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The best ways to soften water and why you'd want to do it
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Hard water refers to water with an excess amount of magnesium and calcium in it. It’s extremely common for a home’s water supply to contain hard water, so don’t worry if you have it. Hard water may make cleaning your bathroom and kitchen slightly more difficult and soap doesn't lather as well in hard water, but drinking it water is good for you. Read on, and we’ll show you many ways to soften your hard water with or without a home water softening system.
How to Soften Hard Water
The best way to fix hard water is to treat your home’s water supply by installing a water softener. However, you can also spot-treat hard water by boiling it or installing an ion filter on the faucet you want to treat.
Steps
Section 2 of 5:
Installing a Water Softener
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Measure your water hardness to see just how hard it is. Purchase some water hardness testing strips and follow the directions on the label to test your water . Typically, you just set the strip in a small cup of water and wait for it to change colors. Use the chart that came with the test strips to determine how hard your water is. If you’re unclear, here are the ranges: [5] X Trustworthy Source Penn State Extension Educational organization dedicated to delivering science-based information to people, businesses, and communities Go to source
- Soft: <1.0 grains per gallon (gpg) (or <17 parts per million (ppm))
- Slightly hard: 1.0-3.5 gpg (or 17-60 ppm)
- Moderately hard: 3.5-7.0 gpg (or 60-120 ppm)
- Hard: 7.0-10.5 gpg (or 120-180 ppm)
- Very hard: >10.5 gpg (or >180 ppm)
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Find a softener system that suits the size of your home. Most test kits in the United States measure the hardness in grains per gallon. Multiply this result by the gallons of water your household uses each day, on average (according to your water bill). This is the number of "grains" of hardness the device would soften each day. Choose a softener labeled for about 10 times this number of grains. This means the softener will work for about ten days before it needs some downtime. [6] X Research source
- The average US resident uses 100 gallons of water a day (or 70 gallons if you're only softening indoor water use). [7] X Trustworthy Source United States Environmental Protection Agency Independent U.S. government agency responsible for promoting safe environmental practices Go to source
- For example, your household water hardness has 9 grains per gallon. You use 300 gallons per day, so 9 x 300 = 2,700 grains per day. A softener in the 27,000 grain range (2,700 x 10) is about the right size.
- How much will a water softener cost? Depending on the size of your home, expect to spend $1,100-3,000 on a whole-home water softener. [8] X Research source
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Choose the type of water softener system you want. Ion exchange softeners are by far the most effective home softener. Most other devices are much less effective, or even just scams. [9] X Trustworthy Source Penn State Extension Educational organization dedicated to delivering science-based information to people, businesses, and communities Go to source Ion exchange softeners come in two types:
- Sodium chloride : the most common and most effective type. This adds a tiny amount of salt (sodium) to your water.
- Potassium chloride : it’s less effective, but it’s a useful option if you can't have sodium. Talk to your doctor before installing a potassium-based water softener if you have heart or kidney issues. [10] X Research source
- If you don't want sodium or potassium, pick either type and install a reverse osmosis (RO) filter as well to remove the sodium/potassium after softening.
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Determine what kind of maintenance you’ll need for each softener. Once you've narrowed down the choice to some good models, look at the details. Many softeners refill themselves automatically, going offline for a while during this time. Some do this whenever the softening resin drops too low. Others can be set for a specific time once a week, so you're never caught with hard water unexpectedly. [11] X Research source
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Buy your water softener or lease it from a softener company. You can buy the softener in one go or lease it for a monthly payment. Besides reducing the upfront cost, leasing it usually comes with a professional installation, so you don't have to do it yourself. Try to get at least two quotes on the installation and lease. [12] X Research source
Tip: When comparing prices, check for a certification seal as well, such as the NSF or WQA marks of approval. This doesn't guarantee top quality, but it separates the proven machines from the scams.
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Install the softener yourself or hire a company to do it for you. If you decide to install the softener yourself , follow the instructions provided in the manual. If you want to save yourself some headaches or you aren’t comfortable doing plumbing work yourself, hire a contractor to do it for you. [13] X Trustworthy Source Penn State Extension Educational organization dedicated to delivering science-based information to people, businesses, and communities Go to source
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QuestionHow do you get rid of hard water build up?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerUsually, vinegar will be all that you need to remove hard water build up. Dilute it in a spray bottle and rub off the build up with a paper towel or cloth. For more difficult stains you can let the vinegar sit on the area for 5-10 minutes before wiping it off.
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QuestionIs it safe to drink hard water?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerIt's perfectly safe to drink hard water, it just becomes a problem because it can cause build up on faucets or shower heads and cause soap or detergents to work less effectively.
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QuestionWhat is the chemical used to soften hard water?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerThe chemical will vary depending on the process (and some processes do not use chemicals at all) but it could be lime, salt or lye, among others.
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References
- ↑ https://www.hartwater.co.uk/blog/how-to-soften-hard-water/
- ↑ https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/g1491/na/html/view
- ↑ https://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water-education/quality-water-filtration-method.htm
- ↑ https://www.michigan.gov/fyit/housing/tips-for-getting-stains-out-of-your-laundry
- ↑ https://extension.psu.edu/water-softening
- ↑ https://www.apswater.com/how_to_select_a_water_softener.asp
- ↑ https://www.epa.gov/watersense/pubs/indoor.html
- ↑ https://www.architecturaldigest.com/reviews/home-improvement/water-softener-system-cost
- ↑ https://extension.psu.edu/iron-and-manganese-in-private-water-systems
- ↑ https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/healthy-living/guidance-potassium-water-softeners/page-4-guidance-potassium-water-softeners.html#b21
- ↑ https://www.apswater.com/how_to_select_a_water_softener.asp
- ↑ https://www.hometips.com/buying-guides/water-softener-systems.html
- ↑ https://extension.psu.edu/iron-and-manganese-in-private-water-systems
- ↑ https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/hardness-water
- ↑ https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/hardness-water
- ↑ https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/map-water-hardness-united-states
- ↑ https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/gw/quality.html
- ↑ https://www.forbes.com/home-improvement/plumbing/hard-water-guide/
- ↑ https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/gw/quality.html
- ↑ https://nationaleczema.org/blog/hard-water-eczema/
- ↑ https://nationaleczema.org/blog/hard-water-eczema/
- ↑ https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/supplement/magnesium
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3775162/
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3927171/
About This Article
Article Summary
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To soften hard water, start by trying to boil the water and letting it cool before straining out the minerals left behind at the bottom of the pot. If your water is still too hard, try using a small ion exchange filter that you can attach to a kitchen faucet so you have better tasting water. To do laundry with hard water, add a non-precipitating water conditioner into the wash cycle to soften the water and allow the laundry detergent to suds up. For tips on how to soften water for your entire house by installing a water softener, read on!
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Reader Success Stories
- "I appreciated how this article explained the science logically, covering topics like temporary versus permanent hardness. The detailed info helped me grasp why some solutions work on certain types of hard water but not others. I gained a deeper understanding of water chemistry." ..." more
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"I appreciated how this article explained the science logically, covering topics like temporary versus permanent hardness. The detailed info helped me grasp why some solutions work on certain types of hard water but not others. I gained a deeper understanding of water chemistry."
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"With the range of options given, from boiling water to installing a whole house system, I could pick the best hard water solution for my situation. For now, I'm using a laundry additive to reduce scaling on my clothes. But down the road, I may invest in a household softener."
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"Now I know to watch out for scam water softeners that use questionable methods like magnets or electric pulses. This insider advice will help me spend my money only on proven softening systems. I feel armed with the knowledge to make smart purchases."
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