scalex-reducteur-de-durete-sans-sel

This water softener system also uses resin, but the resin cannot be regenerated. It therefore needs to be replaced after treating an average of 20,000 liters of water. It does not remove all the limescale, only some of it. It is therefore a partial solution, but it offers the advantages of a very low cost and a very small footprint.

Premium 2-in-1 water softener

For those who, in addition to limescale, have an iron problem, which is very common in certain areas of France, we sell a premium water softener that does more than remove calcium and magnesium ions from water: https://www.josmose.fr/osmoseur/comment-choisir-son-systeme-de-filtration-/adoucisseur-purificateur-nouvelle-generation-18-a-25l-

This water softener offers 2 additional selling points compared with our standard models:

Clack valve: Clack is an American valve brand reputed to be the best in the world, much more reliable over time and easier to program than a Fleck valve. I would also like to take this opportunity to explain that we do not sell Fleck valves at Oja because this type of valve requires a lot of maintenance, and we do not want our customers to have to call a professional every year to repair repeated breakdowns.
New-generation Ecomix resin: Ecomix resin, patented by Ecosoft, a BWT subsidiary, is imported from Germany and offers a huge advantage over all other ion exchange resins on the market: it also removes iron, manganese, ammonium, and the organic particles responsible for unpleasant odors.

Reverse osmosis system (also called an RO system)

An RO system can also serve as a water softener because an RO membrane removes all impurities from water thanks to its 0.0001-micron pores. Only water passes through! You get water that is not only soft but completely purified and ideal for drinking, with a dry residue of between 10 and 50 mg/l depending on the region of France where you live. Installation does not require a professional because all you need to do is temporarily turn off the water and screw a few supplied fittings directly onto your sink's cold water inlet. A video tutorial is also available on each of our RO system product pages.

The advantages of using an RO system to soften water

Pure water that is ideal for drinking
Easy under-sink installation

The disadvantages of using an RO system to soften water

Wastewater: an RO system discharges between 35 and 65% of the water treated, depending on the model. This is because the filtration is so fine that without wastewater discharge, the filters would become saturated very quickly. It is therefore a trade-off between water purity, wastewater, and filter consumption.
Low flow rate: a household RO system produces only a few liters per hour (from 12 l/h for small tank-based models to 150 l/h for the largest models). This flow rate is more than enough for drinking and cooking but too low for bathroom use.

Water softeners and health

We would like to draw your attention to the fact that drinking large quantities of water softened by a salt-based water softener is not recommended. This water contains a large amount of sodium bicarbonate, a type of salt you cannot taste but that has effects similar to sodium chloride on your long-term health. We therefore recommend a combination of a salt-based or electrolysis water softener to soften the water throughout your home and an RO system in the kitchen to provide water that is ideal for drinking.

The effects of a water softener on dishes

It is no coincidence that the vast majority of bars and restaurants in France have a water softening system (a conventional salt-based water softener and, most often, an RO system). It is the ideal way to say goodbye to limescale marks on dishes, especially glasses. Try it and you will see the results right away; the difference is night and day!

The effects of a water softener on laundry

All industrial laundries have a water softener, and for good reason. Laundry comes out much softer after being washed in softened water. You've been warned: no more excuses to go shopping every 6 months!

The effects of a water softener on your water heater

Does your water heater run out of hot water faster and faster each year? It probably has scale buildup! Install a water softener, and it will be as good as new in a few weeks. You will also be surprised to see kg of limescale, dislodged from the walls of your hot water tank, coming out of your faucets during the first few days of use. All that limescale was taking up space that should have held water and considerably increasing your energy consumption while gradually reducing your hot water production capacity.

The effects of a water softener on your skin

Tired of having dry or even red skin (eczema) when you get out of the shower? Get rid of that unpleasant feeling by installing a water softener. Bonus: limescale prevents soap from lathering properly, so you will save money on that too!

The effects of a water softener on your pipes

Is the flow rate from your faucets getting weaker and weaker? Once again, limescale is the cause, building up along your pipes until it blocks them completely… And then serious water damage makes you regret putting off dealing with the problem day after day. If this happens to you, contact us, and we will recommend the water softening solution best suited to your situation.

Everything You Need to Know About Water Softeners

What is a water softener for?

Can you install a water softener yourself?

The different types of water softeners we offer

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