"Hi, I recently purchased a 12 year old home in Central Indiana that came with an water softener (waterboss model). The owners claimed it to be working during the closing. When we moved into the house, we filled the softener with salt and allowed the softener to regenerate. Then we tested the water from several faucets and sinks using a standard water softener test strip and it shows that the water is hard (between 180-250 ppm). However, at the same time the water feels quite slippery, esp. after washing with soap and the dishwasher absolutely leaves no scales. Also I used the common test suggested in the web : taking a bottle, filling it halfway with water, adding dishwasher liquid and shaking to check for foam. That seems to wok pretty well too, the mixture foams up quickly and stays like that. Should I replace my water softener ? Any other tests to check ? Just want to ensure that it is not working before buying a new one. Any pointers will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!"

We hear somewhat conflicting information in your inquiry, so we find ourselves at somewhat of a loss for clear response. 'Slippery' feeling water and the ability of water to generate soap suds easily plus no evidence of scaling or deposits leads us to believe the water softener functions as it should, but the fact that the standard water softener test strip still showed 'hard water' leaves us a bit puzzled.

You may wish to do one (or more) of several things at this point:

1) If you have not done so already, you should consider testing your water before it goes into the softener and after it exits the softener using the test strips you currently have. If the strips show you have hard water during both tests, then either the strips do not work or the softener does not function properly.

At that point we would suggest re-testing the water (before and after the softener), again, but this time using a different brand of water hardness test strips. If the water reads equally 'hard' both times then you can probably rule out the test strips as the problem.

2) Since you expressed other water quality concerns, you may want to re-test using a more comprehensive drinking water test kit such as the SenSafe Water Quality Test Kit, WaterSafe Well Water Test Kit, or COMPLETE Water Test Kit which all test for water hardness plus other important water quality parameters.

3) Contract with a well water specialist to come out and look at your well's integrity, test the water, and look at various aspects of your water softener such as valve integrity. Over time the seals in some valves may wear down and allow untreated water to mix with softened water.

How long after the expiration date will they work?

We recently posted an article on the topic of short shelf life test strips on this site because we get asked this question a LOT. You can read that article here: Do Tests Strips with Short Shelf Life Still Work?

To answer the question directly, though, we have this to say: “If properly stored since the date of manufacture the products should still work, but no one will guarantee the product’s accuracy beyond the date stamped on the bottle.”

The answer above actually applies to pretty much ALL products that come with expiration dates if you think about it. But, in order to hedge off lawsuits from potentially disgruntled consumers with really old or poorly stored products, manufacturers do have to put a time limit out there.

Are WaterWorks Total Hardness Test Test Strips the right product?

Regarding the matter of ‘is the WaterWorks Total Hardness Test Strip the best product for you, that would all depend on what you believed you needed to test — since this product detects only Calcium and Magnesium.

If looking just to make certain your water softener functions as expected, meaning it reduces calcium and magnesium hardness as described by the unit’s manufacturer, then we believe WaterWorks Total Hardness Test Strips should work just fine for what you want to do.

Now on the other hand, if you have curiosity about other potential water contaminants (i.e. lead, nitrates/nitrites, coliform bacteria, arsenic, etc.), then this product will not cover all those bases and you will want to consider a product that perhaps includes total hardness test strips as well as test for the other items you would like to test for.

If the latter situation sounds more like your situation then we suggest you consider a multi-parameter water test kit like the SenSafe Water Quality Test Kit, WaterWorks COMPLETE Test Kit, or the WaterSafe City Water Test Kit.

Each of the those kits offers slightly different water testing options and each comes with easy-to-follow directions that make testing one’s water for a number of critical water quality parameters a painless process.

Our well water before filtering was high hardness according to the builder when we moved into our new house and we saw that the first time dishes got done. We had SPOTS on all the glasses plates and cups. Then the bathtub junk started and we had lots of scummy caked on stuff that we had to clean out of the showers a lot. SO we put a water filter in and the scummy junk all but disappeared… but water now feels slippery and like it dowes not get all the soap off us when we shower. Is that normal?

