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A water softener is an appliance that can be extremely beneficial to the health of you, your family, the property that you live in and the health of your bank balance.
There is a common misconception that you need to spend hundreds on a massive water softener that requires multiple people to maneuver it through your home and then hold it in place in order to be installed, the obvious solution to this is to get your very own compact water softener that may be many times smaller than the average water softener out there however it can still provide the exact same benefits without the hassle.
In this review article, we are going to be providing you with valuable information to help you find the best compact water softener.
Best Compact Water Softeners
On The Go Water Softener & Conditioner
This water softener and conditioners is marketed as being the ‘largest portable water softener’, this water appliance is manufactured by a small American company called On the Go who has specialized since the year 2004 in the creation of water softeners of all kinds of sizes, accessories such as pipes and adapters as well as pressure washing machines.
The company behind this water softener says that it is the perfect solution not just for properties but also RVs as well as for boats with the long thin design allowing it to be able to squeeze in almost anywhere and despite its appearance, it is actually not very heavy for a water softener, weighing in at just 50 lbs.
Pros:
- The company behind this product has a well-known reputation for providing quality customer service to both potential customers and legacy customers who have already made a purchase and have issues or questions about their products.
- Very light allowing it to be easily transported and installed wherever needed.
- It has a capacity of 28,800 grain which is how much water hardness it can take before some of the parts will need to be replaced or repaired.
- No tools or electricity are needed for the installation of this product according to the manufacturers.
- It can be used in a wide variety of properties and vehicles.
Cons:
- The heaviest compact water softener on this list.
Lotus Whole House Water Filter and Water Conditioner
Manufactured by the Hardless NG from California in the United States is a company that produces only products that help deal with water hardness. Their first and currently only water filter called the Lotus is more than just a water softener as it has a 5 stage process that apart from dealing with your water hardness also helps remove unwanted dirt and particles from the water flowing through your pipes and also removes chlorine from your water.
The product is built with ease of use in mind, apart from being purposefully light and shaped so it can fit in most places it also comes with a cartridge and post-filter already included inside the machine to save you some time and money.
Pros:
- This water softener is not salt-based which means that it is healthier for your skin and also your overall health as now you will be consuming less salt.
- It is not expensive or time-consuming to maintain.
- Environmentally friendly with no electricity being used and also no water being wasted.
- Designed to easily fit in in the majority of tight and enclosed spaces.
- A high-quality water softener that protects your pipes and water-based appliances by preventing the build-up of limescale.
Cons:
- Expensive for a compact water softener.
Mobile-Soft-Water Portable Softener
A basic but still effective portable water softener designed and manufactured by a company H20 Mobile, even though this water appliance is targeted at people who drive RVs this appliance can still be used without any problems in the house that you live in.
Moreover, this water softener is extremely light weighing in at just 14 lbs or 6.3 kilograms which is not heavy at all for such a stereotypically large and heavy piece of appliance.
Interestingly enough this product does not have a warranty advertised, instead of on the official website of the company behind this product it just says that they offer post-sale support which is great and also very valuable because if you decided to hire a plumber or someone who has a similar level of understanding it will probably cost you a few hundred dollars just get a few questions answered and a simple problem fixed.
Pros:
- Very small in dimensions and also very light allowing it to fit in a wide array of different spaces.
- It can be easily installed with no need for any helping hands to help you carry it.
- Priced at the lower range of the price scale making it affordable for pretty much everyone.
- Due to its small size and also how light it is it can easily be carried by hand and placed in other properties or even vehicles with ease.
Cons:
- Little information is available about the product on the retailer’s website.
Benefits of Having a Compact Water Softener
Easier to Install
One of the big benefits of having a compact water softener is that it is easier to install than the average-sized water softener which can weigh tens of kilograms or even more. This increased weight adds a lot of extra problems such as extra difficulties in carrying them through the house to the location where the water softener will be getting installed.
Furthermore, when you finally carry the water softener to the spot where it is going to be installed you may need a second person to hold it up in place while you finish off the installation.
However, if you have a small water softener you can do everything yourself without a problem and with no worries that you might get tired and end up accidentally dropping and breaking the appliance.
Hassle-Free Transportation
With a compact water softener, it is ten times easier, there is no need to tire yourself out by carrying the regular-sized version or alternatively having to beg a friend or family member to help you move it which in itself is frustrating as you need to book a time you will meet up and you are in a way dependent on them turning up and helping you.
