We’ve all heard about the importance of water at least a few times in our lives. After all, our bodies are composed of around 60% water. Drinking four to six glasses of water a day keeps our skin clear, our minds focused, and our bodies energized. But the water we drink needs to be pure in order for us to fully receive its benefits.

Drinking impure water can be dangerous and hazardous to one’s body. In fact, it is the leading cause of epidemic disease in developing countries. And in any given region there may be as many as 2,100 contaminants present in one’s tap water supply.

This is why water management systems are crucial. Through filtration technology, home water management systems rid water of impurities such as minerals, metals, and bacteria, ensuring pure and healthy water from one’s tap for consumption and other uses. But these systems aren’t just useful for making water safer to drink, they also protect the integrity and longevity of one’s pipes by reducing the physical and chemical wear caused by contaminants.

How Do Home Water Filtration Systems Work?.

There are two general types methods of water filtration: physical and chemical. The most common physical process of water filtration, known as reverse osmosis, involves pressurizing water through a membrane, allowing the pure water to pass through while preventing the flow of contaminants. While this method alone effectively makes water safer to drink, it also removes several healthy minerals naturally found in water. Reverse osmosis can also be very wasteful in terms of how much water is lost in the process.

The chemical process of purifying water is known as ion exchange water filtration. Essentially, water is deionized using an ion exchange resin, which removes the inorganic materials that have been dissolved into the water. Since a majority of the contaminants found in water are these dissolved inorganic materials, most of them can be removed through this process alone. However, ion exchange can be combined with reverse osmosis for even more effective water purification.

What are Household Water Softener Systems?.

It first might be useful to know about hard water. Hard water refers to water containing a high number of minerals (mostly calcium and magnesium). Drinking this water isn’t the issue, since calcium and magnesium are important for a healthy diet, and our bodies have natural ways of managing how much of these minerals we digest. The problem with hard water is what it can do to one’s pipes. Over time, the minerals in hard water can build up, coating the insides and outsides of water pipes, leading to blockages, cracks, and malfunctions.

Water softener systems for homes are designed to reduce the hardness of water through the process of ion exchange. As a result, these water management systems effectively “soften” the water, protecting pipes of buildup and blockages for a very long time.

We might take water for granted, but in reality we rely on the proper filtration systems to provide us with healthy, pure water for consumption and other uses.