After doing a bit of research we found conflicting answers regarding why softened water feels slippery to the touch.

• We read in a Culligan Water (Mid-Missouri) article that soft water does not have ‘scum’ (calcium & magnesium ions bonded to soap particles) that gets deposited on your skin and since your skin therefore has no ‘scum’ on it to cause friction, water then feels slippery.
   
• On a Collective Science Q & A Site we read that the slippery feeling comes from the depositing of soap ions that would ordinarily have bonded with the calcium and magnesium that the water softener took out. Apparently in the absence of those metals the skin’s weakly positive charge becomes a magnet for negatively charged, free-floating soap particles. Therefore, the deposits on skin make water seem slippery.

Which do we believe? Although both answers seem somewhat plausible, we believe that the first answer has a lot more merit. Why do we believe that? Quite simply, since soft water fails to leave deposits on other surfaces that possess weakly positive charge, why would it selectively leave deposits on the skin?

Testing for water hardness (aka: total hardness)

The simplest water test method for hardness involves using a dip-n-read testing product such as the WaterWorks Total Hardness Test Strip. Just dip the indicator test pad into a water sample, remove it, and match the developed color to a corresponding color on the product’s color chart.

Will too much or too little hardness hurt me?

We have yet to hear of any cases where overly hard water negatively affected the health of a person and, coincidentally, we have also not heard of a case where softened water negatively affected a person’s health.

Hard water WILL, however, shorten the life expectancy of plumbing, water heaters, refrigerator ice makers, washers, and any other devices that use (or transport) water in your home. Oh, and it will increase the amount of cleaning you will have to do in the shower stall to get the ‘soap scum’ off of, well, pretty much every surface.

Drinking water contaminants and water quality characteristics vary across a water distribution network, from neighborhood to neighborhood — and even from residence to residence depending upon the age of the residence and each residence’s type of plumbing in-home and connecting the home to the public water system.

With that said, today we will address an inquiry sent in by ‘Katherine L’ in Cincinnati who asked the following:

Hi, we just bought our first house (near Cincinnati OH), a long home, with a well. When we first had the water tested while under contract it was during the rainy season in the spring so we were told that having 1 coliform bacteria unit was no unusual. Regardless, we bought a UV for that. We moved in in August and found that a water softener had been used on the house during the testing, so since then we have discovered iron, lot’s of iron and iron bacteria and slippery total solids (please correct that last bit!). We are using bottled water until we figure out which solutions are good for us. There are so many systems out there, we can’t decide what we really need!

First off, it seems as though Katherine has already gone and had her water tested by a certified water testing laboratory — and we think that a very wise move on her part since one must know what contaminants need removing before he or she can make an educated decision regarding a water filtration system.

Iron in drinking water

While not bad enough to make the EPA’s Primary Drinking Water Standards list, iron in drinking water can create a host of problems for people in the form of unwanted staining, unpleasant tasting water, discolored water, and clog forming iron deposits.

One can test for the presence of (ferrous & ferric) iron using a simple total iron test kit which allows users to test for total iron levels between 0.3 and 5.0 mg/L (ppm) in a matter of minutes.

Or, if one suspects a serious amount of dissolved iron in their water, the Ida’s Iron Check made by WaterWorks has the ability to detect concentrations of dissolved iron as high as 50 ppm in a short period of time and without complicated laboratory equipment or specialized training.

OK, so now you know you have iron. How does one get the iron OUT of drinking water?

Easy answer: Filtration.

More realistic answer: “The correct filtration system for one’s unique iron in water concentration.”

Very few situations in drinking water remediation (the correction of water quality issues) have simple solutions and every water quality situation presents a unique challenge. Therefore it stands to reason that not every water treatment system will have what it takes to correct every possible water quality problem.

Based upon your water test results, carefully read through the specs of various water filtration devices to make certain the unit you select will remove the amount of iron and type of iron present on your water.

Can I use a water softener to remove iron?

Despite what some folks may tell you (while trying to sell you a water softener), you should not attempt to use a water softener as a line of defense against iron in water. The iron will clog the softener and cause the unit to need much more frequent regeneration, backwashing and service visits — all of which wind up costing YOU more money.

