How to Fix Hard Water Issues In Your Home

Hard water, or water with high levels of dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium, is a common issue for homeowners across the United States. More than 85% of the country deals with hard water to some extent. While the minerals in hard water are beneficial for your health, they can also wreak havoc on your plumbing system. Limescale buildup in pipes and appliances is a major concern, as clogs may form and reduce system longevity. Hard water also leaves unsightly stains on surfaces, dulls clothing, and renders soaps and detergents less effective. Over time, it can dry out your skin and hair, leaving them feeling dry and brittle. While you can clean hard water stains with products like CLR or vinegar, this only provides temporary relief and doesn’t actually address the root cause of your problem. To truly fix hard water issues, you will need a comprehensive treatment system. 

Does a Water Filter Soften Water?

Unfortunately, a water filter on its own will not soften water. Water filters and water softeners serve different purposes. Water filters are designed to remove impurities like sediment, chemicals, and other contaminants to improve the taste, quality, and safety of your water. However, water filters do not reduce the calcium and magnesium levels responsible for hard water.  To address hard water effectively, you’ll need a water softener. Think of a water softener as a specialized filter for hard water. You should consider combining a water softener with a water filtration system to treat a host of common water issues at once. 

Whole House Salt-Free Water Softener and Filter Combo

Types of Hard Water Treatment Systems

There are two primary types of water softeners: salt-based and salt-free. The type of system you choose depends on your water hardness and preferred maintenance requirements. 

Salt-based water softeners significantly reduce hard water minerals through a process called ion exchange. Ions are tiny molecules with an electrical charge. These systems feature a resin tank filled with beads coated with sodium ions. As hard water passes through the resin beads in the tank, calcium and magnesium ions swap with sodium ions. Calcium and magnesium ions remain stuck on the resin beads, preventing them from continuing through your home’s water line into your plumbing fixtures and appliances. Eventually, the resin beads must be recharged with a sodium brine to flush out the captured calcium and magnesium ions. This regeneration process must happen periodically and requires filling the system’s brine tank with salt and backwashing the system.   

Learn more about how a water softener works.  

Salt-free systems, also called water conditioners, don’t actually reduce mineral concentrations. Instead, these systems alter mineral structure through Template Assisted Crystallization (TAC). These cartridges prevent minerals from sticking together to form limescale. Salt-free systems require less maintenance than salt-based systems, though they won’t reduce mineral content in your water and aren’t an especially effective solution for very hard water.

Not sure which water softening solution is right for you? Contact our filtration specialists today. 

Whole-House Hard Water Solutions

Kind Water offers salt-based and salt-free solutions. Whether you get your water from a private well or municipality, we have a system that will work for your home. 

Homeowners with municipal water who want to reduce minerals in their water should choose our City Water Salt-Based Water Softener and Filter Combo. This system combines the powerful softening capabilities of a salt-based system with a catalytic carbon filter to remove impurities. A smart meter is also included, which helps users reduce salt consumption by up to 70% while also saving on energy. The Whole House Salt-Free Water Softener and Filter Combo is also suitable for city water users. This salt-free water conditioner provides effective scale prevention while preserving healthy minerals for consumption. 

Well water users should consider Kind Water’s Whole House Salt-Based Water Softener and Carbon Filter Combo for Private Wells. This is an excellent choice for homeowners dealing with a range of contaminants. The particulate filter captures sand, silt, and other debris down to 5 microns in size while the catalytic carbon filter reduces harmful chemicals and other contaminants. This smart-metered softener also reduces salt consumption and energy usage for savings over the life of the equipment.