Water Softener Rental vs. Purchase: What You Need To Know

If you have limescale spots and buildup, dry skin and hair, scratchy laundry and decreased efficiency in water-using appliances, your home likely needs a water softener. But what’s the best way to get one?

You have two basic options: rental and purchase. The basic elements of each choice are roughly the same:

• Price and budget
• Maintenance requirements
• Softening needs
• Water softener type

While the considerations may be similar, the answers differ between water softener rental and purchase, especially when it comes to price. That’s why it’s important to know what you’re getting into and which option is best for your home.

Here’s a closer look at how to make water softening work for you.

Water Softener: Buy or Rent?

One of the most important steps in water softening is choosing the right system — and that includes deciding how you’ll get it. The truth is that both buying and renting can have benefits depending on your situation, which is why it’s important to consider both:

Buying Your Water Softener

Purchasing a water softening system is a fairly straightforward process. You choose the right model for your needs with help from your local Culligan water expert, review purchase or financing options and schedule your installation. It’s that easy to get soft water for years to come.

Here’s a closer look at the pros and cons of buying:

Pros

• Flexible financing: When you buy a softener, you can often put little to no money down and choose from a variety of affordable payment options.
• Maintenance plans: You can add maintenance and repair agreements to get even more out of your Culligan water system.
• Salt delivery: Scheduled on your time, salt delivery options make it easy to keep your new water softener functioning at full capacity without interruption.
• Ongoing value: Purchasing a softener adds value to your home and provides ongoing protection for plumbing, fixtures and water-using appliances.
• Ownership: If you finance or purchase your softener outright, you’ll eventually pay off the system, which means no monthly fees.

Cons

• Investment: While it’s possible to take your water softener with you if you’re going to move to a new home, it may not make sense based on your new home’s water quality, pipe size and other factors. In that case, your investment would stay with the property. That said, having a water softener installed adds value to your home during the sale process.
• Permanence: When you purchase a softener, that’s the one you’ll keep until you pay to have it replaced. If you want a newer model or updated technology, you can’t just make a quick swap.

Ready to explore your options?
Shop our lineup of water softening systems.

Renting Your Water Softener

When you choose to rent your water softening system, you get all the benefits without strict commitment. You’ll still go through the process of choosing the right model for your home’s needs — but instead of making a purchase, you’ll sign a rental agreement that specifies payment terms and contract length.

Here’s what to know about water softener rentals:

Pros

• Flexible financing: You often can choose among payment options, including month-to-month and long-term agreements. No matter what you choose, you’ll get one monthly fee that covers everything.
• Maintenance plans: Your regular fee covers all equipment servicing and repairs. That means you don’t have to worry about additional costs or effort.
• Salt delivery: Adding on salt delivery service is an effective solution for rented water softeners, too. It eliminates the need to worry about salt types and schedules.
• Rent to own: If you decide you want to purchase your unit, you can contact your local dealer for details about equity arrangements or “rent to buy” options, as this may be an option as well.
• Non-homeowner option: If you don’t own your home, renting a water softener may be the best solution for hard water problems, provided you get permission from your landlord to have it installed.
• Upgrades: When you rent, you often have the flexibility to upgrade to the latest systems and technologies as they become available.

Cons

• Investment: Depending on the length of your agreement and your financing options, you might end up paying more in the long run.
• Impermanence: As with any standard rental agreement, you don’t get to keep the softener when the contract is up (unless you choose a rent-to-own option).

What To Consider When Buying or Renting Your Water Softener

No matter how you choose to address the hard water minerals responsible for limescale, dry hair and more, you’ll need to consider some basic elements. These include:

Your Financial Situation

It’s likely no surprise that your finances will play the biggest role in choosing a water softener and deciding whether to buy or rent it.

For many, renting is the best option because it provides plenty of cost flexibility — particularly month-to-month contracts, which allow you to end the agreement if you don’t want to continue regular payments. For others, buying is a better option because it creates longer-term value.

