Do Water Softeners Remove the Healthy Minerals in my Drinking Water?

Over the past several years, you’ve likely heard a lot of talk about the differences between hard and soft water. Some might be hesitant to add water softening systems to their home in fear of losing the minerals found in hard water. But the truth is, you won’t be missing out on any essential minerals in your drinking water when you make the switch.

Here at Kinetico, we are experts when it comes to soft water. Here’s the truth about those minerals found in hard water.

Water Softener Does Not Remove Necessary Minerals 

Hard water is water that makes its way through rocks and earth and into waterways. They pick up many minerals like calcium through this process. You likely drink hard water on a daily basis as it’s far more common than soft water. Soft water is water that’s been ‘softened’ through treatments to remove some of the minerals. Oftentimes, the calcium and magnesium in hard water are replaced by sodium during this process.

You might, at first, think that removing those minerals can be bad for your health, but that is not the case. The minerals have little to no effect on your health and only change the flavor of the water. By removing the minerals, the flavor of your drinking water is changed. This is why some might prefer bottled water compared to tap water, as bottled water has been softened to change the flavor while tap water usually isn’t.  

You Get Enough Magnesium and Calcium Through Foods

Minerals found in hard water like magnesium and calcium are essential to our health. Not getting enough of these minerals can cause serious health problems. However, drinking water is not a primary source of these minerals, food is. In fact, you hardly take in enough of these minerals through hard water for it to actually make any difference to your health.

Dairy is by far the richest source of calcium and magnesium is often found in nuts, fruits, vegetables, and grains. If you are worried you aren’t getting enough calcium and magnesium, then examine the food you eat, not the water you drink.

Hard Water Isn’t Bad For You

While hard water is rich in minerals and can have a worse flavor because of that, it isn’t necessarily bad for your health. Hard water is what you use to clean your clothes, wash dishes, and even bathe in. It’s also perfectly safe to consume.

There Are Real Benefits To Water Softener

While hard water isn’t bad to drink or use daily, there are some benefits to using soft water. First and foremost, soft water is much easier on your home’s pipes. Over many years of use, minerals from hard water can start to build up, causing all kinds of plumbing issues. It can also be hard on your home’s appliances that use hard water, like dishwashers, washing machines, and coffee makers. 

Soft water is also much more efficient to clean with. The minerals found in hard water make it very easy for soap scum to build up on dishes. Soft water works much better with soap rather than against it.

If you want to learn more about water softener systems and the various benefits of soft water, then contact Kinetico SA today. Whether you need to install water softening systems in your home or business, we can help make your water fresher and cleaner through state-of-the-art filtration systems.

If you are located in the San Antonio area, contact us today!