Renting vs. Buying Water Softener

Do you have hard water issues? Are the effects of hard water starting to become apparent in your home’s fixtures and appliances or on your skin or hair? It may be time to invest in a water softener system. 

A water softener ensures your home’s water isn’t hard. Before investing in a system, it’s crucial to determine your options — buying or renting. Depending on your circumstances, one option may be more beneficial than the other. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of renting or buying a water softener will help you decide and start returning your water levels to normal.

Why Is a Water Softener Important?

Installing a water softener will help eliminate the hard water you are enduring at home. Hard water has a high concentration of magnesium and calcium or calcium carbonate. The residue left behind by the minerals can build up and damage your plumbing and appliances over time. Before considering renting versus buying a water softener, measure your water’s hardness to confirm if the system is necessary. If your water has a hard measurement, it’s time to consider getting a water softener.

Taking care of hard water will ensure you don’t have to worry about the potential costs of replacing your plumbing or water-using appliances.

Water softener systems consist of a main and brine tank. The main tank has resin beads to clean and soften your water, while the brine tank contains a saltwater solution that cleans the main tank and breaks down the calcium carbonate particles collected from your water. The water softener’s mechanisms are crucial to removing the properties that make your home’s water hard.

When to Buy a Water Softener

You have two options for installing a water softener: buying or renting. Purchasing a water softener provides many benefits for homeowners, such as:

• Adding value to your home: Like other property additions, adding a water softener can increase your house’s value. A new system that works for a long time can make your home more appealing if you plan to put it on the market.
• Offering flexibility in choosing the system: Buying a water softener rather than renting it provides more flexibility in selecting the type of system you want. By renting, you will often have limited choices in available systems.
• Reducing costs in the long term: Buying a water softener can reduce long-term costs. A new system can lower utility costs because your home can experience less wear and tear. An effective water softener can prevent the need to replace appliances and plumbing systems.

Buying water softeners also has some disadvantages:

• Larger upfront cost: Buying and installing a new water softener can be expensive for many people. If you want to buy a system, ensure you can pay for it, whether having the money in full or seeing if payment plans are available.
• Long-term ROI: With how expensive a new water softener is, you may only see the financial benefits after a few years of using it. 
• Regular maintenance fees: To have your water softener serviced, you’ll have to pay a fee to have a professional inspect it. 

Depending on your needs for a water softener, purchasing one could be your best option. If you own your house or plan to retire in it, buying a water softener would be a better choice. The water softener system will be yours for as long as you own the home.

How Much Does Buying a Water Softener Cost?

Water softener systems are an expensive investment. Depending on the model, buying and installing a system can cost anywhere from $200 to $6,000. Your water softener’s cost also depends on your home’s size and location. If you have a big family that uses a lot of water, you should install a water softener with enough capacity to soften the water properly. Additionally, some U.S. regions naturally have harder water, making the type of system you get even more critical.

When to Rent a Water Softener

If you don’t own the property or don’t see yourself living in your current home for the rest of your life, renting may be a better option. Water softener rentals function the same as systems you buy but have advantages like:

• Little commitment: If you move or don’t like your current water softener system, you have more leeway to change it. Renting a softener has less commitment than purchasing a new system.
• Packaged maintenance fees: Some water softener rentals have a package deal with maintenance and repair. Depending on your contract, you could have a professional regularly inspect and maintain your water softener without an additional expense. Your rental plan could also include free replacements if your system stops working or breaks.
• More affordability: Renting helps offset a water softener’s upfront cost. People with smaller budgets can still take care of their hard water without investing more than they can afford.

While there are many advantages, there are some disadvantages to renting water softeners, including:

• Limited model choice: You may not have a choice of the type of water softener system you receive while renting. Some rental places have a limited amount, so you could end up with a model that doesn’t match your preferences.
• Used equipment: There’s also a possibility of receiving a used water softener. You might only know the condition of a rental water softener once it arrives for installation.
• More expensive in the long run: Renting can become costly in the long run. You could pay more for the rental equipment over time than the initial price of purchasing a water softener. 

How Much Does Renting a Water Softener Cost?

The cost to rent a water softener varies based on the system’s quality and type, the equipment lender and potential maintenance and repair expenses. On average, you could pay $20 to $50 per month for a water softener rental. More expensive model rentals could average $100 per month.

Contact Culligan Water for Water Softener Solutions

You have many choices for renting or buying a water softener system. Consider Culligan Water when you want to see your options for water softeners that will work best for your property. We can conduct a free in-home water analysis to find your home’s water hardness and suggest the right size water softener for your house. 

Start your journey to better water by scheduling your water analysis with us today!