Impact on Skin and Hair
While the minerals in Abington's water are not a health hazard to consume, they can affect your skin and hair. The dissolved minerals react with soap to form a film that doesn't rinse away cleanly, leaving skin feeling dry and hair looking dull. For individuals with sensitive skin or conditions like eczema, this soap residue can be a persistent irritant.
Choosing the Right Filtration System
At 7.4 GPG, your water is hard enough that treatment makes sense, but you don't necessarily need the most aggressive system. Your primary goal is to prevent scale.
- Salt-Free Water Conditioner: This is the ideal solution for Abington's water hardness. It neutralizes the minerals to prevent scale buildup in pipes and appliances, protecting your investment without the need for salt refills or a regeneration cycle.
- Pitcher or Faucet Filter: For improving the taste of drinking water, a quality carbon-based pitcher or faucet-mount filter is perfectly adequate and cost-effective.
A full, salt-based water softener might be overkill. Given the installation cost of around $1,500 and the estimated annual savings of $81, the system would take a very long 18.5 years to pay for itself. A salt-free conditioner offers appliance protection at a lower initial cost and with zero maintenance.