The Benefits of Different Water Treatment Systems

Golden Rule Plumbing, Heating & Cooling is proud to be able to offer multiple types of water treatment systems to our residential customers. As we’ve discussed on our blog before, now is a great time to upgrade your water quality. However, it’s important to note that not all water treatment systems are the same. You will want to consider all the available options before you select the right choice for your family’s needs. Keep reading to learn the benefits of different water treatment systems here, and remember that our water and plumbing system experts at Golden rule are always here for you.

Water treatment is a far-reaching term that encompasses various methods. Today, we’re going to begin by talking about water filters—probably the most common type of water treatment device on the market. Water filtration systems are designed to remove various minerals and particles from your water, in order to improve both taste and safety. Water filters may include everything from activated carbon pitchers to whole-home water filtration systems. If your water simply tastes a little funky sometimes, a simple filter pitcher is usually enough to satisfy your family’s needs. If, however, your municipal water supply is consistently poor-tasting and may even contain harmful pollutants, you should definitely consider a cost-effective and comprehensive whole-home water filtration system.

Water filters are good for reducing:

• Chlorine
• Pesticides
• Sediment
• Other Particulates & Microns

The next type of water treatment device you may want to consider is a water softener. Water softening devices are specifically focused on one thing: turning hard, minerally water into soft, great-tasting drinking water. Hard water is not usually “bad” for you in the sense that it can cause long-term health problems. Hard water can, however, leave stains on plates and clothing, contribute to sediment build-up on fixtures and appliances, wear down your pipes and drain lines faster, and cause irritation on your skin and hair. This of course is all in addition to generally having a chalky metallic taste. If your municipal water supply runs on hard water, and you are tired of stains on your shirts and a nasty taste in your drinks, you should consider updating to a water softener ASAP.

Water softeners use sodium ions to replace minerals including:

• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Iron
• And More

The final type of water treatment option we’re going to discuss today is reverse osmosis systems. Technically, the process of reverse osmosis is another type of water filtration. However, rather than using activated carbon pores to absorb impurities in your water, reverse osmosis systems employ a semipermeable membrane to remove dissolved solids. While this may sound a bit technical and complicated, the main thing to remember is that carbon filters absorb contaminants, whereas a reverse osmosis system works like a net to catch them.

Carbon filters can cover a large amount of water and are great for removing chemicals like chlorine. They cannot remove as many contaminants overall, however, as reverse osmosis systems can. Reverse osmosis systems, meanwhile, are more effective at filtering out disease-causing organisms, in addition to chemical contaminants. However, reverse osmosis systems also waste about three times as much water as they treat, and tend to remove healthy microns from your water, too. Ultimately, both are a good choice depending on what you are looking for, and either one can improve the overall taste of your water.

Reverse osmosis systems can be used to help remove:

• Bacteria
• Viruses
• Arsenic
• Asbestos
• Lead
• Other Pathogens & Chemicals