Water Softener Solutions
WATER SOFTENER EFFECTIVENESS
Whether you have a private well or are on town water supply, a water softener may improve your home’s overall water quality. A water softener is effective in removing some of the most common contaminants found in private wells supplying homes in Weston. The main culprits are iron & manganese as well as the hard water minerals magnesium and calcium. Small amounts of these minerals can have large affects on your home’s water quality. The EPA maximum allowable levels for iron as a secondary contaminant is .3 parts per million (300 ppb). The EPA maximum allowable level for manganese as a secondary contaminant is .05 parts per million (50 ppb). As you can see, these are very small amounts, but their affects can create quite an impact.
High Efficiency Water Softener
BAD TASTES & ODORS, SEDIMENT 
In addition to the above system, there are many other types of systems to remove bad tastes & odors, sediment and many other objectionable minerals and contaminants in the water. Starting with a water test will dictate the right approach. For more information on common bad odors & tastes in New England water supplies, see the link at https://h2ocare.com/bad-odor-taste
THE AFFECTS OF IRON, MANGANESE & HARD WATER
Hard water affects include corrosion and scaling inside pipes, major staining throughout the home’s showers, bathtubs, and sinks and destruction of hot water heaters way ahead of their useful life (scale build-up inside hot water heaters can insulate the temperature sensor inside the tank causing them to work much harder to bring the temperature up to the set level). Iron and manganese in water can create rusty or black/brown staining and corrosion in the home as well. For those using their well water for outside lawn irrigation, iron and manganese can cause major staining of outside walkways, house siding and anyplace the water touches. See the link at https://h2ocare.com/lawn-irrigation/.
Damaging Scale
WHAT DO WATER SOFTENERS REMOVE?
A water softener is effective in removing dissolved forms of iron & manganese and hard water minerals. To remove particulate iron or manganese, a cartridge filter with proper micron rating will be effective. Depending on the specific situation, this could require a series of filters with different size micron ratings to handle heavier levels in the water. Selecting the appropriate micron rating and style of filter can be determined by a water treatment professional based on water test results and other symptoms. For more information on Iron and Manganese in water, see articles in Water Technology Magazine at the following link: https:/publications/.For more on how softeners work, see How softeners work.
Dissolved Iron Staining
