How Hard Water Affects Your Family's Comfort
While municipally treated water is safe to drink, its hardness impacts your quality of life. The minerals in the water react with soaps to form a residue, leading to common complaints such as:
- Noticeably dry skin and an itchy scalp.
- Hair that feels dull, brittle, and looks flat.
- A persistent soapy film on skin and dishes.
For parents, the mineral content should be a consideration when mixing infant formula, as it can affect the intended nutritional composition.
Choosing the Right Water Treatment System
With a hardness level of 7.1 GPG, your home is a prime candidate for a water treatment system. You have several effective options.
- Recommended for this level: A salt-free water conditioner is an ideal fit. It doesn't remove the minerals but alters their structure to prevent them from forming damaging scale. This protects your plumbing and appliances without the use of salt.
- For maximum softness: A whole-house, salt-based water softener removes minerals completely. The estimated annual savings of $76 in energy and soap costs mean a typical system pays for itself in about 19.7 years.
- For drinking water only: If your main concern is taste, an under-sink reverse osmosis (RO) system or a high-quality pitcher filter will provide excellent results for a much lower upfront cost.
Many households find that a combination of a whole-house conditioner and an under-sink RO filter offers the best of both worlds: appliance protection and purified drinking water.