Let’s consider a couple of leading water filtration options.Ī whole-home filtration system addresses water quality and flow throughout your entire home. PFOS and PFOA(Perfluorooctane Sulfonate and Perfluorooctanoic Acid).Industrial and pharmaceutical byproducts such as pesticides or hormones.Metals such as arsenic, lead, copper, iron, cadmium and hexavalent chromium.While water softeners target issues like spots on dishes and buildup on appliances, water filters aim to supply better-tasting, cleaner water by removing a wider array of contaminants. (If you live in a brine-restricted area, you can explore salt-free alternatives.) In contrast, water filtration systems-whether whole-house systems or smaller products that filter products at the point of use-can use any of several methods to make water cleaner and safer depending on the contaminants being filtered. How do they work? Water softeners use salt to modify the properties of water.
#FILTERCAL WATER SOFTENER SKIN#
Not only are you likely to see cleaner dishes and coffee pots, but your whole family could see less-irritated, more-hydrated skin and hair as well. Because of that focus, they don’t target the contaminants than water filters do, since water softening uses a different treatment process than filtration systems do.īy eliminating excess calcium and magnesium from water, softeners can boost the efficiency of your water-using appliances and help you save on cleaning supplies. Water softeners remove the calcium and magnesium minerals that are the causes of hard water. This can “reduce the life of equipment, raise the costs of heating the water, lower the efficiency of electric water heaters, and clog pipes,” the U.S. Mineral deposits also can form when hard water is heated, as with your home water heater. And while hard water isn’t dangerous, it can create frustrating inefficiency with whatever you’re trying to get clean-and that can prove costly. When your home has hard water, you need more soap or detergent to get things clean. Soap reacts with the high level of calcium and magnesium in hard water to produce the water spots and residue you can see and feel. Have you noticed water spots on your glasses or utensils, soap scum in your tub and on shower doors, or a filmy residue after you wash your hands? Hard water is likely the culprit. Hard water is water that has a high concentration of calcium and magnesium. Let’s tackle these in order as your first step toward ensuring that water quality isn’t something you’re worrying or wondering about day to day. How can I tell what kind of solution will work best for my home?.What are the differences between water softeners and water filters?.But you may have more questions than answers about water quality issues and whether or how they could be affecting your home. You want cleaner, high-quality, great-tasting water for your family’s health and your own peace of mind.