ᐅ Is a central water filtration system beneficial (for water softening)?
Created on: 9 Nov 2020 14:53
C
ChrisK!83
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
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
@Tscharlie this really has nothing to do with the topic here… but anyway.
How about having a professional come in (plumbing specialist) and have it inspected by an expert?
How is anyone supposed to assess this without knowing what material it is, what exactly it looks like, etc.?
I would get someone who knows about this, and they can then tell you the best course of action.
How about having a professional come in (plumbing specialist) and have it inspected by an expert?
How is anyone supposed to assess this without knowing what material it is, what exactly it looks like, etc.?
I would get someone who knows about this, and they can then tell you the best course of action.
C
ChrisK!8310 Nov 2020 13:29Specki schrieb:
So, that settles the matter then 😉
You have a total hardness of 8.9 °dH. You definitely don’t need a water softener!
I have 23 °dH and reduced it to 7 °dH (can’t go lower 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.
And as I said before, there is no combination of softening and filtration. You don’t need it either. You have a main water filter at the house entrance, and with your hardness level, no softener is required. Just use the water as is for everything, including drinking. I ONLY drink tap water. When I need water on the go, I fill a bottle with tap water. Overpriced bottled water from supermarkets/stores is for those who have too much money and like to carry things around and harm the environment. (Yeah, I just can’t understand that 😉 )
Regards
Specki Okay, thanks for that.
I’ll think it over carefully.
Regarding the water softener, my concerns are the following:
1. During the major renovation, I noticed the old water pipes. They looked a certain way inside...
2. My neighbor apparently has a water softener, and their pipes look like new (they’re currently remodeling)
3. I have a rain shower in my bathroom, which regularly gets limescale buildup
But if you say it’s basically impossible to get below 7 °dH, then the effort and costs are definitely questionable!
Regarding drinking water treatment, I’m still considering installing a system in the kitchen that further treats the water.
I haven’t researched what’s available on the market yet, but my idea is to reduce nitrate levels and, if possible, enrich the water with minerals.
Cheers
Chris
ChrisK!83 schrieb:
These looked like this on the inside...Made from what material? What do you mean by "like this"?ChrisK!83 schrieb:
My neighbor apparently has a water softenerThen he probably got a good salesperson (aka rip-off artist). At this hardness level, softening, as @Specki already explained, is not a reasonable investment.ChrisK!83 schrieb:
3. I have a rain shower in the bathroom that regularly gets limescale buildupEvaporating water almost always leaves residues. This doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with hardness minerals (Ca, Mg).ChrisK!83 schrieb:
But if you say you can’t get below 7°dH anyway, then the effort and cost are certainly questionable!If you want, you can get Bodensee water down to 0°dH, since raw water contains hardly any sodium. However, this is not really advisable because hardness helps buffer pH. Changes in pH can then cause corrosion issues, which with modern materials and Bodensee water you should hardly see anymore.ChrisK!83 schrieb:
but my idea is to reduce nitrate and enrich mineralsWhy? You have Bodensee water, with very low hardness, nitrate, and sodium — basically excellent — and still want to install something with a huge surface area (risk of bacterial growth, biofouling) into your system, completely unnecessarily.