![\"GE](\"https:\/\/watersoftenercritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/GE-GXMH40H.png\")
<\/span><\/p>\nAnyone who lives in a hard water area will be familiar with problems like limescale build-up and persistent soap scum in sinks, baths, and showers; adding a water softener to your home can make an enormous impact on the way water affects your plumbing and fixtures. In many ways, a water softener represents an investment in your property, as they reduce the risk of damage to internal plumbing and help keep accessories cleaner and brighter for much longer. Water softeners can also contribute to prolonging the life of your appliances, like washing machines and dishwashers, simply by preventing limescale build-up which can clog and damage appliances over time.<\/p>\n
In this article I\u2019ll review the GE GXMH40H water softener, a market-leading machine from one of the world\u2019s biggest electronics manufacturers, explaining how it works and giving some insight into the difference it can make to your home and your life.<\/p>\n
How does it work?<\/h2>\n
The GXMH40H is an ion exchange water softener, which works by using resin beads and salt water (brine) to displace the minerals which cause hard water, such as calcium and magnesium. If like me, you stopped studying chemistry in high school, the science behind the machine can seem daunting at first, but it\u2019s pretty straightforward.<\/p>\n
Ion exchange water softeners essentially replace hardness minerals in water with sodium, simultaneously removing elements which cause hard water and adding an element which softens water further. To achieve this, ion exchange systems first load the resin beads in the machine with sodium by pumping diluted brine through the beads. Once this is done, hard water is pumped through the water softener, passing through the resin beads. The beads then draw in the hard water minerals like a magnet, knocking off the sodium which had previously been stuck to the beads.<\/p>\n
A water softener is usually installed near the main pipe which brings water into your property, allowing you to get the maximum benefit from your water softener. It is fairly common for the engineer installing your appliance to leave the cold water tap in your kitchen sink unaffected by the water softener; this is due to the slight health benefits of drinking hard water, which contains minerals the body needs but your plumbing does not!<\/p>\n The GXMH40H is designed with the average family in mind; it can comfortably soften water for 2-4 people in a small to medium-sized home, has a neat and discreet design which makes it easy to install and has a clear, easy to read LCD screen which gives you up-to-date information about your water and the machine itself. The GXMH40H not only removes commonly occurring minerals like calcium and magnesium from your water but can also remove three parts per million of iron, further reducing the potential damage this can cause to your plumbing.<\/p>\n The real star of the show for this machine, however, is its onboard computer, which takes a wealth of information and customizes its activity to your specific needs. The GXMH40H comes with a host of GE\u2019s exclusive programs, all of which are designed to make your life easier and save you money.<\/p>\n The GXMH40H helps cut down your monthly outgoings in a whole host of ways. Naturally, water softening your water can help you reduce the amount of soap and detergent you use by up to 50%, while the onboard SaltSaver system cuts down the amount of salt required for your water softener to work efficiently, as well as reducing the amount of water your machine uses compared to other models. By taking advantage of these built-in benefits, you can not only minimize the risk of damaging your plumbing and appliances, but you can also cut household expenditure.<\/p>\n There is also several warranties which you receive as standard when purchasing the GXMH40H brand-new; there is a one-year warranty on all parts, a three-year warranty on all electronic components and a ten-year warranty on the brine and resin tank within the appliance. All of this gives you peace of mind that, should your device fail, or suffer from \u201cwear and tear,\u201d you can easily get support from the manufacturer.<\/p>\n The GXMH40H is not only designed to save you money, but also to put you in control of your home. The GE exclusive Custom Blend system allows you to decide how soft you want your water to be, all with the simple twist of a handle. The GXMH40H also has a built-in \u201cDays to empty\u201d counter which allows you to monitor your salt usage and helps you ensure your water softener never runs out of salt; this is made even easier by the ergonomic design of the GXMH40H, which has a tilted lid to make filling the brine tank on your machine quick and easy.<\/p>\n Finally, the real crowning achievement of the GXMH40H is its SmartSoft technology, which monitors your home\u2019s water usage, including when you use the most water and automatically adjusts its cycle to fit with your daily routine. The GXMH40H can pre-empt your needs based on your previous usage patterns, which allows it provide a better service to your home and work more efficiently to save you money on power, water, and salt. There is no another company which offers this kind of technology in their water softeners, and the fact that it comes as standard is just the icing on the cake!<\/p>\n As you might expect, the GXMH40H is not a one-size-fits-all super appliance, and it does have its limits. As mentioned earlier, the first limit is the capacity of the GXMH40H, which can only comfortably handle water softening for an average or smaller sized home and a household of up to four people. Beyond this, the GXMH40H will struggle to work as efficiently as some of its bigger brothers in the GE range, and will likely breakdown due to being over-worked.<\/p>\n Furthermore, the GXMH40H is not entirely suited to working in areas OF high water hardness, due to its capacity above limits. Again, taking a look at one of the larger machines is probably your best bet here, as their increased capacity allows them to tackle higher levels of minerals like magnesium and calcium.<\/p>\n All in all, the GXMH40H is ahead of its competitors regarding the amount of money and time it can save you, thanks in large part to the SmartSoft technology I mentioned above. This revolutionary system gathers data on your usage and uses it to ensure that your water softener runs as efficiently as it can base on YOUR needs. While its size and capacity restrict it, if you have an average-sized home and an average-sized family, this water softener is a no-brainer.<\/p>\n![\"GXMH40H\"](\"https:\/\/watersoftenercritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/GXMH40H.png\")
<\/span><\/p>\nGE GXMH40H \u2013 A market-leading product from a market-leading company<\/h2>\n
Saving you money<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"the](\"https:\/\/watersoftenercritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/the-motor.png\")
<\/span><\/p>\nMaking life simple<\/span><\/h3>\n
Drawbacks<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"close](\"https:\/\/watersoftenercritic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/close-up-view.png\")
<\/span><\/p>\nSummary<\/h2>\n