If you already have a water softener, do you still need a whole house water filter? The answer depends on your water quality and what you’re trying to accomplish. A water softener and a whole house water filter serve different purposes, and combining them can give you more comprehensive water treatment. Let me walk you through when it’s necessary (or worth it) to have both and how each system works.
What Does a Water Softener Do?
A water softener is designed to remove hardness-causing minerals, primarily calcium and magnesium, from your water. These minerals cause:
- Limescale buildup in pipes, appliances, and fixtures.
- Dry skin and hair after showering.
- Reduced efficiency of water heaters, dishwashers, and washing machines.
A water softener uses ion exchange to replace these hard minerals with sodium or potassium, making your water “soft.” However, it does not remove contaminants like chlorine, sediment, bacteria, heavy metals, or chemicals.
What Does a Whole House Water Filter Do?
A whole house water filter targets a broader range of contaminants that can affect your health and home’s water quality, such as:
- Chlorine and chloramines (used by municipalities to disinfect water).
- Sediment (dirt, sand, rust).
- Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) (pesticides, industrial chemicals).
- Heavy metals (lead, mercury).
- PFAS (forever chemicals), bacteria, and more, depending on the filter type.
Whole house filters provide cleaner water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and laundry. Some filters are even specialized to remove iron or sulfur (common issues in well water).
Do You Need Both a Water Softener and a Whole House Water Filter?
Yes, in many cases, it makes sense to have both a water softener and a whole house filter, as they perform different tasks. Here’s when you might need both:
1. You Have Hard Water and Contaminants
If your water is both hard and has contaminants, a softener alone won’t be enough. A whole house filter will remove chlorine, sediment, and other harmful contaminants that a softener won’t touch, while the softener handles the hardness. The filter also protects the softener from sediment, extending its life.
2. You’re on Well Water
Well water users often face multiple water quality issues like sediment, iron, sulfur, and bacteria. A water softener will help with hardness, but a whole house filter will remove particles, odor, and potential bacteria that make the water unsafe or unpleasant.
3. You Want Better-Tasting, Safer Water
While softeners improve water quality for showers and appliances, they don’t improve drinking water. Chlorine, heavy metals, and VOCs will remain in your water after softening. A whole house filter will give you cleaner water from every tap, protecting your health and improving the taste of your water.
How to Combine a Water Softener with a Whole House Water Filter
If you decide to install both systems, the general setup is:
- Sediment Filter (optional): If you have a lot of dirt or sand in your water, you’ll want a sediment filter before both systems to protect the softener and whole house filter.
- Whole House Water Filter: This should be installed before the softener to remove chemicals, chlorine, and contaminants that could damage the softener’s resin bed.
- Water Softener: Installed after the whole house filter, it will handle the hardness in your water after the contaminants have been filtered out.
A Typical Setup Looks Like:
- Water enters your home →
- Sediment filter (optional) →
- Whole house water filter →
- Water softener →
- Filtered, softened water flows to all faucets and appliances.
When You Might Only Need One System
If your water quality only has issues in one area, you may not need both systems:
- Only Hard Water, No Contaminants? A water softener might be enough if your water isn’t contaminated by chemicals or sediment, and you just want to eliminate scale buildup.
- No Hardness, Just Contaminants? If you don’t have hard water but are concerned about things like chlorine, lead, or bacteria, a whole house filter is likely all you need.
Benefits of Having Both Systems
1. Cleaner, Healthier Water
A whole house filter ensures you’re not just removing hard minerals, but also contaminants like chlorine, lead, VOCs, and more. This means your drinking, cooking, and bathing water is safer and healthier.
2. Appliance Protection
Softened water prevents scale buildup in appliances like dishwashers, washing machines, and water heaters, extending their lifespan. Meanwhile, a whole house filter protects the water softener itself from damage caused by sediment or chlorine, which can degrade the resin bed over time.
3. Better-Tasting Water
If you’ve ever noticed your water tasting like chemicals or chlorine, a whole house filter can solve that problem. Softened water alone may not taste better, but combined with a filter, it will taste much cleaner.
4. Skin and Hair Benefits
Softened water is great for your skin and hair, reducing dryness and irritation. But when combined with a whole house filter that removes chlorine, you get the added benefit of less chemical exposure, making your showers even better for your health.
Final Thoughts: Do You Need Both?
If your water is hard and contains contaminants, combining a water softener with a whole house water filter is a great investment. The softener will protect your plumbing and appliances, while the whole house filter ensures the water is clean and free of harmful chemicals, heavy metals, and other contaminants.
You get the best of both worlds—softened, filtered water for drinking, bathing, and all your household needs.
If you’re unsure about your water quality, it’s a good idea to get it tested first. That way, you’ll know exactly which contaminants you need to target and whether a single system or a combination of both is the best solution for your home.