With a sediment filter and water softener, you can treat the hard water-causing stains and remove any dissolved particles that make the water cloudy. These two systems share a few similarities, but how do they compare?
Whether installing a water softener system or a point-of-use sediment filter, we have strived to give homeowners access to filtration systems that best suit their homes since 2007. At Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Air, we have installed and serviced thousands of water softeners and sediment filters. We have seen how different and similar these two systems are, so homeowners can gain this insider knowledge when deciding on a water treatment system.
We’ll compare water softeners and sediment filters in the following areas.
- Effectiveness
- Technological design
- Impact on the environment
- Warranty
- Costs
- Maintenance
Once you review the similarities and differences, you can determine if one or both of these systems are the right choices for your home.
Let’s get started!
What’s the Difference Between a Sediment Filter and a Water Softener?
These two systems treat water but function differently in achieving filtered water. Water softeners and sediment filters have different purposes when treating water.
When deciding between a sediment filter and a water softener, the first question homeowners should ask themselves is, what do they want to get out of their water? If you want to take advantage of soft water benefits, a water softener is the way to go. On the other hand, if you want to remove physical particles from your water, then a sediment filter is the better choice.
It’s also entirely possible to have both of these systems installed together.
Some water softener systems use sediment filtration as a prefilter. The sediment prefilter prevents any physical contaminants from flowing into the water and keeps them from possibly clogging the water softener.
These two systems can complement each other and effectively improve the water quality in a home, but how effective are they on their own? In the following section, we’ll compare the effectiveness of water softeners and sediment filters.
Effectiveness
Despite operating differently, water softeners and sediment filters effectively treat water. Water softeners will always transform hard water into soft water unless there’s a problem with the system. Alternatively, sediment filters can effectively remove 85% to 99% of dissolved solids contaminating the water.
Sediment filtration targets contaminants like rust, dirt, soil, sand, and other suspended solids. Even so, a sediment filter cannot filter out other contaminants such as chlorine and hydrogen sulfide. To remove these chemicals, a carbon filter is required.
In contrast to sediment filtration, water softeners are designed to remove contaminants responsible for causing hard water: calcium and magnesium.
Although these two minerals do not affect the taste of water, they can cause scale to build up on fixtures and appliances. With a water softener, the scale will be significantly reduced.
Removing contaminants requires unique technical designs, whether it’s a sediment filter or water softener.
Technology
Water softeners and sediment filters can filter water thanks to their technical designs. Sediment filters are covered in tiny pores measured in micrometers that allow water to pass through but trap contaminants larger than the indicated micron rating. So, a sediment filter with a micron rating of five indicates that any physical particles larger than 0.0001 inches cannot pass through the filter.
Water softening systems have a resin tank, a brine tank, and a control head unit mounted on top of the resin tank. The resin tank contains resin beads and salt water from the brine tank. Once hard water enters the tank, calcium and magnesium are replaced with sodium ions (salt), and the water is softened without causing it to taste salty.
In terms of size, water softeners take up more space, whereas sediment filters are usually single cartridges. Smaller sediment filters can be built into showerheads and faucets or as point-of-entry sediment filters installed right after a home’s water line.
Regardless of their sizes, sediment filters and water softeners will filter water as intended. By treating water, these systems can impact the environment in more ways than one.
Environmental Impact
When it comes to environmental impact, water softeners can potentially cause harm, whereas sediment filters don’t. In fact, sediment filters can help reduce reliance on plastic water bottles due to providing filtered, drinkable water. Water softeners may have an adverse effect on the environment due to their brine discharge.
To produce soft water efficiently, water softeners have a regeneration cycle where they flush out any hard water minerals trapped by the resin beads. The brine water is then discharged into a drain and ends up at a wastewater treatment facility.
The issue is that these facilities don’t always have the capability or are not designed to treat salt concentrations. Some of this wastewater can end up in natural habitats where the salt can damage ecosystems.
To combat this, state legislation passed a bill allowing communities like Santa Clarita Valley the power to write into law and enforce a water softener ban. The bill is only specified against water softeners and not sediment filters.
Water softeners and sediment filters aren’t just different in how they can impact the environment but also in their warranty terms.
Warranty
The warranty coverage for a water softener and a sediment filter varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. The following information is an overview of the commonly seen warranties for these systems. If you own any of these filtration systems, review the warranty information it comes with.
Water softeners usually have a one or five-year warranty on the entire system, and the tanks and parts that makeup water softeners can come with their warranties. For example, the resin tank, the brine tank, and the control head unit can have a coverage period of five to 10 years. Some manufacturers can offer limited or lifetime warranty for these parts as well.
Sediment filters are covered for one to five years and, in some instances, 10 years. Regardless of their coverage time, the terms are generally the same. Any failures or loss of operation due to defects are usually covered.
The warranty can help consumers save money on repairs. But in terms of overall price, water softeners tend to cost more than sediment filters.
Costs
When it comes to pricing, sediment filters cost less than water softeners. A water softener can cost $5,300 to $8,500, and, depending on their size, sediment filters can cost as low as under $50 to around $3,000 for whole-house sediment filtration.
One of the biggest factors that affect pricing is installation costs. It’s best to have a technician come and install a whole-house sediment filter and water softener.
You may have to pay installation fees, but this can ensure that there aren’t any future problems due to improper installation. A bad installation can also void a warranty, depending on the manufacturer of the water filtration system.
One other way to void the warranty on these filtration systems is to neglect to maintain them. Sediment filter and water softener maintenance are important, but both systems differ in how much maintenance they require.
Maintenance
Both of these systems require some form of routine maintenance, yet water softeners require more care than sediment filters. Sediment filtration systems have filter cartridges that can be replaced or are reusable. Depending on the size of the filter, it is recommended to check the sediment filter once every month.
Water softeners cannot soften water without rock salts. The brine tank contains rock salts, which must be checked monthly. Homeowners are also responsible for buying bags of rock salts. Replacing the salt can be done either by the homeowner or by contacting a technician.
Having these two systems inspected yearly for any possible underlying problems is also recommended.
Is a Water Softener or Sediment Filter Right for Me?
Sediment filters and softeners are designed to tackle unfiltered water, but both treat it differently. That’s just one difference, but now that you know other distinctions and similarities between the two water treatment systems, you can start thinking about which one suits your home’s water needs.
For over 15 years, we’ve installed thousands of water softeners and have worked with sediment filtration systems too. At Monkey Wrench Plumbing, Heating & Air, our technicians are trained and knowledgeable in these two systems so that they can help homeowners with water softeners and sediment filters.
If you have any questions regarding these two systems, you can get in touch with us by using one of the contact buttons below. You can also book an appointment through our water filtration scheduler.
Whether you’re reviewing sediment filters or water softeners, pricing is one of the most important factors people consider. Check out this article on a cost breakdown for the different types of water treatment systems so you can start preparing a budget for one of these water filters.
