You are at your neighbor’s house, and you notice that the water coming right out of the tap tastes better than yours does. But how can that be, you both have well water, so your water should taste the same right? The only difference is that you have a water softener.
Does Hard Water Taste Different Than Soft Water? Hard water can contain calcium, magnesium, and other minerals that can add flavor to water. Since softened water has had these minerals removed, it may have a smoother, mellow taste to it.
How much of these hard minerals you have in your water will affect how much different your water will taste after it has been softened.
There are ways to improve the taste of your softened water, and even remove excess sodium from the water softening process.
Shouldn’t water be tasteless?
Technically, water is only made up of two things, Hydrogen, and oxygen. Neither of these two elements has any noticeable taste to them at all, but water doesn’t like to stay simple.
As water moves in over and through the earth, it comes into contact with many minerals that it can absorb and carry along. These minerals are what give water its taste or flavor.
What minerals get absorbed, how much of them that get absorbed, and what combination of minerals get absorbed, give water its taste.
But having minerals in your water is certainly not a bad thing!
Since water will naturally absorb minerals no matter where it finds them, having at least some beneficial minerals in your water keeps water from absorbing minerals from your body when you drink it.
Although a water softener removes minerals from water, the water will normally have some minerals that are not considered to be hard leftover.
So removing hard minerals from water does not mean that it will have no taste, and it is not considered to be harmful.
Also, using a water softener to soften water will leave the water with a small amount of additional sodium which can improve the taste of softened water.
If the amount of sodium is too high after softening, it can be greatly reduced using a reverse osmosis filtering system.
What does calcium in water taste like?
In very small quantities, calcium will add a very little amount of flavor to water, but people say that it helps to make the water taste smoother. Higher quantities of calcium in the water will give it a milky consistency and taste.
Many people enjoy drinking hard water because of the way calcium tastes in it.
What does magnesium in water taste like?
Magnesium can taste different to different people. Most people find that having magnesium in their water gives it a slightly salty and sweet flavor, while other people find the taste to be more of a bitter, metallic taste.
What does Iron in water taste like?
As you might have already guessed, iron in your water will give it a metallic taste. Most people relate it to being just like when they get metal filling when they go to the dentist.
The iron that has been dissolved in your water can be removed with a standard water softener.
By adding 4 grains of hardness per one Part Per Million (PPM) of iron, your water softener will regenerate more often and should have no problem removing the dissolved iron.
Does soft water always taste salty?
Not always! If your water has a significant amount of sodium in it when it comes to your house, then yes, your water may taste salty with or without it being softened.
But a properly working water softener should leave very little extra salt behind after it has regenerated. If you notice that your softened water seems to always taste salty, a reverse osmosis drinking water system will greatly reduce the salt in your drinking water.
Check out my recommended reverse osmosis drinking water systems for more information on how reverse osmosis may be right for you.
Do minerals in hard water make it taste bad?
Some minerals that may be contained in hard water can give the water an unpleasant taste, but the primary minerals in water that actually make the water considered to be hard are calcium and magnesium, which most people find pleasing in hard water.
Is soft water unhealthy to drink?
Just because water is soft, does not mean that all minerals have been removed from it.
Water that is mineral-free could be unhealthy if it were consumed regularly for a long period of time, because it may absorb beneficial minerals from your body.
But this is not usually the case, and it is not likely that your softened water will do this.
A water softener does not remove all minerals from your water, it is used to remove the hard minerals that make water less desirable for cleaning and bathing.
Does very hard water taste better than slightly hard water?
Most people think so! Because calcium and magnesium give water a favorable taste, many people enjoy the water that is very hard compared to water that is just slightly hard.
How can I test if I have hard water?
Testing for hard water is actually very easy! Buy using a simple water hardness test kit, you can not only know if you have hard water, but you will know just how hard it is, so you can properly treat it.
If you are concerned about iron and other contaminants in your water, you can use a more complete water testing kit to get all of the details about your water characteristics.
Can I add minerals to my softened water to make it taste better?
You absolutely can! If you want to drink high-quality water that tastes great without having to buy cases of expensive bottled water. Most people get a reverse osmosis drinking water system with a re-mineralization stage.
This extra stage adds beneficial minerals to your water after the reverse osmosis system has removed the minerals that you don’t want in your drinking water.
Most of my recommended reverse osmosis drinking water systems have a remineralization stage to actually make your water taste better.
Does soft water make drink mixes taste better?
That is a matter of opinion, and it depends on your particular water. Some people will love using softened water for coffee, tea, and drink mixes, where others won’t.
If you prefer a cleaner taste to your drink mixes, softened water that has been filtered by reverse osmosis will give you the cleanest flavor.
But if you like a little more of a salty type taste, using regular softened water should be just fine.
So the taste of water does not really depend on whether it is hard or soft, but more in what type of minerals are in it, and how much of them.
Everyone’s tastes are different, so if one tastes better to you than another, just make sure it is still healthy for you to drink.
