I have researched many sites on the web, but haven't found any really unbiased advise about no-salt options for water softening and filtering. I have had Culligan, Kinetico and a company called H2O Concepts bid on a whole house system but, the first two are salt (or potassium) systems which I do not want (& require a RO system for drinking water) and the last uses Granular Activated Carbon, Kinetic Degradation Fluxion, a Quartz Bed & Electronic technology to "solve hard water problems by physically altering calcium and magnesium" and removes "objectionable tastes, odors and environmental pollutants for better tasting water." Since I am not a water expert, nor scientist I am searching for unbiased, knowledgable guidance in selecting a system that can cope with my very hard water and provide good drinking water. H2O Concepts sound good but is it for real? (I found another system on line with has similar claims) Are there legitimate no-salt systems proven to do what I am looking for?



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I am not a water quality expert, so you can seek other opinions on this, and I'm sure other opinions will be offered/

There is ONLY ONE method to soften water ( remove minerals, principally calcium and magnesium) and that is the ion exchange process, which uses salt to recharge the ion exchange resin. Some companies do the redin recharge at there plant, and just bring you fresh cannisters every so many days.

Nuclear submarines use the ion exchange process to demineralize the distilled water, for feed to the reactor coolant circuit, which must be very pure. If there was something better, you can be assured that Hymie Rickover would have used it.

Anyone who says they are softening water with magnets or some other magic....contact PT Barnum.

That is my story, and I am sticking to it.

The term "Good Drinking Water" varies from one side of this country to the other. Ironicly, good drinking water, may not be safe drinking water and that safe drinking water... may not be pleasant drinking water.

There are as many theories about conditioning water without the use of salts and how the water should taste after the process has been completed. More often than not, the taste will vary too.

Your definition of Good Drinking Water and what I would consider Good Drinking Water might not be the same. This explains all the different bottle water companies selling water from all different sources with different tastes. After all.... its just water... isn't it?

Getting back to you. Have a clean sample of your water tested to determine, exactly what is in it, and how much of is in your water.

What should be removed and how much to make the water taste "Good" for you. Will anything have to be added to YOUR water after its been processed to make it "Safe" or "Taste Good" for you.

That would take a certified water specialist, not a plumber. Would the costs support the effort and how much would it cost. Are you willing to pay those costs?

Best Wishes

Good advice in the above posts both on testing and getting a water treatment pro to put in a system. Yes Salt brine regenerated Ion Exchange systems work and actually leave very little sodium in the water.

Electronic systems are as posted for the sucker that is born every minute... If interested I've got some quality oceanfront property in Montana I'm selling!

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As a Certified Water Specialist I agree with all the replies so far. Electonic water treatment does not soften the water nor does it improve taste. The best you can do to solve your problems is an ion exchange water softener for your household working water with a Reverse Osmosis system to handle your drinking water. Please stay clear of those "magic" (I call "Black Magic" electronic or magnetic systems). You will not be happy.

Jimmy-o,
I believe you mean Admiral Hyman Rickover?

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"You can't get there from here"
Berry/Buck/Mills/Stipe

I don't think you mentioned magnets, but they are just as ineffective as those on your list. One company has a "Z-Bar" process, but they say you cannot tell if it is working unless you bring a semi truck full of equipment to test it.

Thanks for all your input. As an add-on question, since California now has restrictions on salt based systems, what do people there do for water softening? Any CA water experts care to comment?
Thanks again

In California there are cities and areas where automatic water softeners are banned because those locations use reclaimed water from their sewage treatment plants to irrigate crops. Vegetation does not like the high salt content of the waste water from water softeners. The people in those areas can install Portable Exchange Rental Tank softeners that are not regenerated in the homes. They are exchanged by the Water Dealer and regenerated at his plant. He disposes of that waste water by approved means.

Most of those banned areas have grandfathered any existing water softeners to be allowed to continue use.

What the people do that don't want to rent a water softener is up to them. Some, sadly, do without. Some have been taken advantage of by those "no salt softener" systems. By that I mean they have been told by the sellers that their system softens water even though it does not.

Others have installed whole house Reverse Osmosis or Nanofiltration systems. Those are very expensive systems. However, they do, as a result actually get soft water from those systems.

Another reason why California is called "The United States of Californa" or "Dreamworld". My advice remains: Do not use a "no salt" system to treat your water if you want soft water.

Use environment friendly potassium instead.