Upflow vs. downflow water softener

A lot of people end up spending so much money every year to replace household appliances and fix clogged pipes. These are some of the issues that hard water causes. A water softener can help you combat such issues and save your money in the long run.

Though every supplier of these units claims to offer the best water softener in the market, doing some research can help you choose one that can help you with your daily water needs. Even though you may have an idea of some famous brands available, it is also essential that you understand how each unit works before your purchase.

Water softeners may have some similar features or appearances, but they don’t have the same mechanism. You can either choose an up-flow or downflow water softener. While some of the models fall under the first category, others use downflow technology. If you are not familiar with these systems, you should go through for you to learn more about such systems. Enjoy!

Comparison table

Type	Upflow water softener	Downflow water softener
Regeneration	Upward	Downward
Tunneling and channeling issues	No	Yes
Effectiveness	More effective	Less effective
Cost	Expensive	Cheap

How does an up-flow water softener differ from a downflow unit?

Functionality

A water softener can eliminate excess metals and minerals in the water. Some of the minerals that harden water include calcium, iron, and magnesium. When you use hard water in your home, it leaves different mineral deposits in your bathtub, shower, or toilet. The buildup of such minerals not only causes clogging but also corrosion of your plumbing system.

Manufacturers of water softeners help customers solve such problems by offering two types of units, including up-flow and downflow water softeners. Before we discuss their differences, we should mention that both of these types of water softeners are salt-based.

Though most of the previous models used the downflow technology, the latest models embrace the upward technology, which is believed to make the system of softening water more effective. These two types differ in that an up-flow unit directs water upward while a downflow water softener directs the water downward.

A downflow water softener is designed to direct the water from the entrance point via the upper basket. The use of such technology is believed to be inefficient and wasteful. Such a unit is known to use a lot of water and salt due to channeling issues. If you want to save money, you should choose an up-flow water softener. Such a unit allows water to flow from the bottom part of the tank upward. It moves in a swirling motion through the resin upwards. The upward regeneration of such a unit makes it save a lot of potassium or salt. You, therefore, don’t require a dual tank system if you choose this type of water softener.

Upflow water softener

This injects the hard water at the bottom of the tank, where the resin settles. It allows it to move upward through the media layer before you start getting soft water through your tap. Such a unit goes through an anti-gravity motion that prevents it from creating the tunneling effect since it does not compress the resin.

Pros

• It prevents the compression of grains
• No tunneling effects
• Uses less salt and water for backwash and brining

Cons

• It is expensive

Downflow water softener

Most of the generic water softeners are made using downflow technology. When hard water gets into the unit from above, it moves downward while flowing throughout the resin. The water has to complete the process of exchanging ions so that it is softened. Since the hard water can only settle above the resin, it only gets to penetrate the top layers of the resin bed. It, therefore, does not utilize the full softening capacity.

This means that such a unit has to keep on undergoing frequent regeneration for it to soften water. During the regeneration cycle, you may not get a constant supply of water. Such a water softener can, therefore, be inconvenient due to the frequent regeneration. Though the cost of such water softeners is low, you may end up wasting more money due to the high consumption of water and salt.

Pros

• It is cheap

Cons

• The compressed resin and grains can result in blockage
• It creates channeling and tunneling which make softening less effective
• The process involves high consumption of water and salt

Conclusion

Salt-based water softeners work by removing the hard minerals in the water. Such units, however, come in two main categories, namely up-flow and downflow units. While up-flow water softeners direct water upward, downflow units direct the water downward. Though both systems soften water, an up-flow system is more effective since it eliminates any need for backwashing and delivers better results compared to a downflow water system. Due to such reasons, the manufacturers of the latest water softener models make use of the up-flow technology in the creation of such units.

FAQs

Which type of water softeners need backwashing?

Those that are designed with the downflow technology are the ones that require backwashing to raise the filter media. This is because the direction in which the water comes in makes it exert pressure on the filter media, thus compacting it. An up-flow water softener does not need backwashing since the filter media is fluffed every time the hard water flows through your tank.

Are downflow water softeners effective?

Even though this unit ends up softening water, they are not as effective as up-flow water softeners. This is because sometimes the water fails to reach the filter media, thus weakening the effectiveness of such a unit.

Which technology can help you save on costs?

Choosing an up-flow water softener may seem costly at first, but it can help you save more in the long run since such a unit does not use so much water or salt.

Which manufacturer is known to make downflow softeners?

If you want a quality downflow water softener, you should consider getting one from Fleck.