ᐅ Is a central water filtration system beneficial (for water softening)?

Hello everyone,

I am currently looking into installing a central water filtration system in our home.
Here are the key details:
We mostly receive water from Lake Constance, with a small portion mixed from local springs.
In 2016/2017, we completely refurbished the house, including replacing all water pipes with Mepla tubing.

Ideally, the water filtration system should achieve the following:
- Softening the water to better protect appliances like the washing machine, reduce lime scale buildup in showers and sinks, and minimize deposits inside the pipes
- Improving the quality of the drinking water

We would like to avoid buying bottled water in the future, especially since we only drink still water anyway, which should be purified by the system and possibly enriched with minerals.

I have read briefly about this and have also heard that some filtration systems might be harmful to health.

What are your experiences or recommendations?

Best regards,
Chris

Hello!

As an alternative to a central water softening system, there is also the option of a reverse osmosis system. This is installed locally at the point of use, for example, in the kitchen.

Have you looked into this? Opinions vary widely. We have had one in the kitchen for about 4 years now and haven’t bought any drinking water since.

Best regards,
Nico

Softeners are NOT filtration systems!
After the main water connection, a shut-off valve and the meter, a water filter should be installed first (either cartridge-based or backwashable).

If you have relatively hard drinking water, you might consider a water softener.
First, you should determine your water hardness. Only then can you decide if a softener makes sense.

A reverse osmosis system at the main water connection is absolutely not necessary.
Our tap water is perfectly safe to drink and is generally monitored more strictly and thoroughly than bottled water. A softener does not improve the drinkability of water.

If you buy a softener, it should be one based on the ion exchange principle and regenerated with salt. This system also has its disadvantages. But all other types of softeners are nonsense or gimmicks.

There are already several threads on this topic here; use the search function. However, be careful, as some posts contain strange or incorrect information 😉

Regards,
Specki

Specki schrieb:

So, a water softening system is NOT a filtration system!
After the main water connection, there should first be a water filter (with cartridges or backwashable) installed after the shut-off valve and the meter.

If you have relatively hard drinking water, you can consider a water softener.
First, you should find out what your water hardness level is. Only then can you decide whether a water softener makes sense.

A reverse osmosis system at the main water connection is absolutely unnecessary.
Our drinking water is safe to drink without any concern and is generally even better and more closely monitored than bottled water. A water softener does not make the water more potable.

If you buy a water softener, it should be one based on the ion exchange principle and regenerated with salt. It does have its disadvantages, but all other systems are nonsense or scams.

There are already several threads on this topic here, so use the search function. But be careful, some posts contain strange or incorrect statements 😉

Regards
Specki

Thanks for your feedback!
I was thinking about a combination of a filter and a water softener.
Precisely because there are so many different opinions on this, I wanted to bring it up again...
I have a backwash filter that I have to operate manually. Regarding drinking water, I received the following information from the local water utility:

Total hardness (° dH)	Hardness level	Nitrate (mg/l)	Fluoride (mg/l)	pH value
8.9	moderate	4.3	0.1	7.9

Best regards
Chris

So, that’s settled then 😉

You have a total water hardness of 8.9 °dH. You definitely don’t need a water softener!
I have 23 °dH and reduced it to 7 °dH (that’s as low as I can go without exceeding the sodium levels in the water).

By the way, I work professionally in water treatment, so I know a bit more about this field.

As I mentioned before, there is no such thing as a combination of softening and filtering—and you don’t need one. You already have a main water filter, and with your hardness level, no softening is necessary. Just use the water as is for everything, including drinking. I drink ONLY tap water. When I need water on the go, I just fill a bottle with tap water. Overpriced bottled water from supermarkets or beverage stores is for those with too much money who like to carry things around and harm the environment. (Honestly, I just don’t get it 😉 )

Best regards
Specki

In my basement, before the water meter, the water supplied by the municipality comes through a pipe that is already completely rusted on the outside – what could be done about this??