How Hard Water Affects Your Family
Moderately hard water poses no direct health risks, but its cosmetic and comfort effects are undeniable. The minerals prevent soap from rinsing clean, leaving a residue on your skin and hair. This can lead to:
- Dry, itchy skin and aggravated eczema
- Dull, brittle hair that's difficult to manage
- A feeling of film or residue on your skin after showering
For families with infants, preparing baby formula with this water can introduce excess minerals that their developing systems don't need.
Choosing the Right Filtration for Parsippany
For moderately hard water like Parsippany's 6.3 GPG, a full-scale whole-house water softener is usually not a cost-effective solution. The payback period is simply too long.
- Our Recommendation: A high-quality pitcher filter (like ZeroWater or Brita Elite) or a faucet-mount filter is often sufficient for improving the taste of drinking and cooking water. For families concerned about skin and hair, an under-sink filtration system for the kitchen and bathroom is a great targeted solution.
- The Math on Softeners: A whole-house softener costs around $1,500 installed. With potential savings of only $68 per year on energy and detergents, it would take over 22 years to pay for itself.
- Bottled Water Alternative: If you're spending money on bottled water, an under-sink Reverse Osmosis (RO) system eliminates that cost. The average family spends $600-$900 per year on bottled water; an RO system pays for itself in under a year.