Choosing Your Industrial Water Softener

A commercial or industrial water softener is designed to address the multiple challenges that water hardness can bring to a broad variety of industries, from restaurants and hotels to healthcare, manufacturing, consumer applications, and more. However, there are several factors to consider when it comes to investing in one of these solutions — so how do you choose the one that’s right for you?

To select a softener system, you should consider:

• How it can reduce operating costs and increase ROI
• Where it can improve efficiency
• Advanced capabilities the system offers
• The ability to consult a water treatment professional
• Your partner’s longevity in the business and expertise in water treatment
• The availability of ongoing, end-to-end service and support

Ready to dive in? Here’s what to know about choosing commercial and industrial water softeners.

What To Know About a Commercial/Industrial Water Softener

If you’re looking for a water softener system, you likely already know that scale buildup from hard water can reduce the efficiency and lifetime of water-using systems, increase operating costs and lead to downtime. With soft water, you can increase the lifespan of that equipment and lower maintenance costs.

But when it comes to water treatment, you have choices. That’s why it’s important to research options for an industrial or commercial water softener before purchasing.

To begin, make sure you know:

• How it works: A commercial/industrial water softener is a high-quality water treatment system designed to remove minerals like calcium and magnesium, supporting the efficiency and longevity of your equipment and improving water quality in various applications.
• Available features: Advanced system accessories can give you greater control over your water treatment so you can revolutionize your business. With Culligan water softeners, available options include integrated flow meters, remote monitoring, brine reclaim, and Aqua-Sensor® control, which allows softeners to regenerate only when necessary based on water hardness and consumption, making the systems more efficient.
• Cost: This will vary in price depending on your water softener’s size, capacity, features, installation requirements and more.
• Benefits: Soft water means no more scale buildup — and that means reduced operating costs, improved efficiencies and increased ROI for your operations.

Water Softener Selection: Consider These Questions

Once you get the basics out of the way, it’s best to focus on specific requirements for your organization, from healthcare facilities to hotels, manufacturing operations or other industries. A water treatment professional can assist in answering these questions.

Ask yourself (or your teams) these questions:

Why Do We Need a Water Softener?

Because general benefits may not be enough to encourage decision-makers to invest in a commercial or industrial water softener, it’s helpful to consider why your specific organization needs water softening solutions. Try focusing on ROI by asking:

• Could softened water feeding a boiler help reduce utility bills, increase equipment lifespan, save money on chemicals and lower operating costs? How often do you clean your boiler, and how often is the blow-down on the system?
• Will we maximize and maintain consistent product quality?
• What is your current rate of rejection of a product, what is your cost to maintain the current system, when was the last time you did an efficiency review of your current system and what projects do you foresee related to expansion or upgrading of your current system?
• Will we see benefits like reduced labor costs, savings on chemicals, brighter/whiter/softer linens with increased textile life, easier cleaning, spot-free tableware, better-tasting food and beverages, and improved customer experience?

How Much Water Do We Use?

Don’t rely on rough estimates — get as close to exact numbers as possible. The best commercial and industrial water softeners regenerate based on your water usage, which means this data will help you choose the right system for your needs.

How Hard Is Our Water?

Water hardness is another key measurement when determining the correct water softener system. Our certified analytical lab provides a variety of water quality tests to help determine the best water softener for your specific application. You can choose systems that have “grain capacity” to handle the toughest of jobs.

What Options Do We Need?

When it comes to commercial/industrial water softening, you may not need the fanciest features — but you certainly need the most functional ones. Do your research to find out what adds value to your operation. Options include advanced electronic capabilities, alarm recognition, remote monitoring, brine reclaim, progressive flow, and efficiency-focused features like Aqua-Sensor.

Industrial Water Softener FAQs

Want to learn more about commercial and industrial water treatment? Check out these FAQs:

Do All Water Softeners Work The Same Way?

Although most water softeners have the same basic parts — such as a brine tank, resin tank and control valve — other features may differ. For example, some may have single- or multiple-tank configurations, different monitoring systems and displays, varying options for regeneration and more.

How Important Is Soft Water?

The importance of soft water depends on your industry and specific needs, but there are three basic elements:

• Water quality: Softened water is better water, helping reduce scaling, downtime, aesthetic issues and more.
• Investment protection: Soft water prevents issues that could limit the ROI of water-using equipment, chemicals, product quality and processes.
• Cost savings: When you use soft water, you can save money on everything from energy consumption to machinery maintenance.

Does Everyone Need a Water Softener?

Hard water problems differ based on geographic location, your water source, the nature of your business and more. However, a huge variety of organizations can benefits from water softening, including:

• Foodservice: With water treatment solutions, enjoy better-tasting water, spot-free glasses and dishes, reduced maintenance repairs and overall operating costs. Making these improvements can enhance the customer’s dining experience and increase the chances for repeat business.
• Healthcare: Whether it’s for patients, healthcare workers or clinics, higher-quality water can benefit a variety of applications within your healthcare facility.
  Manufacturing: Help reduce maintenance spend on parts and equipment, improve system efficiency and conserve more water along the way.
  Hospitality: Elevate the guest experience with great-tasting water and ice, as well as softer, brighter linens. With soft water, you can also prevent scale buildup and increase equipment lifespan while reducing costs and detergent usage.
• Hospitality: Elevate the guest experience with great-tasting water and ice, as well as softer, brighter linens. With soft water, you can also prevent scale buildup and increase equipment lifespan while reducing costs and detergent usage.
• Education: From daycares to universities, commercial and industrial water treatment solutions provide benefits everyone can enjoy. Provide cleaner drinking water for students and staff, cut down on labor and costs, and improve sustainability efforts by reducing water waste.
• Industrial: Keep your facility running efficiently while increasing profitability, with ways to reduce your wastewater discharge, increase energy efficiency and grow ROI.

Get Your Organization’s Ideal Water Softener

No matter what kind of operation you’re running, the last thing you want is hard water. From scale buildup to reduced energy efficiency, increased operating costs and more, this water problem can cause a lot of trouble.

However, this doesn’t mean you should select just any water softener. Instead, do your research and consult a water treatment professional for the best, most cost-effective path to better water for you and your team.

Our experts can help answer your questions and highlight the best options for your organization. Schedule your free consultation today.