As our planet becomes increasingly overpopulated, having access to clean, safe drinking water is essential if we are to keep as healthy as possible. But choosing between a Reverse Osmosis or a Water Softener can leave people confused. Should you use one over the other or even both?
In this article, we compare two techniques that can be used to turn your tap water into clean drinking water without adding to the problem of plastic pollution. These are reverse osmosis and water softener. Let’s take a look at each one in turn.
Reverse Osmosis System Operations
What is a Reverse Osmosis System
If you paid attention in science lessons at school, you may remember the term osmosis- as the movement of water passively from an area of high to low concentration. Reverse Osmosis works in the opposite way to this principle by moving water out of an area where it is in low concentration to one where it is high. The reverse osmosis process consists of 4 stages which are described below.
How does the Reverse Osmosis System work?
A high-pressure pump is applied to remove salt ions and molecules by increasing pressure on the salt side of the semipermeable membrane. This forces the water out, keeping the dissolved salts and pollutants on one side of the membrane and clean water on the other.
The negative aspect and positive aspects of RO systems
On the plus side, RO units give a simple, cost-effective solution for providing clean, pollutant-free water for the family to enjoy. It can be relied upon as a thorough filtering method as it removes a lot of harmful amoebas, microbes, sediment, and salts that could otherwise enter the body. Not to mention clog up plumbing and appliances with limescale.
However, there are concerns amongst some experts that as it removes all salt ions from water then our bodies may become deficient in levels of salt ions such as sodium and potassium which are needed for the healthy functioning of the heart and muscles.
Water Softener System Operations
What is a Water Softener?
A water softener is a product that removes the ions from hard water. These are usually calcium and magnesium.
How Does Water Softener Work?
Water softeners are based upon a system called ion exchange. They involve passing hard water which is high in calcium and magnesium ions through an ion-exchange resin. As the water flows through the tank, the calcium and magnesium ions are replaced by sodium chloride (brine).
The Negative and Positive Aspects of Water Softener
The advantage of this system is that the calcium and magnesium ions that can wreak havoc on your washing machine and water pipes are removed. Thus, saving you money by extending the lifecycle of your appliances.
The disadvantage is that these processes can be expensive and ion levels need to be monitored to make sure that you don’t end up with too high levels of other unwanted harmful contaminants in the water.
What’s the Main Difference Between a Water Softener and Reverse Osmosis?
So, to sum up: the key difference between reverse osmosis and water softener techniques is that in reverse osmosis, everything is removed from the water leaving you with just H20. Whereas water softeners involve replacing hard water ions such as calcium and magnesium with ones such as sodium that don’t form the annoying limescale that clogs up your water pipes.
Do I Need a Water Softener and a Reverse Osmosis System?
For the best quality drinking water, many people recommend installing both systems. The RO system will remove impurities and some salts from the water. Removing hard ions with the water softener helps to prolong the life of the reverse osmosis membrane system (RO) and protect it from damage.
Many business owners, especially restaurants, hair salons, and other businesses that use water on a regular basis find the right choice to use in their business is a system that uses both softening + reverse osmosis technology to reduce filmy residue, eliminate the funny taste of tap water, have cleaner dishes with no water spots.
This will help your business stand out as providing clean water as customers will notice the difference, plus it will save you time and money over the long haul since you will be reducing scale buildup on your faucets, washing machines, sinks, and plumbing along with improving the taste of water by removing the harmful contaminants that are typically found in both city water and well water.
My Top-Rated Water Softener with Reverse Osmosis
1. SpringWell Water Softener/Reverse Osmosis Under-Sink System
This system comes in three parts:
Stage 1- an SCP Sediment/ GAC Whole house water filter
The outer layer removes suspended particles while the inner carbon core absorbs chlorine, odors, and chemicals. It can treat 50,000 gallons of water. It’s unique dual, radial flow design produces a high flow rate. This enables the system to maintain pressure and effectively reduces water contaminants.
Stage 2- 48,000 grains Whole House Water Softener
This is constructed from a high-strength corrosion-resistant fiberglass line polyethylene tank. It is designed to treat up to 48,000 grains of hardness by removing hard ions such as calcium and magnesium. Its advanced digital control valve calculates the amount of water treated – providing a cost-effective solution to giving you spa-quality water and increasing the longevity of your pipes and plumbing fixtures.
Stage 3: 75 GDP Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System
This amazingly simple, yet powerful system removes 99% of water contaminants such as fluoride, arsenic, lead, bacteria and viruses. This allows you to enjoy healthy, clean, crisp drinking tater water from the comfort of your own home. Its next-generation quick twist cartridge design is compact and easy to install and maintain, even in the tightest of spaces. For added peace of mind, it comes with a SHOkBLOK flow leak prevention system.
Our Test Results:
I’ve installed these units the most over the past year. Its a sold system with great tasting water. The SpringWell unit is super simple to install and the 3 stage filtration system is super easy to change out when needed.
What We Like:
What We Didn’t Like:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ANSWERED
What is better- reverse osmosis or water softener?
To answer this question, you need to decide on what outcome you are looking for. Reverse osmosis purifies water by removing microbes and impurities so it looks, smells, and tastes better than water supplied by the municipality.
A water softener removes calcium and magnesium so your hair and skin will appear shinier and it will extend the lifespan of your appliances.
What is not removed by reverse osmosis?
Reverse osmosis does remove many salts, microbes, and impurities. However, smaller molecules may pass through the membrane such as herbicides and chlorine.
Does reverse osmosis remove salt from a water softener?
Reverse osmosis will generally remove salt and other smaller molecules such as manganese, iron, fluoride, and lead from water that has been treated with a water softener.
Conclusion
If you are looking for fresh, pure, clean drinking water, a combination reverse osmosis and water softener system appears to be the best solution- not just to your health but to your appliances also. There are lots of water purification systems on the market which are simple to install and use and have good customer service to back them up.
The cost of purchasing a reverse osmosis and the cost of a water softener system may well be paid back several times over in terms of the benefits to your health and prolongation of the lifespan of your plumbing and appliances.