For more information on why you should not use a water softener as a filter for iron we suggest taking a look at an earlier article we wrote called Can I Use My Water Softener as an Iron Filter?… and then not use your water softener as an iron filter.

What iron filter would you recommend?

Obviously, since we work closely with both Filter Water and Filters Fast, we suggest beginning your search with either one of those companies.

No matter what filter system you decide on, make SURE it comes with a sediment pre-filter. Otherwise you will find yourself having to backwash your iron filter a lot more often than you’ll enjoy!

In this day and age where virtually, and sometimes literally, every penny counts in a family’s budget, finding ways to save money matters — but when it comes to investing in your family’s safety through the use of a water filter, make certain you purchase and install the correct filter(s) for the job at hand!

While a water softener typically does have the ability to remove some amount of dissolved iron from water, the act of removing iron can do serious damage to the mineral bed designed specifically to reduce water hardness. If pressed to remove iron on a regular basis the damage can eventually add up… to the need for an expensive service call by water filter technician.

Another way to think about it: Asking a water softener to do anything other than remove water hardness lessens the device’s water softening efficiency, interferes with the proper operation of the device, typically causes damage to the device, results in higher than normal consumption of salt by the device, and may result in your having to pay someone to come out and repair your softener after its adsorption media gets plugged up with iron.

Pick the right tool for the job at-hand

When attempting to turn a screw would you A) Hit the screw w/ a rolled up newspaper; B) Use an app on you iPhone; or C) Turn the screw with a screwdriver. Hopefully you chose ‘C’ just now.

The same sort of logic applies to water filters, as well. Filter Water, an online vendor of drinking water filters we recommend on a regular basis carries several types of water softeners and homeowners can install separate inline iron, sediment, multi-filter, etc. cartridges to work in conjunction with the water softeners Filter Water carries.

On the topic of iron removal, however, the experts at Filter Water suggested, “To treat up to 3 ppm ferrous or ferric iron (metal iron), use Pentek RFFE20-BB Iron Reduction Filter in a Big Blue 20×4.5 Housing. If iron is above 3 ppm or if it is bacteria-based, use Iron and Hydrogen Sulfide Whole House System up to 15 ppm. If iron level is above 15 ppm, or for line larger than 1″, look at Commercial Iron Removal Systems.”

With that said, today’s inquiry came to us from ‘Cass’, a concerned woman from North Carolina with concern over the origin of high hardness in her drinking water.

Hi. Can you explain why water has hardness in when it when it comes out of a well? If rain water becomes well water wehere does the hardness come from? Shouldn’t the water just be water?

Thank you for the question, Cass. When droplets of rain water form in the atmosphere they contain nothing but good old hydrogen and oxygen with no dissolved minerals. In that state the water has a tendency to react with pretty much any and everything it comes in contact with and our atmosphere contains quite a bit of carbon dioxide.

As the water mingles with atmospheric carbon dioxide a weak acid (carbonic acid) forms. That acid makes the water slightly more aggressive and once the water reaches the ground it then filters down through soil, rock, bedrock, etc. where it has a chance to dissolve and then absorb tiny amounts of each of those materials.

The more aggressive the water becomes on its trip down through the atmosphere and/or the more contact the water has with the ground as it makes its way through the Earth and into an aquifer, the more dissolved minerals (i.e. calcium, magnesium, metals, etc.) the water will contain when pulled up by a well for use in one’s home.

Testing for water hardness?

While wet chemistry titration test kits have provided reliable water test results for many years they do not have the same monopoly on accuracy, reliability, affordability and ease of use that test strips such as WaterWorks Total Hardness possesses.

The WaterWorks Total Hardness test strips allow interested parties to perform total hardness in water testing in under 15 seconds and get results they can depend on each time.

Perils of hard water?

Too much dissolved calcium (or magnesium) in water can result in increased soap/detergent consumption for washing machines and dishwashers, lackluster performance of shampoos & conditioners, dry skin, dish (water) spots, bathtub rings, clogged plumbing, and a host of other problems — some of which cost a lot of money to fix!

