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Can a Water Softener Also be a Whole House Filter?

Posted by Discount Water Softeners on Oct 15th 2020

If it’s true that a whole house water filtration system filters all the water in a home, then why would homeowners need a water softener? Won’t a whole house filter remove calcium and magnesium minerals that cause hard water? And don’t water softeners filter water as well? 

Unless you’re a water treatment expert, it’s easy to get confused about the difference between a water softener, a whole house filter, and a water softener filter combo. The experts at  Discount Water Softeners help homeowners get water treatment questions answered. Let’s start by breaking down some of these terms and dispelling the myths surrounding water filtration. 

Do I need a Water Softener AND a Whole House Filtration System? 

First, a  whole home water filter filters all the water in your home, not just at one source, like an individual faucet or shower. A water filter is a general term for any device that removes unwanted contaminants from your water supply. These devices come in many forms, have a wide variety of talents, and range from tiny, under the sink types, to extra-large units needing their own space. Specific filters are designed for specific substances. For example, an advanced type of filter containing catalytic carbon can rid water of sediment, fluoride, pesticides, iron, sulfur, chlorine, undesirable tastes and odors, VOCs, (volatile organic compounds) and dissolved inorganic substances 

Next, water softeners do filter water. But only certain contaminants that you are trying to eliminate through the process of ion exchange. Calcium and magnesium minerals cause hard water. Salt-based water softening systems are the most successful at removing hard minerals from your water supply. Water softeners are a type of whole house water filter, but not all water filters are water softeners. A water softener is simply a hard water filter. 

Lastly, if you want to soften your water and remove contaminants, do you need both a water softener and a whole house water filtration system, or is there a system that can accomplish both tasks? Until recently, water softener filter combos on the market haven’t done such a great job doing what a water softener and a water filter do separately. Chances are, if you have a host of water problems and you’ve spent money on a water softener filter combo in the past, one system hasn’t been enough of a solution. 

What’s New in Water Softener Carbon Combination Filtration? 

Where do you turn when you need a  water softener filter combo, and what exactly does a carbon filter in a water softener and carbon filter combo do? Catalytic carbon filters contain small pieces of extremely porous carbon, in granular or block form. The massive surface area of the carbon allows it to be extremely effective in absorbing and removing contaminants. Carbon filters have endless capabilities in contaminant removal in comparison to other filters.

Genesis 2 Duo Platinum Water Softener Whole House Water Filter

Currently, there is only one whole home filtration system with the capability to successfully remove contaminants and soften water. The  Genesis 2 Duo Platinum is a water softener and whole house filter combo that uses the filter component to remove impurities and the water softening component to prevent hard water scale from building up in your plumbing and appliances. 

This combo system employs the use of KDF-85 media along with Aldex 10% crosslink resin, which causes cellular damage to microbiological organisms, reducing bacterial growth, protecting the activated carbon from fouling, and extending the life of the filter. KDF-85 media is one of the most advanced filtration media in water treatment as it not only removes chlorine and chloramines, but is also ideal for filtering out heavy metals such as iron, copper, lead, mercury, chromium, and other harmful toxins. It also reduces hydrogen sulfide in well water. 

Many companies sell water softening systems with the claim that adding carbon to the water softener resin would provide homeowners with a combination softener and filter. Unfortunately, granular carbon can’t be “thrown in” to a tank, as it requires twice the amount of rinsing that a water softener needs. Simply adding it to a softening system causes improper cleaning of the carbon, and eventual failure of a system in a short amount of time. Also, in granular form, carbon will not come into contact with all of the water in a tank, therefore producing water that is only partially filtered. 

The Genesis 2 Duo Platinum is the first system with the ability to utilize KDF-85 media effectively within a water softener and carbon filter combo. This is due to the implementation of a new, advanced form of reticulated foam KDF-85 media. Reticulated foam is porous, low density, solid foam which acts as a net, catching toxins and removing them from your water supply. This type of media makes the KDF much lighter, with a larger presence in the media tank, reducing backwashing, and conserving water as well. 

The Genesis 2 Duo Platinum is the only water softener and whole home filtration system that functions as a true water softener filter combo. Discount Water Softeners is proud to be the first to offer a solution to homeowners desiring a two-in-one system that will successfully purify and soften your home’s water.

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