What’s the Difference Between Reverse Osmosis and Water Softening

There are several options available to homeowners looking to improve the quality of the water in their homes but don’t know how to. There is a lot of confusion when it comes to treating water because of the vast array of options available in the market. In residential use the two most common treatments used are water softeners and reverse osmosis systems.

Determining what the right option for your household comes down to understanding what is accomplished with each treatment option. The only way to really know what needs to be done to improve your homes water is to have it analyzed through thorough water analysis. Often this process only requires a small sampling of water from each of the sources throughout your home.

Reverse Osmosis

Often reverse osmosis and filtration are lumped together. A reverse osmosis system filters the water leaving it tasting better and healthier. RO is especially popular for homeowners with wells. This type of water treatment system is set up to remove contaminates and softened minerals by pushing them through an attached filter. As with most water treatment systems you can install a whole-house or point-of-use RO osmosis system.

Benefits of Reverse Osmosis

Tasteless Water: Often times tap water will have a funny taste. You won’t be able to pin point what the taste is however, a RO system removes the source therefore the water will taste better.

Chemical Free: RO drinking water systems do not use any special chemicals in the filtration of the water which makes its use environmentally friendly.

Softened Water: Minerals in the water cause hard water. A whole-house RO system creates softer water which leads to less pipe corrosion.

Odor and Color Removal: Many homeowners experience odors and colors in their tap water. The odors and colors occur from contaminates and minerals in the water. A RO system is used to take the pollutants out of the water which leaves you with higher quality drinking water.

Most often you see whole-house RO systems installed in homes with well water as it can benefit from the extra filtration. If water from the tap tastes or smells funny and is from a city water source, then your water may benefit from a point-of-use RO system that is installed under the sink.

Water Softeners

Water softeners and water conditioners are often lumped into one category. Instead of removing contaminants and minerals from the water like a RO system does, a water softener uses a process of ionization that replaces calcium ions and magnesium with salt ions.

Water that is hard has higher concentrations of minerals like magnesium and calcium. When a water softener is installed your homes, water replaces the minerals that make it hard with a softer mineral, sodium.

Benefits of Soft Water

Better, More Natural Tasting Water

More Vivid Colored Laundry with Less Yellowing

Cleaner, More Sanitary Dishes and Flatware

Appliances That Last Longer with Fewer Repairs Needed

Fewer Clogged Pipes

There are many problems caused by hard water. Installing a water softening unit can help lessen these issues. These units do not remove contaminants within the water as they are not filtration systems however, they are perfect for homes that experience problems with pipe corrosion, iron, staining, and more.

The experts at Reynolds Water Conditioning have a solution to your homes unique water quality needs including: arsenic, bacteria, chlorine, rotten egg smell, fluoride, hard water, iron, lead, acid, tannins, radon, and more. More information on our water treatment solutions including water softeners and conditioners, water filtration and purification, reverse osmosis drinking water, and iron & odor removal can be found online at https://reynoldswater.com.

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Tap Water: Is the Water in My Home Safe to Drink?

All you want to do on a really hot day or after a long, hard workout is to go over to your kitchen sink and fill an extremely large glass with cold tap water! However, is the water that is coming out of your tap safe to drink?

While tap water in the United States is safer to drink than some of the tap water found in other parts of the world, it can still be full of contaminants like minerals and chlorine. Small amounts of minerals won’t do too much harm to your health and you won’t even know that they are there, but you may be able to taste and smell the chlorine that is present if you have public water. Of course, well water won’t have any chlorine in it, but it can be full of calcium, magnesium, and other minerals.

Installing a Water Conditioner

To improve your tap water, and make it better for you, as well as better tasting, you may want to consider installing one of the numerous water conditioners that are available. Most water conditioners utilize sodium ions to replace the calcium and magnesium ions in the water. The sodium ions will make the water softer, which will make it taste better and it will even help keep your pipes and fixtures in working order for much longer. The water conditioners will also remove other minerals from your water.

How Much Salt Consumption?

You may be concerned about how much sodium you will be ingesting with each glass of water that you drink after it has been through your water conditioning system. Well, to ease your fears a little, let us tell you that a normal glass of water normally contains very little sodium. Now, this number does rise to twelve and a half milligrams for the same glass of water after it has gone through the water conditioning process, but that is still considered very low sodium content.

That means that the only reason why you may want to reconsider drinking the water out of your tap after it has gone through a water conditioner, is if you are required to keep a very low sodium diet. While the number is quite low for sodium content, it could be enough to make you go over your daily limits too easily. A quick fix to that is to try to consume as little sodium as possible in everything else that you eat and drink.

Having Your Water Tested

If you have been wondering if your tap water is safe to drink, you may want to consider having it tested to see what is in the water. You may be surprised to find out that the water that you have been drinking all these years is as safe as you thought it was, or you may find that you should have installed a water conditioning system long ago to make your water safer than it is.

