Do I Need a Water Softener And a Whole House Water Filter?

What Does a Water Filter Do?

Water filters help remove harmful contaminants and dissolved solids from the water you drink, cook, and clean with Filters not only improve the taste and smell of water, they also remove toxins like lead, chlorine, and bacteria that can make it unsafe for your family to drink, and even shower in. A whole house water filter is a type of system that treats water where the main line enters your home, ensuring that the water running through every faucet and shower head is clean and healthy.

Whole house water filters are point of entry (POE) systems acting as gateways for your tap water and allowing only fresh, filtered water to flow throughout your home and appliances. In contrast, point of use (POU) filters are commonly installed under a kitchen sink or shower head, and only treats water at a single tap. Unlike a POE system, a point of use filtration device will not protect your home’s pipes or appliances as it does not treat water before it enters your home.

Water filtration systems vary in functionality, but for any water quality issue you experience there is a filtration method solution. Depending on your home’s water source, you may want to reduce water hardness as well as remove sediment and other contaminants. The most common water problem in the U.S. is hard water, caused by a high concentration of dissolved minerals, specifically calcium and magnesium. When left untreated, hard water build up can be devastating to a home’s plumbing, as well as small and large water-using appliances.

A water softener system is a type of filter that removes hard minerals through a process called ion exchange. Calcium and magnesium minerals contain positively charged ions, while porous resin inside a water softener’s tank have negatively charged ions. When calcium and magnesium encounter the resin, the opposite ions attach and become trapped, allowing only softened water to flow through. Ion exchange water softening is a highly effective, permanent cure for hard water.

If you have soap scum in your shower, spots on your dishes, and clothing that appears dingy or faded, you most likely have hard water.Hard water stains can be near impossible to remove if left long enough.Hard water build up also causes scale that clogs pipes, decreases water pressure, and shortens the lifespan of your appliances. When your household is plagued by hard water, a water softener is an investment that ultimately saves homeowners thousands of dollars in repairs and replacement of water heaters, washing machines, dishwashers, and other water-using appliances. From a beauty perspective, It can even cause dry, itchy skin, acne, and limp, lifeless hair. Soft water benefits your health when drinking by mitigating risk of kidney stones, poor digestive health, and heart problems.

Do I Need a Water Softener AND a Whole House Filter?

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a trusted, non-profit organization dedicated to protecting environmental health and our drinking water. The EWG offers a Tap water Database for consumers to obtain an analysis of their drinking water simply by entering their zip code. The EWG recommends using a whole house water filter for the safest water intake and provides a helpful resource in learning about the different types of water filters.

Whole house filtration systems remove a variety of contaminants from water and treat a multitude of different water quality issues. Your home’s water analysis will determine which contaminants need to be removed, and in turn, which filter is the best choice for your household. Oftentimes you need both a water softener and a water filter. The minerals found in hard water that lower the efficiency of a filtration system and diminishes water quality can be removed with the addition of a whole house water softener. A whole house filtration system can then effectively remove contaminants like bacteria, heavy metals, and chlorine by-products.

For homeowners hesitant to install two separate water treatment systems, an all-in-one system is an ideal solution. whole house water softener and filter-in-one does both softening and filtration to remove high levels of chlorine and chloramines as well as heavy metals in your water using a single compact unit. Home water quality can vary dramatically depending on where you live, and not all water filtration systems are alike—or have the capability to successfully remove the contaminants specific to your home’s water.

While public water systems often use a series of water treatment steps including coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection, the water from municipal treatment plants still may contain other chemicals, heavy metals, micro plastics, and toxins for which no testing is required. A good filtration system for municipally treated water will contain a sediment filter to remove dirt, sand, and suspended particles that clog appliances, and a carbon filter to remove chlorine and chemical disinfectants. Better systems use catalytic carbon and other filtration media to filter even the most difficult-to-remove heavy metals and chloramine.

Water Softener with Filter

If you’re concerned about the taste, smell, discoloration, and safety of your drinking water, you’re probably wondering what it’s going to take to fix it. Once you’ve decided to put your home’s tap water health in the hands of a water treatment system, (whether you have well water, lake water, or city water), there are a few things to look for when selecting a whole house water softener filter combo. Filtration rate, contaminant removal capability, operating costs, ease of maintenance, and warranty are all important considerations.

If you’re seeking to deliver the best quality water, protecting your health along with the taste, scent, and integrity of your water, there is a water purifier that does it all. The most effective, high-efficiency whole house all-in-one softener and filtration system in its class is the Genesis 2 Duo Platinum. It not only outperforms other water softener/filter systems, it also comes with a lifetime control valve warranty and lifetime tank warranty. The use of KDF filters in the Genesis 2 Duo removes up to 95% of chlorine, iron, hydrogen sulfide, heavy metals, and other contaminants. KDF extends the life of the filter and increases the performance of the media, maintaining efficacy even at high water temperatures. This unit also utilizes a 10% crosslink softening resin which lasts twice as long as standard, less chlorine-resistant, resin.

Inside the Genesis control valve are ceramic discs (no more worn or torn seals) proven to last for over 100,000 backwashes. The system uses upflow technology, automatically calculating water usage and adjusting itself for backwashing efficiency. Upflow designs produce better results, less waste and saves water. The Genesis 2 Duo, a superior whole home filtration system paired with high performance softening, can transform even the nastiest of tap water into fresh, great tasting, drinking water.