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Reviews & Guides · Appliances

Harvey water softener: five-month towel and scale notes for HarveyArc buyers

I kept my Harvey water softener after a three-month trial. After five months, my towels felt softer and I used less soap, with less visible bathroom scale.

A Harvey water softener unit installed inside a white cabinet, fronted by a 4.3 kg bag of Harvey Mini Curve Salt Blocks and a product leaflet showing a woman using the machine. Large pink and orange speech bubbles with Chinese text are overlaid across the center.
A HarveyArc water softener installed inside a cabinet, with an upright block of white salt resting inside the open compartment. Next to it stands a branded promotional brochure, and an open bag of Harvey Mini Curve salt blocks rests in the foreground.
Top view of an open grey Harvey Arc water softener containing two curved rectangular white salt blocks inside its refill compartment.
A promotional graphic with dark blue and gray text on a white background detailing 'Flexible payments' for water softeners, offering a no-obligation 3-month trial with full refund, as well as flexible monthly payment plans or paying in one go.
Webpage section featuring a close-up photograph of a gleaming polished chrome cross-handle faucet above text that reads: 'Shinier home (more wow!) Scale will disappear to uncover beautiful surfaces that look brand new, without cleaning. Read more...'
Promotional graphic featuring a woman holding a steaming mug with eyes closed, relaxing by a window. Below the photo on a dark blue background, white text reads: 'Less time cleaning (less elbow grease!) No more scrubbing at bathtub scum or streaky shower screens: softened water cuts your cleaning time and effort. Read more...'
Webpage section featuring an image of a smiling woman with curly hair resting her chin on her hand, above text reading 'Soft on skin (more smooches!) Help keep your skin in tip-top condition by soothing it with softened water. Read more...'
Bath-related items including a yellow rubber duck, a blue loofah, and a blue bottle filled with liquid against a white surface, set above an information card on a dark blue background with English text reading 'Fewer products (more lather!) Make that fancy soap last longer. From shampoos to bathroom cleaners, you will notice a reduction. Read more...'.
A woman in a blue blouse fills a stainless steel electric kettle at a curved kitchen faucet. Below the image, blue headline text reads 'Longer lasting appliances (no more limescale!)' followed by descriptive text explaining that softened water diminishes scale and extends appliance lifespan.
A promotional banner featuring an image of a wide-eyed baby with blue eyes in a bubble bath against a white background, situated above a deep blue section with white text that reads: 'Bigger bubble baths', '(more time relaxing!)', and 'All products will lather better, resulting in glorious bubbles from your basin to your bath. Read more...'
Promotional web section featuring a woman with curly hair in a striped shirt sitting on the floor by a sofa, using a laptop while holding a payment card, accompanied by text below stating 'Cheaper bills (more savings!) Pipes will descale over time and your hot water system will become more efficient. Read more...'
A white information card with a light blue background. At the top is a circular graphic containing a dark blue line illustration of an open hand catching water droplets. Below the graphic, dark blue text reads 'Good for you', followed by explanatory text in black and highlighted blue: 'Be gentle and look after your skin and hair without the need for extra, costly products. By using a water softener, you will see improvements in dry skin conditions, such as eczema.'
An informational graphic featuring a blue outline icon of a bathtub at the top, followed by a heading reading 'Good for your home' and explanatory text detailing the benefits of softer water in descaling pipes, improving heating efficiency, and preventing limescale.
A promotional graphic titled "Harvey Water Softeners" listing three benefits marked by light blue water droplet bullet points: "Reduce your energy bills by up to 30%.", "Keep your appliances running and lasting longer.", and "Soft on skin and hair, say goodbye to hard water irritation."
An infographic by Bristan depicting a map of the United Kingdom color-coded by water hardness levels: soft water, moderate water, and hard water, with pins marking major cities such as London, Birmingham, Manchester/Liverpool, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen.
A screenshot of a mobile post discussing water quality in the UK. The text outlines hard and soft water regions, noting that England mostly has hard water while Scotland mostly has soft water, and describes issues caused by hard water such as hair damage and limescale buildup.
A screenshot of a mobile post discussing the effects of hard water in the UK, such as hair loss and limescale, along with tips on tap water safety and drinking habits.
A product listing page on a mobile device for HarveyArc Mini Curve Salt Multipack from Harvey Water Softeners, showing thumbnail images of the salt blocks, a price of £70.50, and a dropdown menu to select quantity.

At the time, Harvey offered a three-month trial with £0 upfront. Through my referral, both I and the new customer could receive 10 bags of salt, even for a trial.

I saw people on Xiaohongshu sharing that water in the UK is very hard, which causes problems such as dry skin, eczema and hair loss.