At Reynolds Water Conditioning Company, we are here to help make sure our clients don’t buy water treatment systems that they don’t need. We are here to make sure you find a water softening system that gives you the results you are looking for, whether it is to remove iron or odor from you water; we have a solution that will help! For more information contact our experts at 800.572.9575 or at our website https://reynoldswater.com.

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How Do Water Softeners and Conditioners Really Work?

Do you notice a build-up of scum in your shower or dishwasher? Is your home’s shower not supplying you with water that feels “right” as you rinse off the day? If you are encountering issues or experiencing a change in your water supply, it may be so to hard water or that the treatment option that you are currently using for your homes water is not the right one.

One of the most common solutions to treat a hard water supply is with a water softener or conditioner. In this installment, we shall briefly discuss the problem of hard water, how water softener systems and water conditioner work, and the difference between both.

Problems with Hard Water

Hard water is caused by the presence of too many metals or minerals in the water, such as magnesium, calcium, and others. These minerals dissolve into your household water through the dissolution of the surrounding soil and rock. Water hardness is calculated in milligrams per liter (mg/L) or grains per gallon (GPG). If your water tests 1 GPG or less, then you have soft water.

Hard water does not flow easily through because of the build-up of scale which accumulates inside your water pipes, heater or other appliances. In extreme cases, hard water can clog up water pipes and stop the flow of water all together. Hard water also influences household appliances and everyday activities. For instance, hard water reduces soap lathering, causing the water to become sticky and scum-like inside of lather.

How Water Softening Works

If you have a problem with hard water in your home, one of the best solutions is to install a water softener. Of course, it is important to speak with a professional who will test your homes water to see if this is the right option for your family. A water softener reacts with the calcium and magnesium ions and replaces them with sodium ion which results in a softer water. The added sodium is well below the FDA standard which makes the water fit for life.

The ion replacement is done in a tank filled with resin. The beads are negatively charged and attract the sodium ions which are positively charged. Once water flows across these beads, magnesium, and calcium ions are replaced with sodium ions.

Once the softening is completed, there is a need to recycle the beads in sodium chloride solution (water softening salt). This solution will remove the magnesium and calcium ions attracted to the beads and replace them with sodium. This bead can then be used for further softening session.

Choosing a Water Softener or Conditioner?

The term water softener and water conditioner are often used interchangeably. However, there is a huge difference between the two appliances.

Water conditioners remove chlorine, sediments, chemicals, and other foreign materials while treating water hardness while water softener system does not treat water for any other reason other than hardness. Of course, both appliances are used to treat water hardness, but the results are always different.

Water conditioner system processes water through a process that prevents scales. This causes a slight drop in the water pressure and causes the hardness-causing minerals to be suspended for three days. Usually, a catalyst in form of a magnetic field is used to enhance the process. In the end, the system displaces bad tastes, minerals, and prevents bacterial growth. Although the water is not technically soft, it still possesses the properties of a soft water. This means that the water will not precipitate and will lather easily with soap.

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Understanding Reverse Osmosis Solutions

Nothing says freshness the same way a glass of clear glass of tap water does. Many homeowners seek a solution to bring clean, fresh water to their homes drinking water and with the right water filtration system it is possible. Every single drop of water that exits the faucets throughout your home can be used as pure quality drinking water when the right water treatment system for your homes water is used.

Choosing a water treatment system is not something most homeowners know enough about to make an educated purchase. It is crucial to meet with a water quality expert, such as the ones that can be found at Reynolds Water Conditioning who can test a sample of your homes water. This will allow them to do an analysis on the quality of the water coming from each faucet and find the perfect combination of water treatment solutions to ensure a clean, clear glass of quality tap water each time. One popular option that offers high quality drinking water from your sinks tap is a reverse osmosis water treatment system.

How does reverse osmosis work?

The reverse osmosis water treatment systems operate by forcing water through a filter and eliminating impurities within the water.

How is reverse osmosis water treatment different?

Standard reverse osmosis water treatment systems work by filtering water through one of three or more filters to remove impurities such as chlorine, contaminants like metal and nitrates, and another to eliminate compounds that often result in foul odors and tastes. Additional filters can be found on RO water treatment solutions with the water in your home requires further filtration. These additional filters can include filtration of arsenic, pesticides, organic compounds, and percolates. Filters can even be added to put important minerals back in to the homes water that aren’t necessarily good for your homes plumbing. This again depends on the original quality of your homes water.

What are the benefits of treating water through reverse osmosis?

The smell and taste of a homes water is what usually is what triggers homeowners to have the water tested. However, there are quite a few other containments that can be hiding in your water that would be better for you not to consume. RO systems offer you a certain comfort in your homes drinking water, free of contaminants unseen with the naked eye. Reverse osmosis water treatment solutions save homeowners money overtime by allowing them to adequality use the water within their homes rather than purchasing bottled water.

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