2301 E Yeager Drive Suite #4

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(480) 486-8018

EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE

480-828-2363

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Call Now

(480) 486-8018

EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE

480-828-2363

Schedule Maintenance

Salt-Free Water
Treatment in Arizona

Reduce Scale Without Salt or Heavy Maintenance

Salt-free water treatment systems are a great option for Arizona homeowners who want the benefits of reduced scale buildup without using salt, electricity, or backflushing cycles. Instead of removing hardness minerals, salt-free conditioners use Template Assisted Crystallization (TAC) to change the structure of minerals so they can’t form scale inside pipes, fixtures, or appliances.

This means no slippery “soft water” feel, no added sodium, and almost no ongoing maintenance—just cleaner water and better protection for your home.

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Clean H2O PRO’S

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Residential Solution

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Salt-Free systems are buzzing around the water market, so much so that Clean H2O PRO'S wants to make sure that you have the right information – so you can select the right equipment for your home.

The term “salt-free water system” is a bit misleading – as these systems do not remove hardness minerals (calcium and magnesium) from your water. A “salt-free water system” is actually a Carbon Filter – which does not solve the issue of Arizona’s hard water & the mess it leaves behind. 

With a carbon filter – the minerals remain in the water, you’ll still experience many of the side-effects of hard water: spots on dishes and glassware, dry skin and hair, soap scum, etc.

Why This Matters in Arizona

Homes in the Phoenix area and broader Arizona commonly face very hard water, residential water hardness in Phoenix is typically around 12 – 24 grains per gallon (gpg). 

Your water hardness matters when it comes to the equipment you use to treat your water – 

For reference – a salt-free conditioner is realistically useful in situations where the hardness is very low — for example in the 0-2 gpg range. If you install a salt-free system in a home where the hardness is ~12 gpg, it will not remove those hardness minerals. As a result, many of the problems of hard water (scale, spots, dry skin/hair) will persist—just at a slightly reduced rate perhaps—but they won’t go away.

What Salt-Free Systems Can & Can’t Do

What they can:

  • Act like a carbon block/conditioner: reduce some tastes, chlorine, certain organic compounds (depending on media)
  • Reduce some scale formation by converting hardness minerals so they’re less likely to stick (depending on flow, temperature, concentration)
  • Require no salt (because it’s a carbon filter), and no wastewater discharge
  • Lower maintenance and no ongoing salt refills

What they cannot do:

  • Remove calcium and magnesium (hardness minerals) to give you “soft” water
  • Prevent all of the scale, spots, dry skin/hair problems associated with very hard water
  • Replace a full softening system in a home where hardness is high (e.g., 10 gpg or more)

The Right Approach for Arizona Homes

Given the high average hardness here, we recommend this strategy:

  • First, test your water for hardness (in grains / gpg or ppm).
  • If your reading is 2 gpg or below, then a salt-free carbon/conditioner type system (like the AO Smith ONE Filter) may suffice.
  • If your reading is significantly higher (for example 10-20 gpg, as is common in Phoenix), you’ll need a true ion-exchange water softener to remove hardness minerals.
  • Use the AO Smith ONE Filter (carbon block) in conjunction with a softener: the softener handles the hardness removal, the carbon block handles taste, chlorine, organics, and provides additional protection for appliances and plumbing.

Why We Use the AO Smith ONE Filter

The AO Smith ONE Filter is a high-quality carbon block filter that is ideal for the “after” stage once hardness is properly addressed (or for lower-hardness applications). It:

  • Provides robust filtration of chlorine, taste/odor, some organics
  • Requires minimal maintenance
  • Works well in tandem with a water softener for maximum performance and protection of your plumbing, fixtures, hair/skin, and dishes

If you see companies advertising “salt-free water softening” in Arizona, here’s what you should ask and know:

  • “Does this system remove hardness (Ca/Mg) or just condition it?”
  • If the hardness in your area/home is ~10-20 gpg (which is common here), a salt-free system alone will not eliminate the typical problems of hard water.
  • For best results in our region, a combined system (softener + carbon filter) is the proper solution.
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