Hardness and scale · Whole-home
Ion-exchange water softener
A plumbed system that exchanges hardness minerals for sodium, mainly to reduce scale and improve lathering rather than to make public tap water safer.
What it's for
- reducing scale
- changing hard-water behaviour in appliances and washing
Key attributes
- Primary job
- Hardness or scale
- Installation
- Whole-home
- Professional installation
- Usually required
What to avoid or check
- Using softened water to prepare baby formula
- Removing the separate unsoftened drinking-water supply without advice
Safety notes
The Inspectorate advises retaining an unsoftened kitchen supply for drinking and cooking because softening can add sodium and alter taste.
Source notes
What the source signal means here
The Drinking Water Inspectorate describes ion exchange as the common softening process and notes there are no health-based guidelines for water hardness.
Sources
- Domestic water filters and softeners — Drinking Water Inspectorate Checked 2026-08-31
Print or save this summary to discuss with your professional.
Back to finder