Choosing the Right Flow: A Guide to Upflow vs. Downflow Water Softeners

A water softener removes magnesium and calcium from your tap water before they can damage your plumbing, your water heater, your clothing, your hair, and possibly even your health.

All water softeners work on the same fundamental principle: salt gives resin beads sodium ions, which the resin beads use to attract and retain hard water minerals.

While they are all designed to serve the same function, not all water softeners operate in the same fashion. Take upflow and downflow water softeners, for example. An upflow softener filters water as it rises, whereas a downflow softener filters water as it falls.

Does the difference matter? Is one type of water softener better than the other? The answers are always straightforward when you’re dealing with Ben Holzer Unlimited Water!

What Is the Difference Between an Upflow and a Downflow Water Softener?

When water goes through an upflow water softener, it flows into the tank, through the upper basket, down the riser tube, through the lower basket, and is then finally upward through the filter and out of the tank.

When water goes through a downward water softener, it flows through the upper basket, into the tank, through the filter, through the lower basket, and then finally upward through the riser tube and out of the tank.

Neither type of water softener could function without water pressure. In other words, despite what its name suggests, a downflow water softener doesn’t solely rely on gravity to do its job.

Upflow vs. Downflow Water Softeners: Which Is Better?

Upflow water softeners are typically considered better for residential, commercial, industrial and municipal applications alike – but they aren’t without their downsides.

• Upflow Pros
  • Uses less salt
  • Lower maintenance
  • Water makes more contact with filter, thus improving efficacy
  • No need (or reduced need) for backwashing, which saves water
  • Resin beads at bottom of tank receive superior regeneration, which helps catch hard water minerals that evaded capture higher up in tank

• Upflow Cons
  • Higher upfront cost
  • Usually requires electricity for operation
  • Low-quality well or municipal water impacts operation

Some of the advantages of upflow are debatable. For example, a downflow system programmed with two backwash cycles can easily achieve higher efficiency than an upflow alternative. Furthermore, an upflow system’s greater efficiency may only come into play during heavy-duty applications.

• Downflow Pros
  • Lower upfront cost
  • Usually doesn’t require electricity for operation
  • Better operation with low-quality well or municipal water

• Downflow Cons
  • Uses more salt
  • Higher maintenance
  • Produces more wastewater
  • More regeneration typically required

Need help choosing the right flow? If you live or do business in the greater Perham, MN area, then you can count on Ben Holzer Unlimited Water to make sure you choose the best water softener system for your property. Contact us today for all your water softener maintenance, repair and installation needs!