Extend the Life of Your Appliances with a Water Softener in Champaign

Most homes in North America have hard water—89.3 percent in the U.S. and 85 percent in Canada.

It’s safe to drink hard water, but it can cause problems in your Champaign home:

• Mineral collection in plumbing and appliances
• Reddish streaks in toilets
• Faded clothing and rough towels
• Lackluster skin and hair
• Splotches on dishes, flatware and glasses
• Low flow rate during showers

Water softening solutions from Chief/Bauer Service Experts can address your home water trouble and bring you fresher drinking water.

Whether you’re starting to check out water softeners or you need water softener repair, our group of specialists are here to help.

Need a new water conditioning system for one reasonable monthly payment? Check with us for more information about our Advantage Program™.¹

Benefits of Using a Water Softener

It’s economical to run a water softener. It needs less than $3 in electricity year-round.²

A water softener only needs about 2.5 pounds of salt. That’s 80 percent less salt than dial-style softeners.

Soft water can make cleaning easier, help your appliances last longer and help you avoid plumbing clogs.

Clog-Free Plumbing and Fixtures

Soft water helps water flow freely in plumbing. Hard water causes mineral coatings to build up in your pipes and fixtures. This can cause clogs and lower water pressure.

Showerheads in homes with hard water can lose 75 percent of their flow rate in fewer than 18 months. Soft water preserves the luster and full flow for faucets and showerheads, nearly as well as the day they were put in.

Soft water is low in minerals. It doesn’t cause deposits in pipes or constrict water flow in fixtures.

Longer-Lasting Appliances

Over time, hard water can cause minerals to become concentrated in your washing machine and dishwasher.

The mineral deposits in hard water form limescale when they become warm. This can spread over the heating elements in your appliances, lowering life span and efficiency.

As a result, your appliances may need repeated service or need to be exchanged sooner.

Efficient Water Heaters

Soft water preserves the efficiency of water heaters.

Gas storage and tankless water heaters using soft water hold on to the factory efficiency rating over a 15-year life span. In comparison, using hard water for a gas water heater can lower efficiency by up to 48 percent.

If you own an electric water heater, up to 30 pounds of rock-like scale can build up in the tank from hard water. The scale is a bad heat conductor. It can decrease the life of your heating element, because it has to work more to heat water.

Soft Skin, Brighter Laundry and Cleaner Dishes

Hard water minerals build up on your skin and in your hair, triggering it to look dull. It can also cause painful razor burn.

Soft water is superior at washing away soap residue, so you’ll have smoother skin and shinier hair. Plus, your clothes will look brighter and your dishes will have fewer spots.

Less Soap and Cleaning Time

When you have hard water, you have to use extra soap for a decent lather. The minerals in hard water react with soap. This forms a scum on sinks.

With soft water, you won’t need to use as much time cleaning to remove soap scum. You’ll also use less cleaning supplies.

What You Need to Know About Hard Water and Water Softener Systems

What is Hard Water?

Hard water has more minerals than ordinary water.

What is a Water Softener System?

It’s an appliance that eliminates extra minerals like calcium and magnesium. It also lowers chlorine, iron and volatile organic compounds.

How Long Does a Water Softener Last?

A water softener that’s the correct size for your home will last for many years. Its age depends on the manufacturer and how much you use it.

How Much Does a Water Softener Cost?

Some water softeners are more efficient than others. As a result, the price may differ.

Costs can also be different based on how hard your water is and how much water you consume. If your water is especially hard and is used frequently, softening expenses will go up.

Is Softened Water Safe to Drink?

Softened water has all the natural minerals we need. While a little bit of sodium is mixed in during the softening process, softened water is absolutely safe to drink.

What’s the Quality of My Drinking Water?

Water quality varies by geography and processing levels. It can also be impacted by construction, mining, agriculture and mineral deposits your groundwater runs through.

You can learn if there are chemicals in your home’s drinking water.

The Environmental Working Group maintains a free database of more than 30 million state records of tap water tests. About 81 percent of community water plants analyzed in the U.S. contain chemicals associated with cancer, according to the group’s research.

Can Brine from Softeners Damage my Septic Tank?

A study by the Water Quality Association discovered a septic tank can’t be hurt by brine discharged by a water softener. The tanks that were studied were correctly placed and working normally.

Softened water may help decrease detergents being let into your septic tank.

Softer Water, Guaranteed

Hard water problems? Call us at 217-689-2469 or request an appointment online.

One of our professionals can figure out if you need a water softener.

We stand behind our work with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee³ for a year. That means we’ll get the job done right the first time, whether you need us to service your water softener or install a new one.

¹Some exclusions apply.
²Based on manufacturer’s information and assumptions. Savings may vary based on the type of system you use.
³Not applicable to the Advantage Program. See your signed Advantage Program Agreement for full details and exclusions. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee is subject to certain restrictions and limitations as set forth in the applicable Terms and Conditions.