Frequently
Asked Questions:
Hard Water/Soft Water
Q:
It feels like I can't get the soap off when I wash with soft water.
Why does soft water feel "slimy" when I wash my hands in
it?
A:
When you wash in soft water, you feel your skin the way it's
supposed to feel, clean and silky smooth. According to the U.C.
Berkely Wellness Letter, when you wash in hard water, the soap
you're using reacts with the hardness minerals in the water
"to form an insoluble residue that's difficult to wash
away." The "squeaky" feel/sound many people
associate with being clean is, in fact, your skin sticking because
of this residue.
Soft water rinses your skin and hair more cleanly than hard water
and doesn't leave a soap or shampoo residue behind. People that
use soft water consistently enjoy the "truly clean"
feeling they get when washing with it.
For more information about hard water, click here. Contact
Kinetico for the free brochure, "Consumer's Guide to Better
Water." To learn more about Kinetico non-electric water
conditioners click here.
Q:
Is soft water bad for my septic system?
A:
According to a report issued by the Water Quality Research
Council, water softeners do not have any detrimental effect on
septic systems and may actually enhance their performance in
certain situations by encouraging the growth of additional
bacteria.
In fact, the flow from the softener is typically less than the
waste water discharged from an automatic washing machine. The
studies credited the high levels of calcium and magnesium
present (in the flow that results when the softener cleans
itself) with improving soil percolation in many instances.
The studies were conducted by scientists at the University of
Wisconsin - Madison and the National Sanitation Foundation.
For more information about hard water, click here. Contact
Kinetico for the free brochure, "Consumer's Guide to Better
Water." To learn more about Kinetico non-electric water
conditioners click here.
Q:
Won't soft water corrode my plumbing?
A:
According to the US EPA's Thomas J. Sorg, softened water does
not increase lead and copper leaching in household plumbing
systems. As long as your water has a neutral pH, softening it
will not make it corrosive. Water that does not fall into the
neutral range should be neutralized even if it is not being
softened. If it isn't neutralized, it will typically cause
corrosion, whether it's hard or soft.
For more information about hard water, click here. Contact
Kinetico for the free brochure, "Consumer's Guide to
Better Water." To learn more about Kinetico non-electric
water conditioners click here.
Q:
Doesn't my city supply me with soft water?
A:
Your city water supplier is not required to provide you with
soft water. Many municipalities reduce the amount of
hardness to some degree. But according to the U.S.
Geological Survey, 85 percent of American homes are still
supplied with hard water. Your city is required to provide
you with water test results that show water hardness; just
call the number on your water bill. Compare the figure they
give you to the Water Quality Association hardness
classification system to see if you have hard water.
Many people that use city water choose to soften it to save
money on soaps and cleaners, protect their plumbing systems
from scale buildup, protect their water using appliances
from hard water scale, provide better water for bathing and
eliminate hard water spots, among other things.
For more information about hard water, click here. Contact
Kinetico for the free brochure, "Consumer's Guide to
Better Water." To learn more about Kinetico
non-electric water conditioners click here.
