Should You Invest in a Water Filtration System or a Water Softening System?
Friday, March 23, 2018, 6:00 AM | Leave Comment
Many homeowners today do not really understand the difference between a water filtration system and a water softening system.
They think the two systems serve the same purpose and that it is all a matter of personal preference. This could not be further from the truth.
The two systems are very different from each other and serve totally different purposes. This post explains everything you need to know about the two systems and will therefore help you determine which one you need for your home.
Water filtration systems filter out contaminants from your tap water, thus making it safe for use. There are several types of water filtration systems including:
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Pitchers
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Under-sink water filters
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Whole house water filters
Water softeners on the other hand only remove substances such as calcium and magnesium carbonate that make water hard. Thus, we can say that a water softening system is a type of water filtration system.
House water filter purify water using a number of water filtration technologies. The main water filtration processes in use today are adsorption, oxidation, ion exchange, catalytic conversion, and micron filtration.
Adsorption is the most widely used water filtration technology because it is highly effective. Different water filters use different media depending on the impurities present in the water.
Water softeners soften hard water through the ion exchange process. While hard water does not have any significant health effects, it causes other problems such as scale build-up which can even clog your pipes and faucets in extreme cases.
It also smells and tastes different from fresh water. This is why it is important to invest in a water softening system if your tap water is hard.
Some water softening systems make use of salt while others do not. Salt-free water softening systems are eco-friendlier and might therefore be ideal for you if you are concerned about the environment. They are also easier to maintain than the water softening systems that make use of salt.
If you are only concerned about hard water in your home, it makes perfect sense to invest in a water softening system. This is cheaper than a water filtration system and will take care of your problem just fine.
However, if your tap water has lots of impurities other than the minerals that make water hard, it might be a good idea to invest in a water filtration system as it will be able to remove both the minerals that may be making your water hard and other impurities that may have adverse effects on your health and that of your family.
Some people install both a water filtration system and a water softening system to ensure the water they use at home is free of all these impurities. But this is not a very wise decision as you can get a whole house water filtration system that can also serve as a water softening system. This will cost much less than installing both a water filtration system and a water softening system.
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