It wouldn’t be wrong to say that we are fortunate to have water purification and treatment systems at home. This is because the public water supply has various bacteria, which lowers the water quality score.
Having said that, the water treatment tanks and filters can filter out these harmful chemicals and bacteria from the water supply, which significantly improves the water quality. When it comes down to the water purification systems, iron filter vs water softener are the two most significant components, and we are sharing how they differ from each other!
Iron Filter vs Water Softener
Iron Filter
As humans, we need red blood cells in the body, and iron plays an essential role in increasing red blood cell production. However, excessive iron in the water supply can result in various household issues. Having said that, the iron filter is a specialized water filter that’s important for ferrous and ferric iron removal. In the majority of cases, the filter is installed at the entry point of the home for treating water before it passes through the pipes, preventing damage to the property.
The iron filters are designed with a single tank that has a media bed – it is made from a natural oxidizing agent as it introduces air or oxygen into the water. The system will send water from the incoming pipes via a media bed, where the iron particles are attracted whenever they are exposed to air or oxygen. The iron particles tend to come in contact with the bed – they are oxidized and transformed into insoluble particles, which can be easily removed from the tank with the help of an iron filter.
Having said that, the water coming out of the iron filters is free from 99.9% of the iron particles. For maintaining the iron filter, there must be regular regeneration or backwashing of the system. It helps remove the insoluble particles of iron from the media bed whenever it reaches its capacity. In addition, it optimizes the bed to the optimal oxidation state. For the most part, the regeneration process happens overnights or whenever you aren’t using the system to prevent water wastage.
The iron filters can also remove sulfur and manganese from the water, which promises a 3-in-1 water treatment. Having said that, it will improve the water quality and also improves the odor and flavor of the water. The best thing about an iron filter is that it doesn’t require in-depth or heavy maintenance as there are no filter cartridges. On the other hand, these filters utilize a media bed that easily lasts over eight years. On top of everything, the regeneration process is usually automated, so you don’t need to worry.
Water Softener
The water softeners are widely installed in the home, particularly at the entry point of the home, wherever the free space is available. It will help achieve clean water for the entire home. It is important to add that water softener equipment is not designed to remove the iron particles and is specifically used for softening the water. It helps change the water’s state by eliminating magnesium and calcium from the water.
When it comes down to the water softener, there are two types of systems available such as salt-based and salt-free softeners. For the salt-based softener, an ion exchange process is used, and these systems are designed with the brine tank and resin tank. The resin chamber is integrated with the resin beads that attract the hard water irons to the resin, resulting in the release of salt from the media bed. As a result, the hard water contents are easily replaced with salt.
The majority of water softeners are designed to remove iron and also produce soft water, which is why they have become a preferred choice of the users. However, you need to remember that water softening systems aren’t great at removing higher iron concentrations. These systems are great at achieving clear and clean water.
The ion exchange systems can easily remove magnesium and calcium from the water, which improves the appearance and odor of water. On top of everything, these water softening systems are pretty easy to find, and you will be able to find the systems based on efficiency, price, and design. Also, if iron removal is your main concern, you will be able to find some specific water softening systems as well.