Water Softener or a Water Filter?
An important thing to learn about water treatment is the difference between water softeners and water filters. Which one do you need? Do you need both? What jobs does each of these water treatment pieces of equipment perform?
If your goal is great-tasting water that’s ultra-clean, Atlantic Coast Water Clinic of Stuart, FL, would like to share some helpful information on water softeners and water filters.
The purpose of a water softener
Hard water is the target of water softening systems. Hard water is “hard” because of an abundance of calcium and magnesium in the water. While a municipal water provider treats its water to make it “generally safe,” it doesn’t remove the bad-tasting calcium and magnesium in your water.
A good water softener will solve the problem of hard water that tastes terrible and often even smells terrible. The softener will also keep those ugly hard-water deposits off your dishes and glasses. When soap reacts with the calcium and magnesium and when hard water is heated creating these hard water deposits you see on your dishes.
Water softeners use salt to treat the water that moves through them. In just the right amount, salt nullifies the offending minerals but doesn’t add a salty taste to your water.
The purpose of a water filter
Water filters also work to give you cleaner, better-tasting water, but they target a different problem: water contaminants.
A quality water filter is able to remove many contaminants, including:
- Lead, copper, iron, arsenic, cadmium and more
- Chlorine and chloramine
- Pesticides, hormones and other pharmaceutical and industrial agents
- A range of sediments and particles
It’s unclear exactly what harm may be caused by low levels of these contaminants, but you certainly don’t want to be consuming them, if you can avoid it. A water filtering system in your home or business is the solution.
Specific water-filtration targets
You can install a water filtration system that cleans every drop of water that enters your home. You can also filter only the water you’ll use for specific purposes, such as you
Filter systems for drinking water use reverse-osmosis to target dissolved solids. If you want cleaner water to drink but aren’t concerned with filtering all the water in your house, an under-the-sink water filter is a perfect choice.
Water that supplies your dishwasher can also be filtered, as can water in showers and select sinks throughout your home. Some people like to filter everything, while others prefer selective filtering. Water treatment services providers can help you devise the perfect system for your needs.
The bottom line in water treatment
At the end of the day, what matters most for your home and family is to have safe, extremely clean and great-tasting water, glass after glass. Water softeners and water filters can satisfy a range of preferences in this regard.
When you work with a local water treatment company, make sure that they’re ready to help you meet your needs and can explain the various options and systems in simple language you understand.
You should be able to have the type of water you want, and your water treatment professional should work only toward that goal.
In the Stuart, FL, area, Atlantic Coast Water Clinic is ready to help you meet your specific water filtering and water softening requirements. Learn more about how to get the best water for your home by calling (772) 283-4767. You can also get in touch with us through our handy contact form.