Water softener vs Water filter? Difficult choose
Water is very important source that has a big impact on our health and everyday life. What about water softener they make our water better, but also as a water filters system. In this article we will try to understand what is the difference between them.
Water softening systems are used for reducing the hardness of you water but do they make water possible and rater clean for drinking? This article will help you to understand what is the mean difference and what is better for you water. And the main question is about effectiveness of systems which make water softer, is it so good as on water filtration systems?
To begin with, let’s understand what a filter, and what a water softeners actually is.
What does it mean filter for water?
Water filters systems are used for clean your water, which you are using daily, for example when take shower or cooking dinner, filter will reduce different contaminations, such as insoluble particles, impurities, chlorine and its derivatives, as well as viruses, bacteria, heavy metals, etc.
The main function you filter is to remove harmful impurities for example chlorine and bacterial, and these impurities can make your water dangerous for drinking.
Water filters systems, which are used to obtain clean and pure water, can be conditionally divided into three categories – the simplest household filters, medium purification and water filters systems which are cleaning all water in your home with a higher purification degree.
The best (highest) level of cleaning includes cleaning with reverse osmosis household filters — the most high-quality and advanced technology today. Good water filters systems will make your water clean and healthy. These systems are very important for your health.
At first we want you to understand different methods of cleaning water. Mechanical sorption, ion exchange,membrane, ultraviolet and electrochemical.
What does it mean softener for water?
At first, as we say before water softener systems works as a filtration system for reducing high concentrations of different contaminations, such as calcium or magnesium, which are heavy metals and make your water harder.
Due to their chemical structure, calcium and magnesium easily bond with other types of metals.
In fact, naming such “hard water” got its name in general in case of the mineral deposits it leaves behind. Eventually, these bonds turn into a crusty residue on your shower head! Over time, these deposits can be collected, clog or even corrode on pipes system and cause serious plumbing problems.
Hard water deposits can stock in boilers and water radiators, making them less efficient and more expensive to use.
Soap or another surfactants can reacts with big amount of calcium and magnesium in hard water and make the water spots and residue which you can see and they make you clean up your bathroom more often.
And also you can think that hard water isn’t so dangerous, it can cause an awful problem with clean and spend a lot time for this—and of course when you spend time, also you spend money for clean up, you try to find more effective solution for this problem.
Water softener works like magnet using ion exchange, heavy metals stick for this filtration system.
Water goes through a bed covered with sodium ions, than systems stick metals, they are filtered out and after that softened water then water supply.
What does it mean Hard Water?
You also have heard about it from advertisement. Hard water is water where there are high amount of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium. If you see at your dishes or glasses water spots unfortunately your water is hard. Also you will might see soap scum at the bathroom.
When your water is hard you need to spend more cleaning agents for clean everything, also you need to put salt in your techniques such as washing mashing or another.
Also hard water has influence on water heater, because of the temperature minerals have reacted and lead to destruction water equipment.
What should you chose if you are living in house or at the apartments?
Main question where do you live, if you star to think about water filter system. It is important because you will decide different types of water filters.
You may think that you have more space at house than at the apartments. But let’s think that you have enough place in your house. But at the apartment place for whole house water filter will might be not enough. That’s why you should find more portable water filters for economy place for installation. Also you might don’t have enough place for install big water softeners at your apartments. At house you can use for it places like garage, or another. Also good solution install whole house water filter system.
When you are planning to buy water softener you should count how much place you need. Please think also that you need place for maintainance water softeners for example to put additional salt on it.
Here you can read how to install under sink water filter.
Also important that you had to put your water softener before your hot water heater, so unfortunately, you can’t install it further down your waterline if you have more place for put this.
How to install pur water filter on pull out faucet? – read here.
If I have water softener system is it enough for get clean water?
In general this depends of water which you have, for example if your water is very hard you will need filtration system with few steps of cleaning and softening. And if your water isn’t hard you can install salt free water conditioner, because it is good solution for economy on maintenance and this system will not filtrated good and useful minerals from your water.
Salt-free water softener alternatives are also available for people don’t want to add salt or chemicals to their water.
The main mistake of many people are doing wrong by thinking that if they have water softer they don’t need filtration system. This is a big mistake.
Because water softener unfortunately doesn’t reduce contamination on your water.
