The past few decades have seen major industrial advancements. However, they come at the cost of poor quality of life, making us re-evaluate what is considered progress. People are now facing serious health issues due to industrial pollution. Urban living now equates to coping with poor air quality and contaminated water supply. Bringing system-wide changes to reduce environmental pollution remains a tall order. However, one can take some meaningful steps in an individual capacity to protect their loved ones and themselves.
Case in point: You can install whole house water filtration system to keep your water supply clean and healthy for daily use. Clean water is necessary for cooking and drinking, and having a clean water source keeps you safe from developing illnesses. It won’t be wrong to say that having clean water with all its good minerals content is essential for survival.
However, you might be wondering, “why should I treat and filter water when the municipal has already treated it?” In this post, we will try to answer this question and then explain why you need to make arrangements for it, like installing a whole house filtration system.
The Hidden Dangers of Consuming Tap Water
Tap water is certainly a convenient and economical option for a drinkable water supply. It is available all around the house, and you don’t have to pay anything extra to get it. Also, municipal corporations treat the water supply with filtration chemicals to ensure it’s safe for human consumption.
Tap water meets the compliance directives and safety guidelines set by relevant regulators like the EPA, and there is no apparent danger in consuming it. Nonetheless, the continuous use of tap water might not be good for your health. Ironically, the chemicals used for making tap water drinkable also add harmful side effects to it.
Chlorine and Chloramines
Chlorine and chloramines (an ammonia derivative of chlorine) are the two common disinfectants used to treat water supplies. They are used to kill bacteria and germs thriving in water. While chlorine and chloramines can exterminate most microorganisms in water, they do it with a list of oral and topical side-effects.
For instance, people consuming disinfected tap water with high chlorine/chloramine content may experience chronic coughing and a sore throat. It can also cause constant chest tightness airway irritation. Topically, chlorine and its compounds seep out the natural moisture of the skin. Chloramines can also break down skin protein to cause rashes, itching, and subsequent inflammatory reactions.
Hard Metals and Minerals
Municipals also use water softeners to remove hard metals and minerals from the water supply. However, they filter the water to the extent where it even gets devoid of its healthy mineral content. Also, the byproducts formed in the water softening process (e.g., sodium chloride) are not good for drinking water.
When using groundwater, you need to be extra diligent with water filtration because you have to do all of it yourself. Tap water lines connected to a well may also contain traces of arsenic, herbicides, pesticides, and sewage seepage harmful to human health in many ways.
A Whole House Filtration System with Salt-Free Conditioning Is the Answer
As mentioned earlier, tap water remains the best drinking option over bottled water due to its convenience and cost-effectiveness. Therefore, homeowners should install a water filtration system on the water line supplying their residence. This way, they can ensure a clean tap water supply in every part of the house.
A top-of-the-line whole house filtration system uses carbon and KDF media to remove all the unwanted elements from the water, like chloramines, heavy metals, PFOS, PFAS, herbicides/pesticides, and sediments. The whole house filtration system gets rid of any harmful contaminants and unpleasant smells in the water.
However, you must pair the whole house filtration system with a salt-free or salt-based system. This solution will help you get around the scaling problem caused by the magnesium and calcium content present in water. To make it easy for you to select between the two, we are putting down the pros and cons of salt-free and salt-based water filtration.
Salt-Based System: Pros and Cons
Pros
- No scaling on fixtures or appliances
- Brings out the natural oils—hydrates your skin and hair
- Keep the washed clothes bright and soft
- Spot free rinse for dishes and vehicles
- Fewer repairs and plumbing maintenance
- Less money spent on soap and detergents
- Completely removes minerals from your water— giving you a 0 grains hardness/gallon
Cons
- Salt needs to be replenished to clean the resin bed periodically
- Wastes water during regeneration
- Increases pollution in our environment
Salt-Free System: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Little to no maintenance
- No electricity needed
- Does not create wastewater
- No sodium or potassium added
- No slippery feeling
- Brighter clothes and skin using a healthy method
- Leaves in beneficial minerals
- Drinkable from every faucet in the home
Cons
- Leaves water spots
The above comparison charts suggest that salt-free systems are a better option for homeowners to pair with whole house filtration systems. However, if your water supply has a high concentration of hard minerals, salt-based filtration will be more suitable.
We need to mention here that salt-free systems are not technically “filters” because they don’t remove the minerals from water. Instead, they transform the salt into crystals through a template or nucleation-assisted crystallization. With their power-free and waste-free operation, salt-free systems are perfect for homeowners striving to adopt a sustainable lifestyle.
Clean Water Consumption Is Vital for Staying Healthy and Fit
Before we round off this article, we need to list the health benefits of consuming clean water.
· Clean water consumption prevents serious and often fatal medical conditions like hepatitis A, typhoid, and cholera.
· Clean water consumption ensures the body can optimally flush the toxins
· Clean water saves kidneys from damage
· Clean water prevents other medical conditions from aggravating
If you want to purify your municipal or well water supply with a whole house water filtration sysem, Shell Water Systems is there to help you. We offer a range of whole house filtration systems with salt-free and salt-based add-ons. All our water systems feature certified components and offer guaranteed filtration results for a long time.
