The Water Blog
Water Softeners
Shopping for a Water Softener?
11/20/20099:31:04 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
When considering buying a water softener it can be quite confusing. This guide is designed to clarify the differences in a consumer's options so a sound decision can be made. Our first installment covers the different types of companies that provide professional water treatment.
Where to Start
Those in need of a water softener really have 4 main places to shop, retail stores such as The Home Depot, Sears, and Lowes, local dealerships, online dealers, and hybrid dealerships.
Retail stores offer low prices but consider the quality of the product. Low end systems simply do not have the quality components to ensure trouble free long term use. If you plan to live in your home for a very short period of time then these systems may be a good choice. However, be prepared for frequent repairs and paying for service fees.
Local dealerships offer higher quality systems than retail stores. The components basically have the same functionality, but are built for longevity. A big advantage going with reputable dealerships such as Culligan, Rainsoft, Kinetico and Texas Water Solutions is they offer superior warranties and ongoing service support. The disadvantage is these dealerships carry large overheads, such as marketing campaign cost, sales commissions, office space, equipment flooring cost, etc. resulting in premium pricing to the consumer. The dealership business model forces the local dealer to pass their overhead on to the consumer, resulting in prices ranging from $3000 to $8000 for a complete water system.
Online dealerships offer the same quality systems as "dealerships" at a reduced price simply because they do not carry the same overhead as traditional dealerships. The risk is your getting equipment shipped to you without the peace of mind of local service. Also the consumer is responsible for installing the equipment. If the equipment is faulty at any time the consumer is responsible for repairs. If the system has major defects the only way to get a new one is to ship it back to the online dealer (usually at the customer’s expense) and wait for a new one to be shipped.
The last option is the Hybrid Dealer, which combines the same factory direct pricing as online dealerships with local service capabilities, giving the customer the best of both worlds. These companies are sometimes called a water brokerage company in that they have secured purchasing power with major manufactures and they "shop" manufactures for the best system at the best price that meets the customers’ needs. The manufacture then ships the equipment to the dealer’s local service cell (not the customer). The hybrid dealer is then responsible (not the customer) for the installation of the equipment and provides ongoing service support. Much like the local dealerships, hybird companies utilize local independent master plumbers and service technicians that are factory trained to handle any service issue. However, the hybrid dealers mostly do their business online or via phone with their customer and carry much lower overhead cost than local dealers, thus the savings for the customer is substantial. Typically a consumer can get the same system a local dealership offers for thousands less
The bottom line is the worst thing you can do is nothing at all. Hard water tends to be very hard on your pocket book, quality of life, and your home. So really, something is better than nothing, but you can get a quality product these days without breaking the bank. Shop around but don't let it stress you out too much!
