Are you sick and tired of hard water? Water conditioners are a popular solution for areas with hard water issues across the U.S. In areas like West Texas and Central Florida hard water is a serious enough problem to cause significant structural damage to home plumbing systems.
Many people turn to water conditioners as a way to improve the quality of their water. But is it really worth it? Let’s explore the pros and cons of water conditioners to help you decide if they’re right for you.
What Is a Water Conditioner?
A water conditioner is a device that helps to improve the quality of your water in two ways.
1. First, water goes through a resin that alleviates hard water by removing tiny crushed rock particles.
2. The water then goes through a carbon filter which removes the majority of carbon and lead in the water.
The result is cleaner, better-tasting water.
Pro’s of Using a Water Conditioner
There are several benefits to using a water conditioner, including:
• Improved Taste: One of the most noticeable benefits of using a water conditioner is improved taste. By removing impurities from your water, you can enjoy clean-tasting drinking water without any unpleasant odors or flavors.
• Healthier Water: Not only does using a water conditioner make your drinking water taste better, but it also makes it healthier too. By removing most of the chlorine and lead from your drinking supply, you can reduce your risk of health problems associated with these substances.
• Saves Time & Money: Less time cleaning soap spots and bathtub rings, water heaters last longer and milky spots on glassware is lessened. Laundry comes out brighter and fluffier.
Cons of Using a Water Conditioner
There are some drawbacks to water conditioners as well. These include:
• Initial Cost: The initial cost of purchasing and installing a water conditioner can be quite high depending on the type you choose. This may not be feasible for everyone’s budget.
• Maintenance Costs: In addition to the initial cost, there are usually ongoing maintenance costs associated with using a water conditioner. Carbon filters that are not coated with silver accumulate bacterial growth and need to be sanitized every 1-2 years. Many consumers also report that low-cost water conditioners break down and need maintenance every 2-3 years.
• Limited Effectiveness: While most types of water conditioners do a good job at removing impurities from your drinking supply, these are generally limited to chlorine and lead.
Water conditioners do not address certain contaminants found in the Tampa, Florida area, such as:
- Arsenic
- Chromium
- Chloroform
- Lead
- Radium
- Pharmaceuticals
- Harmful bacteria
A water conditioner may not be able to remove all types of contaminants from your tap or well-water source. On the one hand. this system can improve the quality of your drinking supply significantly. On the other hand, it may not be able to completely eliminate all types of pollutants from it.
Is It Worth It?
So, is investing in a water conditioner worth it? Ultimately this depends on several factors such as budget constraints, how much improvement in taste and quality you want out of your drinking supply, and whether or not other methods such as whole home filtration systems would work better for you given where you live geographically speaking.
Purity Bay specializes in a wide range of home water solutions, including water softeners, reverse-osmosis systems, whole home water filtration systems and anything in between. Whether you need help selecting a water system or servicing an existing system, our experienced teams in Tampa, Florida and El Paso, Texas can help you out! Schedule an appointment today!
