With more than 30 years’ experience in the residential and commercial water treatment space, Mark Nelson is a Class 1 Drinking-Water Operator and a CBWA (Canadian Bottled Water Association) Certified Plant Operator. As founder and president of Nelson Water in Ottawa, Mark focuses on dealing with challenging water treatment system designs for problem water. He also heads the largest water bottling plant in the city of Ottawa with a delivery network throughout the Valley.
The short answer is a hesitant yes. Although it is technically possible to soften water without a water softener installation, it’s impractical for daily use. Dealing with hard water and the associated problems can be a real chore and it’s hard on you and your home. But, the only reliable way to remove the hardness from your incoming water supply is to install an ion-exchange water softener system. In this article, we will explain what hard water is, some alternative removal methods and the benefits of a water softener.
What is Hard Water?
This is a simple question that can be hard to answer because many people misunderstand what hard water is and how it becomes hard in the first place. The first thing to understand is that hard water has an elevated level of dissolved mineral content. The minerals that are hardest on your and your home, include calcium, magnesium and iron (if you live in certain areas). During rainfall, water hits the ground, it then flows into a surface water body or it soaks into the ground. During its journey, the water comes into contact with soil, sand, rocks and those materials are added to its makeup. How? Well water is an effective solvent and it can dissolve many materials that it comes into contact with. These hard water minerals are not removed at a water treatment plant and they ultimately reach our homes where they wreak havoc on our plumbing, appliances and even our bodies.
Does Hard Water Improve Health?
It’s important to state that drinking or cooking with hard water will not have a negative effect on your health. The true tastes of your favorite beverages may be impaired and food may taste bland or look unappealing but your health is not at risk. All water contains some dissolved minerals and some commercial water suppliers even use this as a marketing benefit for potential customers. Many people drink mineral water each and every day for the health benefits, but the minerals in hard water are insoluble and they don’t improve your health. A better way to get essential minerals is from food because plants change the minerals to a format that’s easy for people and animals to ingest and process.
How Do I Know If I Have Hard Water?
There are a few possible consequences of hard water that you may be able to observe in your home. If you have reduced water pressure, this may be caused by an accumulation of limescale inside your plumbing pipes. As the diameter of the pipe is narrowed, less water can flow through the pipe and the water pressure may drop. The formation of limescale on heating elements can lower the efficiency of water using appliances, such as washers, water heaters, dishwashers and more. The heating times will be longer as the equipment is forced to compensate for the drop in efficiency. Overworked equipment is more prone to failure, this can lead to an unexpected repair bill and drop in the life expectancy of your appliances. Hard water prevents the formation of soap suds and it creates sticky soap scum that you may see on your plumbing fixtures. Soap scum is a breeding ground for bacteria and it’s hard to scrub away. Hard water minerals clog our skin pores preventing the formation of natural oils which dries out our skin. This can trigger breakouts, exacerbate eczema reactions and make our skin feel sore and itchy. These minerals can tangle in our hair making it feel dull, brittle, and hard to manage. If you have noticed one or more of these effects it’s likely that you have hard water. To confirm your suspicions you can purchase a simple hard water testing kit.
Can I Soften Water Without a Water Softener?
To return to the initial question posed in this article let’s take a look at how you can soften water without a water softener.
Boiling Water
The first option is to boil the water to make the minerals and salt content move to the bottom of the pot. After a rolling boil for a few minutes, let the water cool completely and you can scoop the softer water out and place it in a separate vessel. This is an energy intensive effort, this softer water may be useful, but you would need large volumes to make a real difference in your home. Also, there is no way to direct this water to a shower or use it in a washer but you could use it for drinking, cooking, and basic washing.
Bottled Water
Some bottled water is softer than the water that you receive from a private well or the nearest water treatment plant. But, this is a bad option for a number of reasons. First, there is the environmental impact to consider, adding a lot of extra plastic pollution is harmful. Next, using a lot of bottled water can get expensive, it’s bulky and hard to store and you will be making frequent trips to the store. Lastly, this is an option that you can use for drinking, cooking, and basic washing, but this water cannot be used in your appliances or plumbing systems.
Basic Water Filtration
Passing the water through a basic water filter pitcher may remove trace quantities of hardness from the water. The water may taste better for beverages and cooked food, but this approach has limited uses for the rest of your home.
Installing a Water Filtration System
As you can see, the water softening alternatives we’ve explored are inefficient and impractical for daily use in your home. To supply softened water to every plumbing fixture in your home, you will need a water softener system. The most reliable systems use an ion-exchange process which removes the mineral ions and replaces them with salt ions. A professional installation is recommended to ensure that the system is efficient and optimized to meet all of your soft water needs.