A high-quality water softening system samples your water source and determines which minerals need to be removed to give you softer water. High mineral levels are considered "hardness" in the water. Hard water leaves stains on clothes while being washed. It also has a foul odor, tastes terrible and leaves stains on your bathroom and kitchen fixtures.

Water softeners are designed to reduce the level of hardness in the water. The minerals which usually make up the "hard" water are manganese, calcium and magnesium. There are different processes you can use to remove the "hardness" from the water in your house. The most popular water softening systems are usually salt-based. These systems add salt and ionize the water to reduce the mineral content. There is another water softener system that does not use salt but instead it uses a magnetic process. The water passes through a magnet and the metals are removed. Then the water is considered "softened" water. Is it good to have all the water in your house softened or should some faucets dispense the mineral-rich hard water?

That is a question that we will now explore the answer to so that you can decide if all of your water should be softened in your home. We will first consider the "hard" water benefits and the drawbacks.

Hard Water Benefits and Draw Backs

Hard water is as close as you will get to drinking rainwater. Any chemicals have not altered the water or processed in any way. For this reason the water contains lots of minerals. Research has shown that minerals can have definite health benefits. Fighting and preventing select heart and cardiovascular disease is at the top of the list. As the water is softened these vital minerals are removed. So it is one of the health benefits.

Some researchers claim that depending on the minerals in your "hard" water you could get all your needed daily mineral intake from merely drinking your water. This could be another potential health benefit.

As for the drawbacks of "hard" water it tends to leave scale and build up inside the plumbing system of your house. Also your appliances like washer, ice maker in your refrigerator and other fixtures that have water through them could have a shortened life due to scaling and build up. The scale can also reduce the flow of water through your pipes in your home. The reduction of water flow is not only inconvenient but can be very costly to repair or replace the pipes in the house.

Depending on the type of minerals in the "hard" water your water could smell like rotten eggs, dirt or even have a metallic smell. Also your hair does not tend to feel clean because of a residue left from the water, it may lose its shine and your skin can dry out because of the water. So those are the basic pros and cons of leaving your water "hard." Now let us discuss the pros and the cons for softening your water.

Softened Water Pros and Cons

The benefits of "softened" water in your house is that the fixtures and the appliances do not get a build-up of scale and they function properly. The water does not have a foul odor and stain clothing.

Health experts frown upon drinking water that is softened by ionization regularly. They state if you drink water softener with salt regularly it will increase sodium levels in your body and increases the risk of heart problems and high blood pressure. The salt in the water causes the body to retain water and then the swelling causes trouble for the heart is what the health experts report.

Adding chemicals to "hard" water also increases the volatility of the water. This means that undesirable elements can seep into your water through the pipes. As the water is consumed with the additional elements you could begin to have health problems.

If you choose to "soften" your water at home with a water softening system that uses electromagnetic waves then you will not have the health complications from adding salt to the water. The Eddy Water Descaler Electromagnetic System reduces the scaling effects of calcium, magnesium and manganese without the salt iodization process. In this process you do not add anything or remove anything from the water. The mineral benefits are retained without the salt. So those are the basic benefits and drawbacks of "softened" water in your home.

The Final Analysis

Connecting a water softening system to your whole house is a matter of preference. There are definite benefits to drinking hard water if you can choke it down. As far as your pipes, appliances, fixtures, hair and skin are concerned hard water is hard on them. Softened water is more pipe, fixture, hair and skin-friendly. But softened water and your health is another story. According to the health experts softened water is not very heart-friendly.

Using a modern technology system for removing the unwanted hardness to the water that the Eddy Water Descaler System offers is the best solution to have it all. You can drink it and get the minerals you require, and it is appliance, fixture, hair and skin-friendly. You could easily set this economical system up in your entire house and since you do not have to buy salt or drinking water all the time it is economically advantageous.

The final decision is up to you. But if you have hard water that smells like rotten eggs or metal then you need to do something so that you can drink the water. If you are currently using a salt-based softening system and are having health problems from excess sodium and the salt is coming from the softened water. Then you need to make a change so you can keep living. Water is essential for life, health and happiness. Make the water in your whole house useful so that you and your family can go on living a happy, healthy and productive life.