However, the biggest cost consideration is usually this one: How much more are you already spending to deal with the problems hard water causes — more cleaning supplies; more detergents, soaps and shampoos; more appliance repairs and even appliance replacement — because you have hard water?

System Price

The next element to consider is the system’s price — both upfront and lifetime.

Keep in mind that this will differ between financing plans. That’s why it’s important to get all of the details before you make any final decisions. Think about:

• What you’ll pay at the beginning of the rental contract or purchase agreement
• What your monthly payment will look like
• Whether maintenance is automatically included
• How long the system will last or how long you expect to keep it

Water Softener Considerations

Once you move past the financial factors, it’s time to look at the water softener itself. You’ll have two main considerations:

• Size: The right size for a water softener depends on your home’s hardness levels and water usage habits. This may also impact the overall price and the amount of salt you’ll need regularly.
• Type: There are different types of water softeners depending on budget, water quality, preferences, home requirements and more.

Another key element is the features included with your water softener. These can vary, so remember to ask questions about what’s included — for example, Wi-Fi connectivity that allows you to track water usage and get maintenance alerts right from your smartphone.

Maintenance Requirements

When you rent a Culligan water treatment system, you’ll get maintenance as part of the package. It’s important to know what that covers so you can get a clear picture of the value you’re signing up for. The same is true if you add maintenance agreements to the purchase price of your softener.

Keep in mind that systems may have varying maintenance requirements based on their features, size, type and more. You can ask your local Culligan water expert what the differences are before making any decisions.

Future Plans

Your future plans should be part of the story when choosing how to get a water softener. Ask yourself questions like these:

For renters:

• Will the landlord allow a water softener?
• How long do we expect to continue renting this property?
• Are we planning on owning a home in the near future?

For homeowners:

• How long are we staying in this home?
• How much have we spent on water-using appliances and how much will soft water help us protect these investments?
• Are we planning or budgeting for any big costs?

Water Softeners Explained

Ready to learn more about softening water and the systems that make it happen? Here’s a closer look:

Water Softener Basics

The basic function of a water softener is simple: Water flows through the system and comes out softened on the other side. But what makes this possible?

A water softener generally has two tanks: one for resin and one for a brine solution. The first holds tiny resin beads that attract and trap hard water minerals. The second holds salt water that helps rinse those beads in a process called regeneration. When you refill your softener’s salt, you’re giving it what it needs to keep making that brine solution and regenerating on a set schedule or when necessary.

Hard Water Problems

As you decide between different systems, prices and payment agreements, it’s often helpful to remember why you wanted soft water in the first place.

Hard water problems are caused by too much calcium and magnesium. These minerals can build up on fixtures and glass, all around bathtubs or showers, inside plumbing systems and even on your skin, hair and scalp. They reduce the lather and effectiveness of soap, shampoo and cleaning products, which is part of the reason they’re so difficult to clean away.

When a water softener flushes out those minerals, you could see all kinds of benefits, including:

• Improved water pressure
• Healthier-looking hair, skin and nails
• Brighter, better-smelling laundry
• Increased efficiency in water-using appliances

Water Filtration vs. Softening

It’s important to know that softening and filtering water are two separate processes. While some softeners have built-in filtration elements for chlorine or iron, most are designed to remove hardness minerals only. Fortunately, a filtration system can complement a softener to address drinking water quality concerns like contaminants, odors, tastes and colors.*

Take The First Step Toward Better Water

When it comes to buying vs. renting a water softener, there’s no “right” answer. The decision depends on considerations like your unique needs, financial situation and future plans.

However, one thing remains constant, and that’s the need for water testing. This crucial step tells you how hard your water is and whether any additional contaminants are present that need separate filtration solutions. With this information in hand, you can choose the right softener and how you’ll get it.

Start today by scheduling your free, in-home water test and consultation.