Water is an essential commodity for every human being. Safe and clean drinking water should be available to everyone that is why water is filtered and cleaned for these purposes. Here is the difference between a water filter and a water softener system.
Water Filter
What Is It?
A water filter is pretty much a small contraption which is attached directly to the incoming water supply, whether it be a tap or a bathroom fixture. It is a long cylinder which is filled with filters of many kinds. When the tap is turned on, the water first goes through this long cylinder and through the multiple filters inside it. The water will get rid of any dirt or metal particles which are suspended. This makes clean and drinkable water available to you on demand.
What Does It Remove?
Water filter is used to remove the following unwanted chemicals and substances present in the supply water.
- Chlorine, which is bad for your body and can cause cancer, if consumed too much. Chlorine will impart a particular smell to the water.
- Dirt and dust that can make the water look muddy and brown.
- Metals like iron, copper and lead. If your water has a foul taste of metal in it, then it can be removed by a water filter.
- Marginally big rocks and other small items which shouldn’t be present in water can be removed by a water filter.
Do You Need It?
A water filter is great if you have dirty or chlorinated water coming through your taps. This will clean the water within seconds and make the water suitable for drinking and even using for showers and cleaning the dishes. The only maintenance you have to do with water filters is to have their filters changed after a couple of weeks or a month. You can see when the filter isn’t performing up to standard and that is the time when you need to change the filters out for new ones. Keep a few around the house in case of last-minute emergencies.
Water Softener
What Does Water Softening Mean?
Hard water is water which has large amounts of calcium and magnesium in it. This causes the water to not produce lather when mixed with soap and it also leaves a white or scaly residue on the taps, dishes and even your skin. This needs to be rectified which is where water softeners come in. They are small systems which carry out ion exchange processes and remove the calcium and magnesium salts and leave them undissolved and the heavy salts settle at the bottom, whereas the clean water is used from above.
What Is It Used For?
Water softeners have a slightly less broad removal than an actual water filter. A water softener only removes the heavy components of calcium and magnesium. They are not responsible for removing metals and dirt from the water, so if you have water coming in your supply which is hard as well as impure, then you will need a water softener and a filtration system at the same time. The water will first be softened by the softener and then the soft water can move into the filter and get rid of the metals, particles and other unwanted substances present in it.
Water Softener, Is It Worth It?
This really depends on the type of water that is coming in your taps. If the water is just hard, then you only need a water softener and it will serve as a great water purification system for you. If the water is soft already, but it is dirty and murky, then you need a filter only, no need for a water softener. But if you have water coming in the taps which is not only dirty but it doesn’t produce lather either, then you will need a water softener and a water filter to clean the water properly.
Conclusion
There you have it! Now that you know what both these things are, you can decide which one is best for you. Water softener installation Warren has its own benefits whereas using water filters is also a great method of purifying water. It depends on your choice which system you want to go with.
