If your problem is hard water, get a real water softener.

I have a fleck 5600sxt and installed it myself. The only additional cost is salt. I think I paid around $650 and it works very well and my hardness as tested was ridiculously high. I am on a community well system that sucks- looking at you Aqua NC.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07F175C2R?pd_rd_i=B07F175C2R&pf_rd_p=72255690-0c34-414f-8ce9-39b891076bd4&pf_rd_r=WXG4TG38G7ZGGECN3T78&pd_rd_wg=yg1qC&pd_rd_w=xl04b&pd_rd_r=b3d54e73-5a9d-4980-9712-7dd8544c5803