Water Softener vs Water “Conditioner” — What’s the Difference?

What is a (salt-free) water “conditioner”? How does it work? And is it a better option than a traditional (salt-based) water softener?
This blog seeks to answer these questions, while also providing insight to help you make a more informed decision upon your next potential purchase.
There is another blog however, regarding how a water softener works, that can be found HERE. It may first be beneficial to give it a quick read prior to continuing with this blog, in order to gain a better understanding of how the softening process works with a traditional (salt-based) water softener; for comparison purposes.

Although a number of new emerging water treatment technologies have recently made their way to the market, not all of these new technologies actually do what they claim to; and some in fact, make impossible claims that cannot be verified in any meaningful way (through science or otherwise). This article is meant to shed light on some of these claims, and make comparisons to more traditional methods (such as salt-based water softeners) that have been shown to be very effective over many years.

Lets first define a water “conditioner”. A water conditioner is defined as “an appliance used to improve the condition of water”; and condition is defined as “the state of something with regard to its quality, appearance or working order”. This implies that a water “conditioner” is an appliance meant to improve the “quality, appearance or working order of your water”. Let’s keep that in mind for later and now explain how a water conditioner actually works.
A water “conditioner” works (or claims to work) by utilizing a (new) technology called Template Assisted Crystallization (TAC). A company easily searched online explains the principle behind their technology - “Specially coated bead-resin technology that makes hard water minerals form micro-crystals [encapsulating them] keeping them suspended in water”. In other words, this process does nothing to remove hard water minerals (or any other potential contaminants), it merely “encapsulates” them… whatever that means. The claim is that these new encapsulated minerals won’t stick to things (such as shower walls, pipes, and water heaters). Encapsulated in what exactly? Well your guess is as good as mine, because the technology is proprietary and kept secret.
Although unconvinced myself, even if the technology is somehow shown to be effective, the end-result will merely be a slight improvement in the “working order”, with no regard to the “appearance” or (more importantly) the “quality” of your water whatsoever.
This reply found online pretty much sums it up (in my opinion) regarding this new emerging technology.
- Jake-the-Wonder-Dog replied: “What is a TAC based water conditioner? There are no standards as far as I know. So, everything from electromagnetic snake oil to KDF and virtually anything in between. To my knowledge there is no readily available test to determine if TAC is actually happening. What you are left with is completely subjective interpretation that can be pretty heavily influenced by marketing and how much somebody spent”.

Now that we have a basic understanding of how a water “conditioner” works (or claims to work), let’s talk about water softeners for a moment.
Since you already read the blog regarding How a Water Softener Works, you should be fairly familiar with the softening process (referred to as ion-exchange). In this process ALL hard water minerals are REMOVED from your water, and replaced with small amounts of sodium (or potassium) ions. A water softener (softening resin) will also remove certain amounts of other unwanted minerals, such as iron and manganese. You will notice I highlighted the words “removed” and “all”, because that is exactly what a water softener does, it removes all (hard water) minerals from your water.
You may recall earlier when I asked you to keep in mind the definition of a water “conditioner”. It was defined as “an appliance used to improve the condition of water; with regards to its quality, appearance or working order”. A water softener actually does ALL of those things. It does not encapsulate, or alter, or make safe for pipes or fixtures; it completely removes hard water minerals altogether. This will indeed improve the “appearance and working order” of your water, but also (and much more importantly) it will greatly improve the “quality” of your water. Not only keeping your showers, pipes, fixtures and appliances free from hard water mineral deposits and staining; but also providing great (mineral-free) water for washing, bathing and drinking.

Finally, let’s bring this all together by defining the term water “conditioning”. Water conditioning is defined as “to bring water to a desired state of use”. This implies that any water treatment method that (successfully) brings water to a “desired state of use” is considered “water conditioning”. You’ll notice I highlighted the word “method”, because that is what water conditioning refers to… not a machine (per se), but a method; a verb (condition/conditioning), not a noun (conditioner). A specific method employed by professionals to condition water.

Although there are a number of very effective methods currently employed by water treatment professionals to treat a wide variety of water issues (some of which can be found HERE), and technology has indeed allowed for significant advances in these methods; some actually have been shown to meet their claims, while some may turn out to be nothing more than clever marketing tactics promoted by flashy websites; with little-to-no significant value to the consumer.

So, the question really comes down to what “state of use” you desire in your water. Do you desire removal of hard water minerals FROM your water? or encapsulating hard water minerals IN your water? Ultimately, the choice is yours.
I hope however, by reading this blog, you are now able to make a more informed decision upon your next potential purchase of (either) your next water softener or water “conditioner”.

The advantages of having soft (mineral-free) water are numerous. Softened water will extend the life of plumbing, appliances and water heaters; eliminate limescale buildup and staining on sinks, tubs and fixtures; and provide for softer hair and skin, cleaner laundry, and spotless dishes and cutlery.
Contact us today to get a free water test and expert advise from a qualified water treatment professional.