The harm of hard water. What is the best filter cartridge for well water?
Water hardness is not harmful but!
Water hardness is primarily calcium and magnesium salts, the most important elements for humans without which life is not possible in principle. Salts are dissolved in water from almost all sources, tap water is no exception. A small amount is not harmful and will even be useful, if of course the water is from a natural source or artesian well. But be sure to check the composition of the water and approved for use in USA.
What is the problem of hard water!
 1) The problem occurs during the use of hard water in the home. There are white stubborn smudges, white drops turn into stains, which cannot be removed without aggressive chemicals. This occurs when mixing hot and cold water in the faucet, when using the shower, kitchen sink, washbasin, etc. The increase in temperature triggers the reaction of combining the two elements. Simply put, the salts precipitate out, this is the very white smudges on the sink, white smudges on the shower glass, on the faucet, and on the chrome surfaces. All plumbing and appliances that run on hard water wear out and fail sooner.
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So in the question, what's the best cartridge for a well water filter? The answer is - it all depends on your needs and the type of water. All appliances, boilers, gas boilers, hot water heaters, running water heaters, washing machines and dishwashers have water heating elements that build up salts. Faucet aerators overgrow with white stones along the same lines. The instructions for washing machines, dishwashers and water heaters often spell out requirements for water hardness. In most cases, anti-scale filters are used, which have a short life span. The use of professional water filter is often simply not considered.
2) For humans, hard water is not very pleasant. After taking a shower with hard water, hair does not get its natural weight, it becomes more brittle, the skin is too dry and prone to flaking and inflammation. Inflammation and flaking of the skin is not everyone, as dermatologists say it depends on the type of skin itself.
As for drinking water in raw form, here all is not straightforward. Water within the range of 5-7 mg/liter is considered harsh. You can drink such water, it has a special taste and hardness that some people like. Hardness of five to seven milligrams is the maximum allowable parameter according to the requirements.
 Water in cities as a rule does not exceed these values. But it should be taken into account that the maximum parameters were not taken by chance. No one purifies water from salts and it is expensive in turn. It is easier to adjust the standard to the existing parameters of water from the tap. A moderate amount of hardness salts is considered 2-4 mg/liter. But without additional treatment there is no or almost no water. There are private wells where the water has low hardness is rare but still occurs.
 There is one more thing to use hard water in the home. Clothing washed in hard water, to the touch rather stiff and rough. The solution was to add chemicals to the laundry detergent, which softens the water directly during washing. But a new problem arises - allergies from chemical-soaked things. Â
What is the best water filter cartridge for well water? In general, hard water is not fatal, you can use and drink it. The purpose of this article, to understand the process of scale formation and how it affects the life of man and equipment. It is up to you to install a water softener in your home or apartment. To soften hard water there are many methods. Real working can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
Well water filter replacement cartridges? Water softening methods
Consider methods of softening household water, softening of drinking water will be considered in the next article. Nowadays, the hardness of water can be measured in the laboratory, it is measured in mg-eq/liter. This is step number one for the selection of equipment. The second step is to call a company that sells and selects well water filter replacement cartridges, where you will qualitatively pick up a water filter, based on the received analysis of the hardness.
Consider the main types of filters for household water purification in apartments and private homes. The methods of purification are almost indistinguishable from each other. The only differences are in their design features
Well water filter replacement cartridges
The easiest method of softening water in the apartment is to remove hardness by using well water filter replacement cartridges. The small size allows the filter to fit almost anywhere, and the 70,000-liter service life is competitive with other manufacturers of softening cartridges of this type.
A well water filter replacement cartridges in an apartment is recommended with one bathroom and average consumption. The cartridge water softening method applies to all filters with a "10 inch standard" bulb type. The only thing you need to pay attention to is the service life. Different manufacturers of water softening cartridges has a different resource, the composition of the filtering load, as well may be different.
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Column filter softeners with a manual control valve
Softening filters column type with manual flushing most often installed in private homes and less often in apartments because of its size. Unlike cartridge filters requires access to the sewer system for washing the filtering load with a special solution of table salt. Salt tank is located near the filtering column with which it is connected by a flexible pipe.
This method is quite budgetary, but requires monitoring of the resource through the water meter for timely washing of the filter manually, by switching stages of washing. The service life of the ion-exchange filtering load is up to eight years, after which it is replaced with a new one.
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Reagent systems with automatic control valve
A column filter softener system with an automatic control valve. The softening system consists of the same elements as a system with manual flushing. The only difference is the presence of an automatic control valve. The valve automatically counts the service life and rinses the filter with brine of table salt for 60 minutes at night.
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Reagent cabinet water filters
Automatic softening systems of cabinet type are used for water softening in apartments and private houses. Developing these systems, each manufacturer has tried to differ in design and compactness, but still, this is the same system of column type. The filtering column with automatic or manual control valve are located in one body. This technical solution made it possible to install softeners in apartments in the open areas in the bathroom and kitchen.
The question: "How to choose a shower head for well water?" - is no longer relevant. In some cases it is possible to install the filter even in kitchen drawers, which is quite common. Where to install the system does not matter, the main thing is the ability to run the pipeline from the cold water meter and back.
Water softening in the apartment requires careful preparation
A specialist visit to the object for measurements, inspection of the conditions of the place of installation, determining the diameter of the incoming pipes, as well as calculating the cost of materials to connect the filter. If it is a well or a borehole, the water is sampled for chemical analysis of water. Clients can also sample the water themselves and take it to an independent laboratory.
Preparation of a quotation based on the chemical composition of the water, conditions for installation, availability of communications and other important aspects.