That reminded me that I had forgotten to share that I had already been using a Harvey water softener for five months.

I installed it after a friend recommended it, because they offered a three-month free trial. I decided to try it. Unexpectedly, I could feel the benefits of soft water from the first day, so I kept it after the three-month trial ended.

We have a baby with eczema, so our main reason for installing it was the baby. But after installing soft water, I found that it was not only beneficial for the baby with eczema; it was also very beneficial for ordinary people’s skin.

My favourite thing is that after showering, washing my hands or washing my face, my skin feels smooth. I no longer need expensive branded skincare products, and I use less lotion, shower gel and shampoo. My skin is clearly no longer as dry.

In the past, towels felt hard after washing and drying. They were still hard even when I added fabric softener. Now my washed clothes and towels are very soft.

There is no longer limescale on the showerhead, bathtub or washbasin taps, and the kettle is shiny.

Its website also says that installing a water softener can save energy. Indeed, according to research, hard water can cause energy costs to rise.

Also, after installing the water softener, appliances such as the boiler, washing machine, heating system, kettle and showerhead should last longer and not break as quickly, because hard water causes limescale to build up in appliances and makes them more likely to fail.

I also shared the referral offer with people interested in having one installed.

I described two referral routes: a new customer could receive 15 bags of salt if I registered the referral, or 10 bags if they used my code themselves.

Source: 分享幸福的味道 · Xiaohongshu · 2024-09-09 · 不许你不知道这软水机. Search this Chinese title in Xiaohongshu to find the original post.

Before You Buy

Models in your region

The owner identifies the product only as a Harvey water softener and does not provide a full model number. The UK HarveyArc is a related UK model, but the manufacturer evidence does not verify that the owner’s installation is the identical generation or capacity.

Model in this review Related regional model What to know
Harvey water softener HarveyArc (UK) The exact Harvey model installed is unknown. HarveyArc is a same-brand UK reference with a non-electric twin-cylinder core; the official source does not establish that it is the exact unit installed in the owner’s home.
Model in this review
Harvey water softener
Related regional model
HarveyArc (UK)
What to know
The exact Harvey model installed is unknown. HarveyArc is a same-brand UK reference with a non-electric twin-cylinder core; the official source does not establish that it is the exact unit installed in the owner’s home.

What the owner noticed

The owner reports five months of use and says the most immediate changes were smoother-feeling skin, lower use of lotion, shower gel and shampoo, softer clothes and towels, and less visible limescale on bathroom fittings and the kettle. These are the owner’s household observations, not controlled measurements.

HarveyArc · UK

The towel comparison is especially specific: the owner says towels were previously hard even with fabric softener, whereas washed clothes and towels became very soft after installation. The account does not state the fabric type, wash programme, detergent or water-hardness reading, so results may not transfer directly to every home.

Skin and eczema claims need context

The owner installed the softener partly because a child in the household has eczema and reports that soft water felt beneficial for the child and for the family’s skin. The owner’s later account says the eczema was not completely resolved, so this experience should not be treated as proof that a softener replaces medical care.

Ion-exchange water softeners (SWET trial; not a HarveyArc model test) · UK

A UK NIHR summary of a randomised trial involving 336 children with moderate-to-severe eczema found no additional eczema benefit from softened water beyond usual care at 12 weeks. That trial concerned ion-exchange softeners generally, not this particular Harvey installation, so it provides medical context rather than a direct test of the owner’s model.

Scale, energy and appliance life

The owner reports less scale on the showerhead, bathtub, taps and kettle. This makes the product relevant to households tired of removing limescale, but the article contains no before-and-after measurements or controlled cleaning comparison.

The owner repeats the manufacturer’s claims that softened water can reduce energy costs and help appliances last longer. The household did not measure energy savings or appliance lifespan gains.

What to check before buying

Before choosing a UK system, check the home’s water hardness, available installation space, water pressure and plumbing arrangement. Harvey’s guidance also says to retain a suitable unsoftened drinking-water supply, so installation planning affects both compatibility and daily use.

For the official HarveyArc reference, the manufacturer specifies Mini Curve Salt Blocks shaped for its salt compartment and says they need regular replenishment. Because the owner does not give a complete model number, buyers should confirm the exact salt type and refill requirements for their installation rather than assume every Harvey unit uses the same blocks.

HarveyArc · UK

The owner kept the softener after a free trial and promoted a referral arrangement benefiting both parties. The post describes two routes with different salt quantities for the new customer. This commercial benefit is part of the account and should be considered when weighing the recommendation; it does not establish independent product performance.

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