Water Softeners 101 (and the No-Salt Option): What SE Wisconsin Homeowners Should Know

Hard water is a fact of life in Southeast Wisconsin. You see it as spots on glassware, crusty buildup on showerheads, and soap scum that seems to come back overnight. But you feel it too—dry skin, stiff laundry, and showers that never quite rinse clean.

The good news: you have options. Traditional salt-based water softeners are still the gold standard for true “soft” water. And now, Viking Plumbing customers can also choose a no-salt solution through EasyWater—a salt-free, maintenance-free water softener alternative designed to reduce and prevent scale without salt or chemicals.

As your source for Better Water, Better Living (and because You Deserve Good Water), Viking Plumbing helps you understand the difference, pick the right system, and install it correctly—so you get results you can feel every day.

What “hard water” is—and why it’s so common here

Hard water contains dissolved minerals—mainly calcium and magnesium—that build up on fixtures and inside plumbing over time.

In the Milwaukee area, hardness is often described in “grains per gallon” (gpg). Milwaukee reports its water hardness at 8.01 gpg (also listed as 137 mg/L, with a range of 112–142 mg/L). Across SE Wisconsin, your hardness can vary a lot depending on whether you’re on Lake Michigan water, a municipal well, or a private well. (Many local sources report municipal well water commonly landing in the “hard to very hard” range.)

And if you’re on a private well, hardness may come with other “bonus features” like iron, staining, or iron bacteria (more on that below).

How a traditional salt-based water softener works

Most conventional softeners use a proven method called ion exchange:

• Hard water flows through a resin tank filled with resin beads.

• Those beads “grab” calcium and magnesium.

• In exchange, the beads release sodium (or potassium) ions into the water.

The regeneration cycle

Eventually the resin beads get saturated. During regeneration, the softener uses a salt brine to “recharge” the beads so they can keep swapping hardness minerals out of your water.

“Does the salt touch my drinking water?”

This is one of the biggest misunderstandings.

The salt brine is used during regeneration to recharge the resin and is then rinsed and flushed to drain as part of the cycle. Your household water is not just “salt water.” What can happen is a modest increase in sodium (or potassium) in softened water because of the ion exchange process—something we can plan around based on your preferences.

What water softeners prevent

A properly sized and properly set softener helps reduce:

• Scale buildup on faucets, showerheads, and inside pipes

• Soap scum and poor lather (meaning you often use more soap/detergent)

• Wear and tear on water heaters, dishwashers, washing machines, and fixtures

• Efficiency loss from mineral scale in hot-water equipment over time

Common SE Wisconsin water issues that drive the need for treatment

Beyond hardness, homeowners often deal with:

Iron and staining (especially on private wells)

Iron can cause metallic taste, discoloration, and staining—and iron bacteria can create slime-like buildup that clogs components and creates odor issues.

“We switched to Lake Michigan water… do I still need a softener?”

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. For example, Waukesha notes that Lake Michigan water is at least 60% softer than its previous groundwater supply and that this may reduce or eliminate the need for a softener for some homes. But “need” depends on your actual hardness level, your plumbing/appliances, and your personal preferences for water feel and spotting.

New option: EasyWater’s no-salt conditioner (a water softener alternative)

Here’s the key distinction:

Salt-based softeners remove hardness minerals (true soft water).EasyWater’s No-Salt Conditioner is designed to reduce and prevent hard-water scale without salt or chemicals. 

EasyWater describes its No-Salt Conditioner as using a range of electronic frequencies to help remove and prevent limescale, with the goal of improving water flow and supporting appliance performance—without ongoing maintenance.

Why homeowners like the no-salt approach

EasyWater highlights benefits including:

• No salt or chemical costs 

• Maintenance-free operation (no moving parts, no routine maintenance)

• Scale removal and prevention to help protect appliances and fixtures

• Eco-friendly design (no regeneration cycle, no salt discharge)

• Space-saving install (not needing a drain and requiring no floor space, per EasyWater’s product descriptions)

Who is a great fit for no-salt?

• Homeowners who want scale control without hauling salt bags

• People prioritizing low-maintenance solutions

• Homes where a drain location or space makes a traditional softener less convenient

A quick “real talk” note

Because no-salt systems are a softener alternative, the “feel” of the water may differ from traditional softened water. The right choice depends on what matters most to you: the classic “soft water feel,” or low-maintenance scale prevention without salt.

So… which is right for your home?

Viking Plumbing helps you choose based on:

• Your actual hardness level

• Whether you’re seeing scale, spotting, dryness, or appliance issues

• Whether you’re dealing with iron/manganese or other well-water challenges

• Your preferences: true soft water vs. no-salt convenience

Viking Plumbing: your water softener and better-water experts

As an exclusive EasyWater distributor and a team that installs and services traditional softeners too, Viking Plumbing gives you the best of both worlds: the right solution for your water, not a one-size-fits-all recommendation.

We’ll test, recommend, install, and set your system up the right way—so you get what you’re actually paying for: Better Water. Better Living.