Main function on this system is to make your water softer and protect your techniques. Water softener may help to make your water less hard. But for reducing contamination you had to use filtration system, because in case of your water quality water filter will clean your water and make it tastefully. But please look throw article about choose water filtration systems.
Water Softener Systems vs Water Filtration System: What is the difference?
When you what to install filtration system, you have 2 questions: What is the main difference between these two systems? What is more necessary and important for my house?
At first we want to mentioned, that to make the right choice between these two different filtration systems, you had to understand principal of working each of them.
Let’s look at the main differences between different type of filtrations that you need to know.
Impact on using water
Water softeners are systems which makes water softer supposed to remove heavy metals and contaminants of them, for example magnesium and calcium, from using water.
Water filter has different principle of working, it is purify water and reduce type contaminants not only heavy metals (lead, copper, cadmium, mercury), but also pesticides (herbicides, pesticides), dirt and sludge.
A water filter cleans your water not only clean but also good and tasty for your health.
As for water softener, it doesn’t clean the water for you drinking, it makes your water softer and that why it works better for household water, because softer water has a positive effect on your plumbing and some electronic devices like your washing machine or dishwasher.
These are completely different systems that perform the main function of water disinfection and reducing contaminations.
Different technologies
Water softeners prevent lime scale in your home by using salt and ion exchange resins for reducing metals, such as calcium and magnesium from house hold water. This technology as a stick for water, because metals are clung to the water softener system.
System of filtration by water filter uses several water treatment methods to interact contaminants and reduce impurities from your water. Further processes are oxidation, catalytic conversion, microfiltration, chemical exchange and adsorption.
Different service needs
Salt-based systems which make water softeners require regular maintenance. The main tasks that must be completed is the replenishment of stocks special salt. Salt-free water softeners require less maintenance, but they are often damaged by oil stains. Magnetic systems have minimal maintenance requirements and low installation costs, but are ineffective against materials dissolved in metals.
Although water filtration systems do not require much maintenance, water filters are more expensive to install. If your water is enough clean and you want only reduce the hardness it will be more economical to use one of the water softening systems. But make sure that your water is clean enough by making analysis.
Electronic or Magnetic Descalers
These equipment are used magnets or a coil of wire which is placed around your main water pipe.
Special water softer cleaning agents are don’t make technically water softer. Principe of working these equipment to reduce hard water in making electromagnetic impulses that alter the composition of hard water minerals, preventing them from forming scale.
Main plus of these system is price, it is cost less then 500 dollars and they don’t need maintenance whatsoever. But in general we can’t say a lot about it’s efficiency, because of it’s soft methods of reducing hardness from the water. Also we will give recommendation for using it, if your water is extra hard.
The most convenient and smart option
You can choose an option like water filtration system for all water which comes to your house and water softening systems and get a guarantee of quality your household water as well as save big by reducing expenses on your using water, cleaning agents, energy consumption and plumbing issues.
With soft water your cleaning agents will work better, as a result you will use up to 50 presents less detergents around the home. Also, your water heater counts for about 13 % of your monthly electric bill. With hard water the heater has to work harder to warm the water due to hard water scale build up. Soft water can reduce the energy consumption by 20 percent.
Such minerals as magnesium are clogging and destroying your pipes. So you can definitely reduce amount of these minerals and make your water softer, what will give solution for related problems, get better, tasty and pure drinking water and save your money by installing both water filter system for all water which comes to your house and water softening system .
Conclusion
Deciding what is better for you, a water softener or a water filter, largely depends on the chemical contaminants in the water and the problem you want to solve.
Water softeners remove hard minerals and replace them with sodium molecules. This will prevent limescale buildup and keep your skin and hair healthier.
A water filter removes harmful contaminants: chemicals, odors and odors to keep drinks clean, but sometimes it even removes essential minerals.
If dirty dishes from dishwashers machine or dry and tightened skin are serious problems in your home, chances definitely hardness on your water is more than should be and a water softener can help.
If your water (or coffee or tea) is not so nice, you don’t like taste of it or may be it has taste or has smelling like old, or you think that chemical contaminations in your drinking water is high, you have analyzing of it, in this case a water filter will be a more effective option.
For hard water spots and dry skin and hair, choose a water softening system. To get clean and tasty water, a water filtration system is required.
A whole house water filtration system and water softener system will provide you with all those benefits listed, plus will have a positive effect on your budget.
We hope, that this article will help you to compare all the benefits and differences and make a right decision choosing water softener vs water filter for your household and drinking water.