Guides · Water supply
"Is a water softener worth it?"
"When a salt water softener is worth fitting in a hard-water UK home, when it isn't, and how it differs from a cheaper scale inhibitor."
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A salt water softener is worth considering if your supply is hard, scale is a regular problem, and you are prepared for a plumbed-in unit, a drain, salt and an unsoftened drinking tap. It is not worth it if your water is already soft, or if you are buying a scale inhibitor in the belief that it softens water. The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) says magnetic devices do not soften the water.
Water softener types explains how a salt softener differs from an electrolytic scale inhibitor or an electronic conditioner. Water softeners covers how ion exchange works, the drinking tap, and the notice to the water company. This page is about whether the purchase is worth making, not a repeat of those guides.
We have not tested these products. Check the current price, and use a qualified plumber.
When it is worth it
A salt softener is a reasonable next step if several of these apply:
- Your water company, or a hardness test, shows a hard or very hard supply. Ask the company for a local figure, as hard water areas explains, rather than guessing from a kettle.
- You already spend time and money on limescale in kettles, showers, taps and heating equipment.
- You can site a unit on the rising main, just after the stopcock, with a drain for regeneration, and you will keep an unsoftened kitchen tap. DWI says you should not soften the water to the kitchen tap used for drinking and cooking, because most softeners replace hardness with sodium, and too much sodium can be a problem for premature babies and for people on a low-sodium diet.
- You are willing to keep it in salt and follow the maker's maintenance instructions. Running out of salt means the water stops being softened.
On 14 November 2026, the salt softeners listed at Wickes were about £540 to £705. That is a purchase-price band for the unit only, not a fitting quote and not a price for a named model. Check the current price.
When it is not worth it
Skip a softener, or choose a different approach, if:
- Your supply is already soft or only slightly hard. Softening water that is not causing scale is an unnecessary appliance.
- You cannot alter the rising main, for example in some rented homes. Speak to the landlord or managing agent before you plan a treatment unit.
- You want a small, cheap gadget and you are treating it as if it were a softener. On 14 November 2026, electrolytic inhibitors and an electronic conditioner at Wickes were listed from about £40 to £100. Wickes does not describe them as softeners, and they should not be read as removing hardness.
- You are not prepared to buy salt, leave space for the unit, or run a drain. Tablet salt was about £20 for a 25 kg bag at Wickes, 14 Nov 2026.
View the Liff Limebeater 15mm at Wickes
View the Liff Wrappa 2 at Wickes
View the BWT salt tablets at Wickes
Alternatives
| Alternative | Use it when | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Confirm hardness, then descale what you have | Scale is modest and you have not checked the supply yet | Cleaning does not change the incoming water. See limescale |
| A scale inhibitor or electronic conditioner | You want a smaller in-line or wrap-around device and you understand it is not a softener | DWI says magnetic devices do not soften water. Ask for performance data, as the types and limescale guides note |
| Living with hard water | The effects are minor, or you cannot plumb in a unit | You will still need to descale kettles and heads |
We do not calculate a payback period. Salt, servicing and the plumbing work are ongoing or one-off costs that depend on your household, and a figure invented for "typical UK use" would not be a quote for your home.
If you do go ahead
DWI says a water softener should be installed only by a qualified plumber. Regulation 5 of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 includes a water treatment unit that needs water for regeneration, and the softeners guide covers notice to the water company.
Check the current rules where you live. Scotland and Northern Ireland differ.
Get the installer's quote in writing. Our hiring a plumber guide explains what to ask, and we do not quote typical fitting prices. For fittings rules more generally, see WRAS and water regulations.
Will a scale inhibitor do instead of a softener?
Only if you accept that it is not a softener. The DWI hardness page says magnetic devices do not soften the water.
The electrolytic and electronic products sold at Wickes are not sold as ion-exchange softeners. Compare them on the types page before you buy.
How much does a water softener cost?
On 14 November 2026, salt softeners at Wickes were listed from about £540 to about £705, plus salt and the plumber's quote. Check the current price. Those figures are not a running-cost or payback calculation.
Do I need to tell the water company?
Check before you fit one. Regulation 5 includes a treatment unit that uses water for regeneration. The softeners guide explains notice to the water company.