London Water Softeners
It’s no secret that London is well known for its hard water. In fact, London's water has some of the highest levels of calcium and magnesium in the whole of the UK. If you’re new to the term “hard water”, you may be familiar with the effects of hard water including:
Limescale on your taps, blocked shower heads, white deposits on your glassware and surfaces, eczema, dry skin & hair and issues with your boiler and heating system.
With many home owners and renters spending more time working from home - the effects of London's water are becoming more and more prevalent and noticeable. From limescale and boiler breakdowns, to dry skin & greasy hair - the consequences not only present a daily inconvenience, but also lasting damage to your home. Not to mention, costly expenses and repairs. That's where we can help and supply London Water Softeners.
How to get rid of hard water in London: what can I do about hard water?
A water softener is the only permanent way to remove hard water.
It is a great investment for home owners, landlords and property developers. In fact, a softener can protect new homes and renovations and prevent any limescale damage. How? Well, these systems work by effectively filtering the hard minerals out of your water. By doing so, they prevent limescale and allow only soft water to enter the home.
They can last anything from 10 – 30 years - providing you buy from the best brands and models. Harvey and Kinetico are the best water softening brands in the UK.
Top Tip: Beware of water conditioner scams
Eddy descalers, shower head “softeners” and water conditioners, are being marketed more and more to London areas. At just £200, these products seem an appealing and cost-effective choice – but beware.
Water descalers and conditioners are NOT water softeners.
They cannot remove the hard water minerals from your water and they do not produce soft water. In slightly hard water areas, these products can help lessen the impact of hard minerals in your pipes. But in London and other very hard water areas, conditioners do not reduce the damaging effects of limescale and they cannot reverse any pre-existing limescale damage. A water softener is the only system that can remove hard water minerals and limescale damage.
How hard is my water? Hard water readings in London
When measuring hard water, the unit ppm is used - meaning average parts per million. It represents the amount of calcium carbonate per litre levels in your water. The hard water scale reads as: 0-80ppm is classed as soft water, anything over 180ppm is classed as hard water and above 200ppm very hard.
All of London has notoriously hard water which can be measured between 300- 400ppm, with variations in ppm across the city. The list below highlights the ten hardest location readings in London:
- Epping (CM16) – 370ppm
- High Barnet (EN5) – 347ppm
- Holloway Road (N7) – 338ppm
- Cockfosters (EN4) – 337ppm
- Edgeware (HA8) – 335ppm
- Arnos Grove (N11) – 333ppm
- Stanmore (HA7) – 332ppm
- Rickmansworth (WD3) – 332ppm
- Tottenham Hale (N17) – 332ppm
- Lancaster Gate (W2) – 330ppm
Where to find London Water Softeners?
In London a water softener can be found easily online. NE Water Softeners are the UK’s and London’s biggest online water softener supplier and are rated 5 stars by London customers.
Top Tip: Beware of high installation prices & packages.
Water softeners can be sourced both on and offline. When buying online, you cut out the middle man and so often get the cheapest price. When buying from offline stores and companies, you may find a much higher price tag. Often these companies charge excess and large amounts for installation and labour purposes. By sourcing your system online, you can avoid these costs and be sure to get the best price.
Who can install my water softener?
A water softener can be installed by any qualified plumber. The job itself is about as difficult as installing a washing machine and can be done in 2-3 hours. You can hire a local plumber near you to carry out an installation. By purchasing your water softener from NE Water Softeners online, and then paying a plumber an hourly rate – you can save £400-600.
How to find a water oftener plumber in London?
Start by asking your friends, family and neighbours for any local recommendations. Don’t can’t find a local plumber? We can help! We have a list of referral plumbers in London who you can contact directly to get a price quote for your installation.
Click here to read: find a water softener plumber near me!
Is brand important? What is the best water softener brands to buy?
There are two top brands in the UK, which are Kinetico and Harvey Water Softener. The brand of water softener you buy is very important. If you are simply buying a cheap model at £500 from Amazon – you may later pay the price.
Top Tip: Water Softeners under £900 – are usually poor quality and have high running costs.
When buying online, Amazon prices can seem appealing. But often, the products you find under £900 are very inefficient and electric systems. Cheap water softeners, are just that – cheap. They have very high running costs, using excess salt and water – while also requiring electricity 24/7. Not only that, but most of these systems are built to last 1 -5 years max, meaning you’ll end up paying way more in the long term, to run a system that won’t last.
Why are Harvey & Kinetico the best in London?
Harvey are actually based in London and so have the biggest presence here. Kinetico are known as the best brand worldwide. Harvey & Kinetico water softeners are sold through an exclusive dealer network in the UK. They can be hard to find online because of this. NE Water Softeners are exclusive sellers of both Harvey & Kinetico softeners, with exclusive access and contract rights to the best models.
These brands have produced the most efficient water softener systems on the market. They were the first companies to design and produce the latest non-electric and twin tank design technology.
Which water softener model do you need?
The type of water softener and model you need, depends on how many bathrooms your home has and how many occupants are in the home. The latest models from Harvey & Kinetico for the family home are the Harvey TwinTec S4 and Kinetico Premier Compact.
Water Softeners for 2-3 bathroom homes
The Harvey TwinTec S4
Is one of the latest and best water softeners in the UK. The S4 has the exact same technical specification as new Harvey models.
This model is priced at cheapest online for £1249.99 from NE Water Softeners.
The Kinetico Premier Compact
The Premier Compact is the best Kinetico water softener and the newest release to replace the Kinetico 2020c. Kinetico is renowned for quality, with these Kinetico models being witnessed to last 20-30 years!
This model is priced at cheapest online at £1395 with the code KINETICO from NE Water Softeners.
Water Softeners for 4+ bathroom homes
The Kinetico Premier Plus
This model is for larger homes with 4-5 bathrooms one and is the new and improved Premier Maxi.
This model is priced at cheapest online at £1895 from NE Water Softeners.
The Harvey TwinTec XL2
This model is the same as the HVX and MiniMax Major. It is a very large water softener, designed for homes or small businesses with 5+ bathrooms.
This model is priced at cheapest online at £1795 from NE Water Softeners.
The Harvey Big Blue
This model is a semi-commercial product, designed for very large homes and small businesses, lodge parks and even b&bs.
This model is priced at cheapest online at £1895 from NE Water Softeners.
Water Softeners for 1 bathroom flats & homes
With a very small home and single occupant, you may be best suited with a single tank water softener, such as the Kinetico Sumo 1 or Kinetioc Essentials 8.
These systems can be found between £640-£665.
Need more information?
Get free expert advice from our team or download our free water softeners buyers guide. Click here to download the guide.