Soft water helps water flow smoothly in plumbing. Hard water causes mineral deposits 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 less than 18 months. Soft water preserves the brilliance and full flow for faucets and showerheads, nearly as well as the day they were added.

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

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

The mineral deposits in hard water make limescale when heated. This can coat the heating elements in your appliances, lowering life span and efficiency.

As a result, your appliances may need frequent repairs or need to be swapped out earlier.

Soft water maintains the efficiency of water heaters.

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

If you use an electric water heater, up to 30 pounds of rock-like scale can pile up in the tank from hard water. The scale is an inferior heat conductor. It can shorten the life of your heating element, because it has to work longer to heat water.

Hard water minerals accumulate on your skin and in your hair, causing it to dry out. It can also cause painful razor burn.

Soft water is superior at cleaning soap residue, so you’ll have silkier skin and sleeker hair. Plus, your clothes will look brighter and your dishes will have fewer spots.

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

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