Should I buy a water softener?

The hardness of water varies with the water’s source. 0-75 ppm hardness is generally considered “soft” water, 75-150 ppm is “moderately hard,” 150-300 ppm is “hard,” and > 300 ppm is “very hard.”  The choice to buy a softener is an aesthetic one, since hard water is not harmful to health. However, water softeners typically increase the sodium content of the water, a factor that should be considered by people on low-sodium diets.