Frequently Asked Questions

The biggest advantage we offer is our patented AI regeneration algorithm. EcoWater water softeners are designed to learn how much water your family uses and adapt, meaning fewer regeneration cycles and less salt that needs to be added to your system.

EcoWater has been perfecting water softeners for nearly 100 years. With relentless research and development, and keen attention to detail, EcoWater offers advanced softening systems through an expansive dealer network that is laser-focused on quality and providing excellent customer service.

To understand soft water, we need to know what makes water hard. Hard water is water that has a high mineral content. It’s a natural result of minerals like calcium and magnesium accumulating during the water cycle, and it can happen with well water and even city water.  The more calcium and magnesium dissolved in the water, the harder the water becomes. This is why certain cities and counties within the same state can have varying degrees of water hardness.

A water softener system treats your water at the point it enters the home. Having soft water means removing these hardness impurities before the water travels through your pipes and into your water-using appliances, and before you draw water from the taps of your bathrooms and kitchen.  Soft water is less than 1 gpg, whereas hard water is anything above 7gpg. Over 85% of households live in hard water areas.

EcoWater’s whole home filtration systems offers you a water softener system and reverse osmosis drinking water system, creating the healthiest water for all uses.

An EcoWater water softener system removes the impurities in your water so your skin is rinsed without hard water minerals left behind. There is no residue on your skin to trap traces of soap, dead skin cells and other particles. And no residue left behind that dries your skin. The slippery, softness you feel is exactly how clean skin is supposed to feel.

The same way that soft water eliminates water spots that dry onto your glassware and silverware, it allows your bath soaps to lather better and rinse off completely. Soaps will lather better and you’ll be able to use half as much.

Most municipalities treat water by using chlorine to disinfect and kill bacteria, however, few cities soften water and the ones that do so often meet only minimum requirements, which may not be ideal for your family.

EcoWater offers water softeners and refining systems that can reduce the hardness minerals and sediments that weren’t removed by your city, while also removing chlorine taste and odor.

Your authorized EcoWater Pro can evaluate your water and recommend a water softener system or whole home filtration systems customized to treat your home’s water. The benefits include:

• Reduced scale build-up on pipes, faucets and water-using appliances, providing energy savings.
• Reduced iron stains, tastes and odors.
• Cleaner, brighter laundry.
• Lower use of soaps and detergents, saving money.
• Eliminated spots on glassware and silverware.
• Softer skin and hair.

One of the biggest misconceptions about water softeners is that the salt is what softens your water. What actually softens the water are the thousands of resin beads inside your softener that filter out hard water minerals.

• Water softeners use a negatively charged ion exchange resin to collect the impurities from your water. The resin becomes charged when it mixes with a sodium or potassium solution. The salt in the water softener isn’t what softens the water; it is what enables the resin to collect and remove the hardness from your water.
• The EcoWater refiner softens your water, and also removes the chlorine taste and odor, which is often a result of water treated by cities and municipalities.
• Regeneration is the term for when the resin is being cleaned and recharged in the sodium solution.

The right product for your home is determined by testing your water, considering how many people are living in your home, understanding your normal water usage, taking into account the number of bathrooms you have, understanding the water-using appliances in your home, etc. Authorized EcoWater Pros are water treatment professionals trained to understand your family’s needs and determine the right product for your home.

An EcoWater softener or refiner is very efficient, so you might not go through as much salt as another brand used. If you feel like your water isn’t soft, and the level of salt is not decreasing at all, consult your EcoWater Pro.

After filling the salt, you must set the salt level on the display screen. Note the level number along the inside wall of the salt tank. Then follow the menu instructions on your softener display screen to set the salt level number.

It is normal to have water in the bottom of your salt tank. If there is more than five inches, or if you suspect a leak, contact your EcoWater Pro, who will assess the situation.

No. Soft water is soft water. You cannot adjust the level of impurities being removed from the water.

Make sure the water softener (or refiner) is receiving power. Assuming the softener is getting power, it might be the strength of the signal to the remote. Try moving the remote to different locations in your home. If you continue to have problems, contact your EcoWater Pro.

A study released at WQA Aquatech USA indicates “that the use of efficiently operated water softeners improves septic tank performance, while the use of very inefficiently operated water softeners may have a negative effect on solids discharge to the drain field and the level of impact will depend on the level of hardness in the water, whether the regeneration waste is discharged to the septic tank, and the amount of excess sodium present in regeneration waste.”

The Water Quality research Foundation commissioned Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University to conduct this independent study in 2012 which resulted in an official report, “Changes in Septic Tank Effluent Due to Water Softener Use.” Two different approaches were taken to conduct this study; one in a laboratory setting and the other looked at case studies conducted in the field.

The quality of your home’s water may meet local standards, but it might not meet your own. Reverse osmosis drinking water purification systems are usually used in the kitchen, where you are most apt to get your drinking water, and where you prepare all of your food and beverages. You need the healthiest and best tasting water available.

Also, the methods used to treat municipal water – including chlorine – could be impacting the smell and taste of your mixed beverages and your cooking. A drinking water system provides bottled water quality, without the bottled water price paid at the store and at the recycling center.

Ordinary tap water can contain dissolved metals, such as iron or lead. It might contain chlorine, nitrates and mineral salts. Or it could have sulfates, mercury, asbestos or arsenic in it. A reverse osmosis water treatment system from EcoWater reduces more than 95% of dissolved solids, including many harmful contaminants.

EcoWater offers a microbiological drinking water purification system that is certified to reduce 99.9999% of bacteria, 99.99% of viruses and 99.95% cysts, such as giardia and cryptosporidia.

Your authorized EcoWater Pro can talk to you about how often the filters need to be changed, based on your home’s water and your water use. Talk to your EcoWater Pro about service program options that might include routine filter replacements.

Ask your EcoWater Pro about what you are experiencing. You could be due for a filter change. Or maybe something has changed with your water, and it will be better served by a different type of filter cartridge in your drinking water system. A conversation with your EcoWater Pro is your safest bet in finding a solution.

“Forever chemicals” are a class of over 9,000 synthetic chemicals known as PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These chemicals were created to have uncanny resistance for use in consumer products such as waterproof clothing, nonstick cookware and food packaging. “Forever chemicals” are widespread in many water supplies, they do not biodegrade, and some are linked to a variety of health conditions.

Select reverse osmosis systems from EcoWater are NSF-certified to reduce PFOA and PFOS, two of the most common PFAS known to negatively impact water.

The right product for your home is determined by testing your water, considering how many people are living in your home, understanding your normal water usage, taking into account the number of bathrooms you have, understanding the water-using appliances in your home, etc. Authorized EcoWater Pro are water treatment professionals trained to understand your family’s needs and determine the right product for your home.

While most homeowners may never encounter scary-sounding contaminants like toxaphene and trichloroethylene, there are several common water problems to be on the lookout for in the home:

• Hard water
• Iron water
• Acid water
• Turbidity
• Taste and Odor
• Contaminants

For more information on these problems, visit Diagnose Your Water.