There is no longer any need to go hire a van or some other kind of bigger vehicle in order to fit the water softener inside and transport it safely, with the smaller versions you can fit it in the boot of your car or even in your glove compartment if you drive a fairly big car.
This can potentially save you a lot of time and money as hiring vehicles is big business and is unsurprisingly very expensive so by having the ability to handle the transportation yourself without any problems you can potentially save yourself hundreds of dollars.
Cheaper to Buy and Maintain
It is not surprising that the same type of appliance that is many times smaller in size will cost less money to buy and run after all fewer materials have been used in the manufacturing process of this produce, less money has been spent on shipping costs from the retailer to you since the products weighs less and does not take up as much space.
Benefits You and Your Family’s Health
Having a water softener is a must if you live in an area where you receive hard water which is full of metal ions and minerals that can cause a lot of issues, the first health issue that you will notice if you have showered for a long period of time using hard water is that the skin all over your body will be dry due to the salt in the water sucking up all the moisture.
Dry skin can lead to cracking which is unpleasant and painful to experience as well as the possibility of it leading to infections if bacteria, for example, manage to get in through the cracked damaged skin.
Furthermore, the same salt content in the hard that is making your skin dry will be consumed by you as you shower, brush your teeth and do other everyday tasks using water from your home. This salt will enter the body and can cause much more serious health problems than some dry skin, for example, some illnesses that people can develop due to high salt intake are stroke, heart failure and kidney failure for example.
Thankfully all these problems are sorted out very quickly by installing high-quality water softener that helps bind together different metals and chemicals that are causing such health issues.
Increases the Lifetime of Your Appliances
Related to the ‘cheaper to buy and maintain’ category in that it will also potentially save you a lot of money if invest in one of the best compact water softeners that we have included in this list.
Like with your own body it is not beneficial for appliances to react too much with hard water sources as hard water does not just contain salts but a very diverse array of metal ions and chemicals, if the hard water is not softened then it can lead to build-ups that are annoying but are also a hub of bacteria which can lead to a lot of people falling ill.
Furthermore, this build-up of limestone can lead to a lot of problems especially with machines as that same limestone can build up inside of them and stop certain mechanical movements from occurring due to limestone now being in the way due to building up.
It Doesn’t Have to Be Just for You Home
Interestingly enough the majority of small water softeners for sale are primarily sold as RV and boat water softeners due to their small size which makes them ideal due to the majority of RVs and boats not being large enough for the owners to be able to fit in a ‘normal-sized’ water softener.
Therefore when you buy a compact water softener you are in a way getting a 2 for 1 deal as you can use the product not just in your home but also in your vehicles such as your RV or your yacht for example which can save you a lot of money in the long term as you do not have to buy multiple water softeners for different locations instead you can just have one and install it wherever it is most needed at the time.
Features to Consider When Buying a Compact Water Softener
Should You Buy a Salt-Based or Salt-Free System?
Both the salt-based and salt-free systems help to soften water. They carry out this work in different ways though, and they provide you with different results.
With salt-based water softeners, you do not need electricity. However, you will need to make sure that the salt in them is replenished regularly.
Salt-free systems include a resin that needs electricity to regenerate. If your home is supplied with hard water, then be aware that the resin in this system will have to be replaced more often.
How Much Space is Available?
If you find that the amount of space where you wish to situate a water softener is quite limited, then you should opt for a compact system. The great thing about going for small ones, say measuring around 11.7 x 9.6 x 27.5 inches, is that it will likely cost less than $200.
However, if you have enough space available, you may want to consider investing in a model with a much larger capacity.
What is its Grain Capacity?
The actual capacity of any water softener system is measured in grains. These tend to range from 40 to more than 100 grains. Of course, the more grains, the much more water it can soften per cycle.
If you own a large home or have numerous appliances that require softened water, you should go for a system with a higher grain capacity.
But generally, you will find for most homes that compact water softener systems are more than sufficient.
What is the Water Flow Rate?
The water flow rate tells you how many gallons of water can pass through the system per minute.
Systems with a higher flow rate can process more hard water each minute. In turn, this means that fewer cycles need to be carried out by the system to soften the water for your home.
If you can opt for a system with a flow rate of between one and four gallons per minute. These will operate sufficiently in most houses. However, before you do buy, make sure that you check the rate at which water flows into your home.
Salt Use
When it comes to salt-based systems, you may find that the salt in them needs replacing every few months. However, you may also find that in those that contain less than 100 grains in the water, the salt will last longer.
