# Water Softener ran for two years without salt - does this matter? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 8, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-softener-ran-for-two-years-without-salt-does-this-matter/488699 "2009-03-08T02:39:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Snnipe\_70E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@Snnipe\_70E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snnipe_70E)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2009, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-softener-ran-for-two-years-without-salt-does-this-matter/488699/21 "2009-03-11T04:38:43Z")
> [@Solfy](#): > > I. TSP solutions will not dissolve your flesh off your bones, but it will handily strip all the oils out of the surface and leave your hands begging for moisturizer. Good some one got my pun. I apoligise I know I should not have done that, but I could not help myself ---
**Author:** ![Mike8788](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Mike8788](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike8788)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2017, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-softener-ran-for-two-years-without-salt-does-this-matter/488699/22 "2017-01-26T03:35:59Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > No, that soapy feeling is a soapy feeling. If I wished to feel soapy, I’d not rinse the soap off and leave the soap on my skin. I prefer not feeling soapy, therefore I rinse the soap off my skin. I know I have all the soap off my skin when my skin no longer feels soapy. > You can believe whatever you wish. Eventually, with enough scrubbing, I’m able to get the soapy feeling off - it just takes twice to three times as long as rinsing with non-“softened” water. Hahahah :smack: first off I’m a water filter installer and have been for a long time. The “soapy feeling” you describe is indeed clean skin and that’s how your sling should feel naturally. The “grippy” feeling you get is soap scum being stuck to your skin. But you seem very ignorant to the fact so I will leave you with this little tip/test…next time you wash your hands with hard water and you feel that your skin is clean (not soapy) taste your finger and I guarantee you that you WILL taste soap. Try that same test with soft water…you will not taste any soap. So what does this tell you? It tells you that soft water actually washes the ALL the soap off along with dirt leaving your skin feeling soft and clean. And as for softeners Messing up hot water tanks is complete bull, soft water takes away things that actually mess us your hot water tank (like calculium). I’ve removed hundreds of broken hot water tanks due to hard water deposits at the bottom of the tank. If you were to take a look inside one of the old broken hot water tanks you will find a massive rock like calculium build up, which in time ruins the hot water tank. With soft water your hot water tank and all your plumbing fixtures will last you a much longer time as apposed of using hard water. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-softener-ran-for-two-years-without-salt-does-this-matter/488699/23 "2017-01-26T17:51:26Z")
**Mike8788** , the post you are replying to is almost 8 years old and many of the posters are not likely to still be active. Also, calling someone ignorant really isn’t appropriate for this forum. I’ll leave this thread open if anyone wants to contribute, but let’s keep it civil. > [@Mike8788](#): > > Hahahah :smack: first off I’m a water filter installer and have been for a long time. The “soapy feeling” you describe is indeed clean skin and that’s how your sling should feel naturally. The “grippy” feeling you get is soap scum being stuck to your skin. But you seem very ignorant to the fact so I will leave you with this little tip/test…next time you wash your hands with hard water and you feel that your skin is clean (not soapy) taste your finger and I guarantee you that you WILL taste soap. Try that same test with soft water…you will not taste any soap. So what does this tell you? It tells you that soft water actually washes the ALL the soap off along with dirt leaving your skin feeling soft and clean. And as for softeners Messing up hot water tanks is complete bull, soft water takes away things that actually mess us your hot water tank (like calculium). I’ve removed hundreds of broken hot water tanks due to hard water deposits at the bottom of the tank. If you were to take a look inside one of the old broken hot water tanks you will find a massive rock like calculium build up, which in time ruins the hot water tank. With soft water your hot water tank and all your plumbing fixtures will last you a much longer time as apposed of using hard water. ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2017, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-softener-ran-for-two-years-without-salt-does-this-matter/488699/24 "2017-01-26T18:16:28Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > My brother, the Master Plumber, hates water softeners, but for a different reason. I’ll have to double-check with him, but apparently the sodium (or potassium) ions that replace the calcium or magnesium ions in the “softened” water are more corrosive than non-softened water. **He’s of the opinion that they eat water heaters.** **gaffa** , I thought you were in the KC area. Perhaps it was that you used to be from here. In your quote, above, I bolded the part that is very interesting to me. According to the [del]shyster[/del] salesman from a company whose name rhymes with “Vague HotterWax” who sold me a [del]bill of goods[/del] water softener system when we bought our house in 1994, the water softener would extend the life of our appliances and especially that of our water heater. I wished I had talked to your brother. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-softener-ran-for-two-years-without-salt-does-this-matter/488699.md?page=1)