Comments on: Drinking Softened Water http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/drinking-softened-water.html Science Blog from Freelance Science Writer David Bradley Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:53:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: chemspy http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/drinking-softened-water.html/comment-page-1#comment-381128 chemspy Sat, 22 Mar 2008 13:50:29 +0000 http://www.chemspy.com/chemistry-news/drinking-softened-water.html#comment-381128 Alain, thanks for your detailed reponse. My concern wasn't the aesthetics of his filtration setup but the fact that he's drinking ion-exchanged water. It's not for drinking, it has high levels of sodium and little calcium, long-term use could cause health problems. db Alain, thanks for your detailed reponse. My concern wasn’t the aesthetics of his filtration setup but the fact that he’s drinking ion-exchanged water. It’s not for drinking, it has high levels of sodium and little calcium, long-term use could cause health problems.

db

]]> By: Alain Mokbel http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/drinking-softened-water.html/comment-page-1#comment-381127 Alain Mokbel Fri, 21 Mar 2008 20:02:59 +0000 http://www.chemspy.com/chemistry-news/drinking-softened-water.html#comment-381127 I think we are avoiding the main issue here: what's in the water? How hard is his water? Is it necessary? Did he get his water tested? Where is the water coming from? Water softener has for purpose to remove hardness ions, like Calcium and Magnesium, and replaces it with Sodium or Potassium. Activated Carbon (or Charcoal) is used for more aesthetic reasons, such as removing the taste and smell of chlorine. But the main function of AC is to remove bacteria and viruses. I seriously don't think it's a good idea to have 2 different filtration media in the same tank. You can have a softener and activated filters in series but you shouldn't have both media in the same filter tank. It is simply NOT DONE. My recommendation is to have 2 separate tanks for each filtration media and if possible, to have an automated backwash controller to help with maintenance. I think we are avoiding the main issue here: what’s in the water?

How hard is his water? Is it necessary? Did he get his water tested? Where is the water coming from?

Water softener has for purpose to remove hardness ions, like Calcium and Magnesium, and replaces it with Sodium or Potassium.

Activated Carbon (or Charcoal) is used for more aesthetic reasons, such as removing the taste and smell of chlorine. But the main function of AC is to remove bacteria and viruses.

I seriously don’t think it’s a good idea to have 2 different filtration media in the same tank. You can have a softener and activated filters in series but you shouldn’t have both media in the same filter tank. It is simply NOT DONE.

My recommendation is to have 2 separate tanks for each filtration media and if possible, to have an automated backwash controller to help with maintenance.

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