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Your countertops have residue, your dishes have a film on them, and your shower doesn't seem to stay clean. By now, it is clear that you are facing a hard water issue. Not only is hard water with high mineral content aesthetically unpleasant, but it can also cause blockage in your pipes and significantly impact your washing machines and dishwashers. So, is a water descaler the answer? Or do you really need a water softener?

To help you decide, we will explain what descalers do precisely and which solution is your best option for tackling hard water problems.

What Is Hard Water?
Hard water is water that is rich in minerals. As groundwater flows over rocks and through soil, it picks up tiny mineral particles such as magnesium and calcium. The dissolved minerals are the source of water hardness.

Hard water can:

Leave a residue on your countertops and dishes

Decrease the foam produced by detergents, soaps, and bath and shower products

Dry up your skin and hair

Cause mineral buildup in your pipes

Interfere with heating and cooling systems

Significantly shorten the lifespan of your washing machine, dishwasher, and any other appliance that uses water

To address such issues, many homeowners may opt for a water softener (a logical conclusion, no doubt), but a descaler could also help eliminate some of the problems.

Descaling uses, well, a water descaler to mitigate the impact of hard water on any surface that water touches. The descaler itself has coils that wrap around the cold water intake pipe, which supplies water to your home, and generates a magnetic field or a low-voltage current that charges the mineral particles in the water. This positive charge electrostatically stabilizes the particles in the water, reducing their tendency to deposit onto surfaces, including the insides of pipes, on heating elements, on countertops, and inside appliances.

However, the water is not softened. A magnetic descaler effectively prevents deposits from adhering to your plumbing, thereby negating the long-term effects of scale on your systems.

Therefore, while your plumbing and appliances should fare better, you will still have hard water and experience its characteristic effects, such as soap scum on your dishes, stiffness in laundry, and a “grimy” feel to your hair and skin.

While a water descaler holds the minerals in the water to lessen its impact on your plumbing, a water softener actually removes the minerals to produce softer water. Water softeners use sodium chloride-charged polystyrene beads to catch the mineral particles. As the minerals flow over the beads, they switch places with the sodium chloride ions (like magic!).
With a water softener, the sodium chloride content in the water is insignificant and undetectable by taste or smell. The result? Water that doesn't leave your clothes stiffened with soap scum. You’ll also get to enjoy baths with bubbles again. And of course, your appliances and pipework should perform more efficiently and be less prone to breakdown and clogs.
However, water softening systems are more expensive and harder to install than descalers. Electronic water descalers cost, on average, $200, compared to water softeners, which cost between $800 and $3,000. You'll need to hire a water softener specialist to install these systems for you because they require adding new pipework with valves to direct the water into the softening unit and back out into your home.
“It’s worth noting that not all septic fields are equipped to handle the backwashing cycle of most softening systems and this water may need to discharge outdoors,” warns Joseph Wood Expert Review Board member and Master Plumber at Boston Standard Company. Make sure to ask your water pro about the best system they recommend for your home. Lastly, you may need to have someone perform regular maintenance on your water softener.

Will a Water Descaler Descale Pipes?
No, a water descaler will not descale pipes. The charged water running through the pipes may slowly dissolve mineral deposits and hold them inside the water, but it is a gradual process. If your pipes do require descaling, it is advisable to obtain a local plumber to descale your pipes.

Do Electronic Descalers Work?
Yes, they work in the sense that they help reduce the impact of hard water on your pipes and appliances. However, they do not soften water. If you have the budget and you want to enjoy the benefits of soft water (soft, comfortable clothes, shiny hair, and bubbly bathwater), you need a water softening system instead.

Is Descaled Water Safe to Drink?
Yes, descaled water is safe to drink for humans, pets, and plants. It does not contain any added sodium and the essential trace minerals we need for our health are still present. Interestingly, descaled water is better for your aquarium than softened water because it has a stable pH level and will not upset your fish.