For more information on the effects of hardness (dissolved calcium & magnesium) in water and/or how to soften, treat or otherwise condition hard water, please check out the articles in Water Testing Blog’s Hardness Archives and Water Softener Archives.

Popular articles in those archives include:

• Water Softener That Does Not Use Salt?
• Is Soft Water Salty?
• Converting Grains per Gallon (GPG) to Parts per Million (ppm)
• What Should You Test if You Have City/Municipal Water?

If after testing your water for hardness you determine that you need (or would like) to purchase a water softener, we suggest taking a look at the products offered by Filter Water, a leading online retailer of traditional ‘salt-based’ water softeners as well as the more modern and environmentally friendly ‘salt-free’ water softeners

Many times in nature soft water will occur in water that has become acidic for other reasons and for the longest time people blamed the water’s lack of dissolved minerals when they really should have looked much more closely at the water’s obvious acidity problem.

As a general rule, acidic water behaves in a corrosive manner regardless of its dissolved minerals content (hardness). Therefore, when trying to solve corrosion problems in drinking water situations, please stop blaming softened water! 🙂

Got a problem with corrosion in your pipes? Test the acidity of your water with pH test strips or a pH meter because most of the time you will find that your water’s low pH is to blame.

Fairytale: All soft water is salty and corrosive?

We heard another interesting story involving a misinformed plumber telling his unsuspecting, naive customers that soft water is inherently salty and therefore corrosive.

First of all, soft water exiting a water softener should not have become salty unless the salt already existed in the source water or the water softener’s backwash cycle has started to malfunction. Testing your water before it enters the water softener with a device like the HM Digital COM-100 TDS & EC Meter will tell you if your source water contains salt.

Secondly, as we stated earlier, naturally occurring soft water tends to show up in water that has become acidic for reasons other than its soft or hard character. Testing the acidity of your source water with easy, inexpensive pH test strips or a more precise device like the waterproof PH-200 Water Testing Meter will tell you if your source water has too low (or high) of a pH and may need correction.

Note to swimming pool owners…

The rules regarding water hardness and drinking water do not apply to the water in your backyard oasis. The unique chemistry of pool water typically requires that the water contain a lot more hardness, usually in the form of dissolved calcium, to remain in balance.

Interested in learning more about pool water testing? Take a look at the articles posted in our pool water archives.

A glass of water containing that low an amount of sodium qualifies for the US Food & Drug Administration’s “very low sodium” category.

Why do water softeners contain salt and/or sodium?

The majority of water softeners utilize a resin bed, which you can see at their website, comprised of negatively charged plastic beads packed with positively charged sodium ions. As source water passes through the bed of beads, calcium and magnesium ions with stronger positive charges disrupt the sodium ions’ bonds with the beads and form their own bonds with the plastic beads.

Eventually after a water softener operates for a while the supply of sodium ions in the resin bed gets depleted and when that happens the resin bed must get recharged using a concentrated salt brine solution that more or less overpowers the collected calcium and magnesium and causes them to become dislodged from the plastic beads. Sodium molecules then take their place on the resin beads and the magnesium, calcium and excess sodium molecules get flushed out of the system.

After a properly completed flushing and rinsing, a water softener operating properly ought not produce water that has a salty taste since all of the actual salt (NaCl) should have gone out as waste water during back washing.

Measuring water hardness

Scientists typically measure water hardness using one of two scales: Grains per Gallon (GPG) and Parts per Million (ppm). One grain per gallon of hardness equals approximately 17.1 ppm of hardness.

You may also see ppm expressed as milligrams per liter (mg/L) in some literature.

Rating categories for water hardness

As a general rule,

• Water that contains less than 1 GPG or 17.1 ppm hardness gets labeled as ‘soft’.
   
• Water that contains between 1 and 3.5 GPG, or 17.1 to 60 ppm, hardness gets labeled as ‘slightly hard’.
   
• Water that contains between 3.5 and 7 GPG, or 60 to 120 ppm, hardness gets labeled as ‘moderately hard’.
   