When it comes to salt-free systems, these, of course, don’t use any salt. So you don’t need to worry about having to replace it.
In some cases, you may find that some water softeners can last for up to five or six years before they need replacing. Instead of replacing the whole system and saving yourself some money, just consider investing in buying replacement parts.
Useful Additional Feature
Look for water softeners that come with valves that allow you to connect the system to both the hot and cold water supply pipes in your home. Doing this will provide you with a better way of controlling the water flow in your home.
FAQ
What Size Water Softener Do I Need?
One way that is commonly used to figure out the type and size of the water softener that you need is to first count all the people that are regularly going to be using this water softener which is a normal family maybe four people. Then all you have to do is times the total number of people living at your house by 80 due to 80 gallons being the average amount of water that people on average use according to research.
Finally what you need to check with your water supplier the hardness of the water that you get and times it with the previous sum which will give you the amount of so-called ‘grains’ that you are going to be using up from your water softener each day.
Another way to decide what size water softener you want it to take a look at the location where you planning to place that water softener if you do not have a lot of space to play around with then it may be better to get a compact water softener.
What Size Water Softener Do I Need for a Family of 4?
Using the calculation in the section above, you will times 4 by 80 which is 320 and then if, for example, the water hardness in your area is 20 you will then times 320 by 20 which is 6400 this means that you will need a water softener that can use up that many grains per day with grains being a way to calculate how often a water softener needs to be maintained.
However, this method is very hypothetical and it relies on averages which prevent accurate results from occurring.
At the end of the day, it depends on how much water you guys use and also how often you want to maintain your water softener with the smaller it is on average the fewer grains it will use up.
What If My Water Softener Is Too Big?
If you have ordered a water softener that has just come and you realize that it is too big to fit in the space that you were planning to place in you have a couple of options at your disposal.
The first option is to send it back as soon as possible to the seller and get yourself a refund, this is entirely legal and possible as long as you have not used the product. Time is of the essence and it needs to be sent back as soon as possible and the seller contacted as with a lot of items for sale online you are only given a few days to decide if you would like to return an item.
After your refund has been processed you can buy a smaller water softener and this time also make sure to measure the space where you are planning to place it in order to avoid any future nasty surprises.
The second option you have will likely cost you a lot more money and time, what you can do is to try and extend the place where you want to place your water softener. However, this carries a big risk of something going wrong so it is usually better to just return your oversized water softener and find another one that is able to fit in the designated location in your home.
Can a Compact Water Softener Be Used in a Vehicle?
Yes, a compact water softener can be used in a vehicle without any problems as long as it is able to fit and there is also the necessary piping put in place for the appliance to be placed onto.
Although it may seem like a strange thing to do to some people, actually putting in water softeners in vehicles is nothing new and in fact, the majority of compact water softeners for sale today are mostly targeted at people who are looking to add a smaller water softener in one of their vehicles.
Can a Compact Water Softener Be Installed Outside?
Yes, a compact water softener can be installed outside in the majority of cases without any issues. Where the issues do arise however is if you live in a very cold country or in a country that becomes very cold during select seasons.
If any type of water softener is left outside in freezing temperatures there is a risk of one of the pipes cracking due to the cold and bursting.
Conclusion
To conclude, compact water softeners are a great tool to buy for a property or a vehicle.
Out of the three options that were presented there was not a lot of difference between them however the Lotus Whole House Water Filter and Water Conditioner is the best one thanks to its nice design that allows it to more easily fit into the tight spaces it is most likely destined to go into as well as the widely praised customer service from the company that manufactures this water appliance, but it does come at a very hefty price that is over three times that of the Mobile-Soft-Water Portable Softener.
If you happen to have a very tight but long space in your property, then a good option for you will be the On The Go Water Softener & Conditioner which is a very well built, sturdy device that is pretty basic but does the job and is made from good quality materials so it will last for many years to come.
At the end of the day people who are shopping around for a compact water softener probably want to save some money which is why the Mobile-Soft-Water Portable Softener may be the right option for you, the product comes with post-sale support where you can get in contact with the customer support team of the manufacturers of the website if you have any problems or questions.
Also, it is only 15 inches in length making it one of the smallest water softeners on the market with the ability to fit in the smallest spaces possible for this kind of appliance to be to go in.
Wayne is a water quality expert – The founder of Water Filter Data. He has a degree in microbiology and his field of expertise is drinking water. His goal is to allow for clean and healthy water for as many people as possible.
