Hard water is a common problem in many homes, leading to scale buildup and making daily tasks like cleaning more difficult. If your water seems off, deciding on the right treatment system can be confusing. Water softeners, conditioners, refiners, and filtration systems can solve different issues, so understanding their differences can help you make the right choice.

What Do Water Softeners Do?

Water softeners use a high-capacity resin to remove hardness-causing minerals like calcium and magnesium through ion exchange, replacing them with sodium ions to reduce scale buildup. This improves water efficiency, protects appliances, and extends the life of plumbing and clothing.

How Are Water Conditioners Different?

A water conditioner steps up the benefits of a softener by adding carbon to the water treatment system. The carbon in systems distributed by The LeverEdge is a high-microporosity, granular, activated carbon that reduces chlorine, bad taste, and odors by trapping them in millions of tiny pores.

What is a Water Refiner?

A water refiner takes the system another step further by adding a media called bacteriostat 55 to the resin and carbon in a water treatment system. Bacteriostat 55 effectively reduces chlorine and water-soluble heavy metals while controlling the growth of bacteria, algae, and fungi.

What Do Filtration Systems Address?

A filtration system like the Iron Boss with Oxy-Boost Technology handles the problem of iron, hydrogen sulfide, and manganese in your water. Iron causes those dreaded rust-colored stains in sinks and toilets. Hydrogen sulfide is the cause of that “rotten egg” smell in water, which if used for cooking, carries over into food and drink. The Iron Boss with Oxy-Boost Technology generates ozone—nature’s disinfectant—to oxidize and filter iron, hydrogen sulfide, and manganese all in one unit without the use of any chemical additives.

Another type of filtration system is a drinking water system. After household water is softened, conditioned, refined, and/or filtered—depending on your household water’s specific needs—a drinking water system further refines the water used for drinking and cooking by sending it through an additional four or five-stage filtration system. This ultra-refined water is then dispensed through a special faucet at your kitchen sink.

Should You Combine Systems?

Choosing the best option depends on your water source and needs. City water may benefit from chlorine reduction, while well water might require sediment or iron solutions. Testing your water is the first step toward finding the right treatment.

Reach out to the LeverEdge today. We can put you in contact with your local water treatment professional to get expert advice and find the perfect system for your needs.