Commercial water softener prices can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including the manufacturer and the size of the system. The cost can also differ depending on where you purchase the unit.
An important thing to keep in mind is that a great deal doesn’t always translate to a great water softener. A lower up-front price, for example, could reflect the lower quality or lower efficiency.
So, what do you need to know to be sure you’re getting high quality for the right price?
Here are the crucial factors that affect commercial water softener pricing.
- Brand. Like in any other market, there are water softener brands that charge a lot more than others. It’s important to look at what you’re getting for your money. Well-known brands are typically able to charge higher prices. Sometimes the higher prices are justified for the quality you get in return. Other times, you’re only paying for the name recognition (or for system features your business doesn’t necessarily need).
- Flow rate and resin amount. Different size units offer different grain capacities and flow rates, measured in gallons per minute. Therefore, it’s crucial to know your business’s needs. A water softener that’s too small won’t be able to treat enough water fast enough to keep up with the water demands of the site. The amount of resin is also a factor—meaning the tank’s small plastic beads with a sodium-ion charge that grab hold of the hard minerals (magnesium and calcium). The amount of resin in the unit will inform how much volume the system can handle and how much hardness it can remove.
Use this calculator to get matched with systems based on your needs and water hardness.
- Tech features. It’s typically important for a commercial water softener to be metered, in order to manage performance by water-usage fluctuation rather than by time of day. A meter will determine when and how often regeneration happens—this is when the resin bed needs to clean itself out with salt because it’s full of hard minerals. For efficiency’s sake, you don’t want a timer to flush out the resin bed when it doesn’t actually need it. Another key component of a good commercial water softener is the digital controller. This feature facilitates linking the system to multiple valve types and allows for one-time programming of various units. It’s also a great feature to have if your business needs will expand or shift in the coming years.
Now that you know what goes into pricing a unit, let’s look at other expenses.
What affects your monthly maintenance cost?
• Salt – As noted above, salt is crucial in the regeneration process. The larger the unit, the more salt is required to clean out the resin. A metered system is more efficient with salt levels than a timed system, though, because it’s based on water usage. The starting quality of your water is yet another factor—high total dissolved solids (TDS) and iron content will increase the need for higher amounts of salt.
• Wastewater – Inefficient commercial water softeners use more water during the regeneration process. This is wasteful and it ultimately hurts your bottom line. As you compare options, take note of whether the system can save you money in the long term by using less water on each regeneration.
• Servicing – A quality unit requires very little servicing, especially with attentive maintenance of the unit. There are systems that rarely rust (if ever) or need repair.
What’s the bottom line?
It’s important to remember how the efficiency and performance of a commercial water softener can benefit your business in the long run—by prolonging the life of your equipment as well as lowering overall energy costs. Knowing what factors affect commercial water softener pricing and what fees you’ll incur on a monthly basis is crucial when you research the systems on the market. In the end, know that a larger initial investment in a high-quality system will typically pay off down the road.
Get matched
Use this calculator to view recommended systems for your specific commercial needs, flow rates, and water hardness.