Are you concerned about the optimal fluoride level in your water? You may wonder if a water softener will help reduce those fluoride levels.
This blog post explores whether or not a water softener can remove fluoride in water.
We will also discuss some helpful tips on how to reduce your exposure to this harmful chemical.
How Does Water Softening Work?
Water softening is a process that removes minerals and hardness of water, making it “soft.”
These essential minerals, including calcium, magnesium, and iron, can cause problems in your home, such as making it difficult to clean dishes and clothing and leaving spots on glasses and plates.
A whole house filter exchanges the minerals in hard water for sodium-ion or potassium ions.
The water filtration system then flushes the minerals down the drain.
What Do Water Softeners Remove?
Water softeners remove minerals from water, including calcium, magnesium, and iron.
These minerals can cause several problems in your home, such as making it difficult to clean dishes and clothing and leaving spots on glasses and plates.
House water filters work by exchanging the minerals in your water for sodium-ion or potassium ions, which don’t cause these problems.
We use a water softener whole house filter to improve our water quality, but what about the fluoridated water?
Is there a way to remove fluoride levels in the water with a water softener?
Does Water Softener Remove Fluoride?
Water softeners remove hardness minerals from water, such as calcium and magnesium.
Fluoride is not a water hardness mineral, so the water treatment system will not remove it from water.
If you are concerned about fluoridated water, other water treatment methods can remove fluoride levels in drinking water.
The portable softener is only effective in removing minerals in water.
How Does Fluoride Get into Our Water?
In the United States, public water supplies add fluoride to help prevent tooth decay.
It’s a practice that began in the 1950s, and today, about two-thirds of public water supplies are fluoridated.
Fluoride is added to the water system in one of two ways.
In the first method, which is most common, water fluoridation is added at a central treatment plant.
It’s then they distribute water to homes and businesses through a system of pipes.
In the second method, fluoride is added directly to drinking water at individual homes or businesses.
This is common in areas where a central treatment plant isn’t available or practical, such as rural communities.
The amount of fluoride added to water is carefully controlled in both methods.
It can also enter our water through the process of erosion.
When fluoride rocks and minerals are exposed to soft water and air, they can slowly break down and release water fluoridation into the environment.
Fluoride that enters drinking water this way is usually present at deficient levels.
Is Fluoride Bad For You?
Fluoride concentration is a mineral that occurs naturally in many water treatment system sources, including rivers, lakes, and the ocean.
Public drinking water supplies add it in water in some countries to help prevent tooth decay.
Fluoride content is considered a safe and effective method for preventing tooth decay.
However, some people are concerned that fluoride may harm oral human health, like dental fluorosis and skeletal fluorosis.
There is no evidence that fluoride is harmful to humans at the levels typically found in water supplies.
However, some studies have raised concerns that excessive fluoride levels may cause to oral health problems.
Fluoride Side Effects for Humans
- Fluoride is a toxic substance that can potentially cause health risks in humans.
- Exposure to high fluoride levels can lead to dental fluorosis, which is a condition that causes discoloration and deformation of the teeth.
- Fluoride can also lead to skeletal fluorosis, which causes joint pain and stiffness.
- In extreme cases, fluoride poisoning can be fatal.
- Research suggests fluoride may cause to other health problems like cancer and bone fractures.
- Fluoride have negative environmental impacts and can contribute to water pollution.
- It is essential to be aware of the potential risks associated with fluoride exposure and to take steps to avoid excessive exposure.
- Talk to your doctor or dentist if you are concerned about your fluoride exposure.
They can help you determine your risk and recommend reducing your exposure.
How to Remove Fluoride from Water?
Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis is a process that forces soft water through an excellent membrane, leaving contaminants behind.
It uses different water filters like carbon, sediment, and membrane to eliminate contaminants.
A reverse osmosis system can remove fluoride but requires professional installation and regular maintenance.
The reverse osmosis water filter effectively removes lead, chlorine, zinc, fluoride contaminants, and other heavy metals.
It can provide the best quality water, the same as bottled water, but also costly.
If you are on a tight budget, this may not be the best option.
Water pitcher
One of the most popular and affordable ways to remove fluoride from your water is to use a water pitcher with built-in filter.
These filters are not as effective as reverse osmosis, but they will remove some of the fluorides from your tap water.
You will need to replace the filter regularly, and you may need to buy a new pitcher every few years.
Some pitchers are perfect to remove fluoride but are more expensive than regular pitchers.
Distillation
Distillation is a process that uses heat to vaporize water hardness, leaving contaminants behind.
You can buy a distillation unit, or you can build your own.
Distillation is very effective in removing fluoride and other contaminants. It can give clean bottled water quality but is also very time-consuming.
Ion Exchange Water Filters
Ion exchange filters are effective to remove minerals from water.
They work by exchanging the fluoride ions in your drinking water with other ions, such as sodium.
Ion exchange filters are less effective than reverse osmosis water filters or distillation. Still, they are less expensive and easier to maintain.
Bone char Water Filters
Bone char is carbon made (carbon filter) from animal bones. It effectively removes fluoride, chlorine, and other contaminants from water.
You can buy a bone char filter or make your own.
Bone char filters are not as standard as other filters, but they are very effective.
Activated Alumina (AA)
Activated alumina is aluminum that effectively removes fluoride concentration from water.
The filter works by adsorbing the fluoride ions onto the surface of the alumina.
You can buy an AA filter, or you can make your own.
AA filters are not as standard as other filters, but they are very effective.
What Is The Best Water Softener?
There are much different water softening processes on the market, so it can be challenging to determine which one is the best for your home.
The most crucial factor to consider when choosing softened water is the type of drinking water you have in your home.
If you have hard water, you will need a water filtration system designed to remove hard water minerals from your water.
You can also check our best water softener review 2022 for an accurate answer.
Does Well Water Have Fluoride?
Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in many water sources, including well water.
While fluoride can have some dental benefits, too much fluoride can be harmful.
Well water typically contains more fluoride than tap water, so it’s essential to have your well water testing regularly.
FAQs
Does Culligan water softener remove fluoride?
Culligan does not list fluoride removal as one of the benefits of their water softeners.
However, some customers report that their Culligans have removed fluoride from their water supply.
It can be challenging to say whether or not a Culligan water softener will remove fluoride from your water.
It depends on several factors, including the specific model of Culligan you have, the hardness of your water, and the efficiency of your water filtration system.
How do you remove fluoride from bathwater?
There are a few ways to remove fluoride from bathwater:
– Use a water filter system that is specifically designed to remove fluoride. You can use these filters on your showerhead or faucet.
– Collect rainwater and use it for bathing. This is a good option if you live in an area where the rain is not contaminated with fluoride.
– Use distilled water for bathing. This method is effective, but it can be expensive if you buy distilled water.
– Add a fluoride removal filter to your bathtub and removes fluoride from the water while bathing.
– Adding a fluoride removal tablet to your bathtub can also help remove fluoride from the water. These tablets have activated alumina, a type of aluminum oxide.
Does my water have fluoride in it?
Contact your local water supplier or look for a water quality report to find out if your water has fluoride.
These reports are typically published by the water supplier every year. They will list different contaminants in the water, including fluoride.
You can also test your water at home using a water testing kit available online and at some hardware stores.
Conclusion
Finally, we hope you know that fluoride can be harmful if consumed in large doses.
It is, therefore, advisable to use a water filter system that removes fluoride from your water supply.
But your water softener does not remove fluoride from your water.
So, you should buy a separate water filter system for that. You can choose any of the methods we have discussed in this article.
Thanks for reading!