Have you heard the words “water softener” and wondered what they mean? Do you know what a water filter actually does to your water? Do you know why you would need one over the other?
There can be a lot of confusion when it comes to treating your water. This post is going to go over what a water filter is and what a water softener is to help clear some of that confusion up. By the end of it, you should have a clear idea of what each one does and what makes them different from each other.
A water filter helps remove contaminants from the water you drink, shower, and cook with. It does this by blocking things that aren’t water from passing through a thin material with tiny holes. Anything bigger than those holes gets trapped on one side, and the water passes through.
There are several different types of water filters and levels of filtration. For example, there are carbon-based filters that remove chemicals from the water. These are mainly focused on how the water tastes. Then there are Reverse Osmosis filters that can remove 99.8-99.9% of everything that’s not water.
Hard water is water with minerals like calcium dissolved in it. It acts like sandpaper, making your water fixtures wear out much sooner than they should. One of the places where the effect of hard water is the most visible is in your dishwasher. The hot water condenses on your dishes and leaves behind that chalky white residue when it dries.
A water softener’s only job is to remove those minerals. They do it by getting them to stick to little resin beads at an atomic level and replacing them with salt. Using a water softener can increase your appliances' lifespan by 40-60%. On top of that, your soap works much better. Because it doesn’t need to work through the minerals, you can use 50-75% less soap and get as good or better results.
The short answer is it depends on what you want from your water. If you want to save a ton of money over time, get a water softener. If you want to want your water to taste better and be safer to drink, get a water filter. Getting either one will improve the water in your home by a huge margin.
Often the best option is to let them work together. A water softener can make your water filter last longer and do a better job. The water filter can keep that water tasting clean and fresh. Each one removes different things from the water, so they complement each other well.
