General education. Parts vary by model.
Different jobs
Hard water has more dissolved calcium and magnesium, which is what leaves scale on fixtures. A conventional softener uses resin to exchange those minerals for sodium or potassium.
A filter uses media or cartridges and has a different purpose. A softener isn't a filter and a filter isn't a softener, even when one cabinet holds both.
What a combo is
A combo pairs softening with a filter stage, in one tank or two. It's convenient when you want both, and it's more equipment to fit and maintain when you only need one.
Check your utility first
Some South Florida utilities describe softening as part of their treatment. Most annual reports here don't print a hardness number, so read yours, and ask the utility if the number isn't there. If you don't need a softener, you shouldn't pay for one.
What owning one involves
A salt-based softener comes with a few things people forget to ask about.
- Space for a second tank, the one that holds salt.
- A drain for the rinse water and an outlet for the valve.
- Bags of salt, carried and poured on an ongoing basis.
