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Do salt-free water softeners really work?

I assume that you are referring to electronic, magnetic or media devices that are purported to "condition" water. Notice, I did not say "soften" water. In my opinion, the only way you can "soften" water is by removing a "hard mineral" (calcium, magnesium) and replacing it with a "soft mineral" (sodium, potassium). Conditioning can be accomplished in a number of ways:

Filtration—by removing sediment, silt and other contaminants the water is being "conditioned."

Carbon Filtration—by passing the water through a media containing carbon to remove chemicals and chlorine.

Seed Crystallization—by using either electrical current, magnetic or media crystallization to form "seed crystals."

Oxidation—by using chlorine, potassium permanganate, hydrogen peroxide, ozone or oxygen to oxidize contaminants in the water.

Filtration, carbon filtration and oxidation are well-established methods of conditioning or treating water, so I will further assume that you are referring to the plethora of companies who are promoting "salt-free water conditioners." I will say that there is some validity to most of these methods, however companies or websites who say that they "soften" water without salt or make other preposterous claims like "salt can be absorbed through the skin" or that electronic devices increase sudzing are not dealing in reality and should not be trusted. While there are come fine products in this category of "water conditioning," there are also plenty of outright frauds and other companies selling products which have limited validity and application.

For more information about the quality of your water, or for your FREE water test, call Aquality Solutions 1-866-4WATER1.

This article was originally published in Illinois Country Living a magazine circulated by the Eastern Illini Electric Cooperative.

 

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Is your water hard? How water is classified and why it matters

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