"softened water usually means fewer issues and longer lifespan for fixtures."
Yeah, when we moved in our faucets kept clogging up every few months. I installed a softener last year (bit of a hassle tbh) but now the flow's way better... wondering if it'll help the dishwasher too?
I've noticed dishwashers seem to run quieter after installing a softener, maybe less mineral buildup on the spray arms? Curious if anyone's checked their heating elements afterward... does softened water reduce scale there too?
Hmm, quieter dishwasher makes sense... but wouldn't heating elements still get hot enough to burn off most buildup anyway? Has anyone actually compared elements before and after softening? Seems like scale might not be as big an issue there.
I've wondered about this too, actually. A few years ago, we switched to softened water at home, and I was pretty skeptical about whether it'd make much difference with heating elements. Here's what I noticed:
- Before softening, our kettle element had a noticeable white crust after just a few weeks. Sure, the heat probably burned off some buildup, but it still needed descaling every month or so.
- After installing the water softener, that buildup practically disappeared. I maybe descale once a year now, and even then it's minimal—more like a quick rinse than a full-on cleaning.
- Same goes for the dishwasher heating element. While it's true that the element gets hot enough to burn off some deposits, it doesn't seem to completely prevent scale buildup over time. The softer water definitely reduced how often I have to clean it.
So yeah, while heating elements do get hot enough to handle some of the scale, in my experience they don't completely eliminate the issue. Softened water makes maintenance easier and less frequent overall. Plus, appliances seem to last longer without the constant battle against mineral deposits.
On the quieter dishwasher thing... not sure how big a difference that makes practically speaking (our dishwasher was always pretty quiet), but I guess every little bit helps if noise bothers you.
Interesting observations on the softened water. I've noticed something similar at my place, but honestly, I never really thought about it until reading your post. We don't have a water softener installed, and the kettle definitely gets crusty pretty fast—probably every few weeks or so. I just assumed that was normal and part of the deal with hard water.
But now you've got me wondering... does softened water affect faucet lifespan too? Like, do faucets themselves last longer or need fewer repairs if you're running softened water through them? I've replaced a couple of cartridges over the years because they got stiff or started dripping, and I'm curious if mineral buildup inside the faucet itself could be causing that.
Also, about dishwasher noise—ours is pretty quiet too, but I've noticed it seems louder when there's scale buildup around the spray arms. Maybe it's just me imagining things, but after a good clean-out, it always seems to run smoother and quieter for a while. Could be coincidence though.
Anyway, your experience makes me think maybe it's worth looking into softening our water after all. Just not sure if it's worth the upfront cost and maintenance hassle...