• Water that contains between 7 and 10.5 GPG, or 120 to 180 ppm, hardness gets labeled as ‘hard’.
   
• Water that contains between greater than 10.5 GPG, or 180 ppm, hardness gets labeled as ‘very hard’.
   

“I want to start a mobile car wash for car dealer and i thought if i used a water softer i could cut the time by not drying them .with a softer it would not leave spots would that be a true statement or ? thank you .”

Believe it or not, ‘Rob’ posed a rather interesting question: Will removing all, or most, of water hardness eliminate water spots and possibly prevent him from needing to dry the vehicles her washes? Only experts at dodge dealership near me can give you the right advice and suggestion.

We suspect not since water softeners will usually only reduce/remove calcium and magnesium levels in water… and water may contain other items that could wind up as ‘spots’ on a car not dried in a traditional manner.

Additionally, we believe some spots seen in recently washed cars may have resulted from ingredients in the soaps, detergents, cleaners, etc. contained in the car wash concentrate added to the water.

Oh, and let us not forget that airborne dust, pollen, etc. could very easily land on a recently washed car and find itself attached to the surface as the water droplet it landed in evaporates.

So, while softer water could certainly reduce the harshness of the appearance of water spots, we do not believe it will totally eliminate the need for drying vehicles after washings.

Have you looked into the different types of car cleaner concentrates available on the market these days? We seem to recall hearing about several that claim to leave fewer water spots than other brands. We don’t recall the exact brands, but the ones below seemed to have good reputations.

I live in a small twin (3 bed/1.5 bath) that I lease. When we moved in, we noticed the water was particularly hard (10 GPG) and it was causing dry skin after showers and other issues. We don’t use a lot of water and we don’t have much space (1,300 sq. ft.). I also don’t much prefer the saltiness of “softened” water. My landlord gave me the OK to install a simple filtration system. I’m looking for something cheap, compact and simple. I don’t need 0gpg either, if I can lower down to a 3-4 GPG I would be happy.

Seems simple right? I was thinking maybe a 400GPD RO system but they all come with faucets which makes me think they may not be usable to throw in-line on the water system.

Do you know of anything (under $1,000) I can do to clean up my water and make it just a little softer?

Good news, Mike! Recent developments in the water softener industry include water softeners that do not use salt as the primary treating agent. Reasons for the salt-free water softeners range from States like California putting a ban on them for environmental reasons to people (like yourself) simply not enjoying the taste and/or texture of the water produced by salt-based water softeners.

Eagle A1000AS Anti-Scale Saltless Water Conditioner

To the left you will see an example of a water softener that uses a special filtration media to remove calcium and magnesium from source water instead of salt. The unit also comes equipped with a sediment filter, solid carbon block filter for VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) and an Ultrafiltration Filter good for removing particles as small as .01 microns.

Mike, you mentioned reverse osmosis as a possible option and based upon what you said you wanted from the water treatment system, we don’t think that will work out as well as you’d like, though we do agree that reverse osmosis water filter do an excellent job of filtering water.

Reverse osmosis units do not connect up as inline filters as neatly and tidily as it sounds like you’d prefer. They require drains for ‘waste water’ that gets rejected by the membranes and flushed out during backwashing. Also, reverse osmosis water filters require power which means running a power line to the unit.

The Eagle A1000AS Anti-Scale Saltless Water Conditioner uses no power, requires no drain, uses no salt or environmentally harmful chemicals, and supposedly will help to remove existing calcium and magnesium deposits already clogging water lines.

Moral of the story?

Mike, we suggest having your water tested by a certified laboratory in your area or having a mail order service such as National Testing Laboratories perform a thorough analysis of your water. From the sounds of things, your faucets could possibly have more than just calcium and/or magnesium coming out of them and you will not know for sure until you test.

Also, even after installing a water filtration system, Mike, you will want to perform regular, or at least occasional, water testing for things like total hardness to make certain the filtration system you chose has not stopped working as expected. Products like the WaterWorks Total Hardness Test Strips make testing water hardness both easy and inexpensive.