Four Common Myths About Water Softeners

In the Colorado mountain environment hard water is a fact of life. The minerals in the water cause water spots, clogged plumbing fixtures and can damage your water heater and other appliances.

A water softener is used to remove the calcium and magnesium that cause hard water. There are many misconceptions about softened water. Here are some of the most common you may have heard:

Water Softener Myth One – Using a water softener removes calcium and magnesium, important nutrients our bodies need.

While a water softener will remove these minerals from the water, the fact is, minerals found in drinking water are in an inorganic form that can not be absorbed by our bodies in the same way that nutrients are delivered through food and dietary supplements.

Water Softener Myth Two – Water softeners cause a reaction in the water that leaves residue on your skin.

Your skin often feels silkier after a shower with softened water because your skin’s natural oils are able to more readily absorb into your skin’s surface. Softened water also helps soaps and shampoos lather up faster. So showering in softened water actually leaves your much cleaner than when you shower in hard water.

Water Softener Myth Three – Water softeners add salt to your water, which can increase your sodium intake.

The salt used in a water softener facilitates the ion-exchange system that removes the salts binding the calcium and magnesium and replaces them with other salts. So the total salt level in the water is not increased to any significant degree. For comparison, a can of Coca-Cola has about 39 milligrams of sodium while a 12 ounce glass of softened water contains less than half this amount sodium.

Water Softener Myth Four – Drinking treated water removes the essential minerals from your body.

Nothing is removed from your body by drinking filtered or distilled water, The EPA actually recommends using reverse osmosis water treatment to remove harmful substances from drinking water.