Water softeners remove certain minerals in your water that can cause problems. One of the biggest reasons people use water softeners is to remove the excess calcium in the water. As a result of the water softening process, there are a few minerals and ingredients that are placed within the water.
You shouldn’t worry about your water being too acidic either. Plumbers don’t consider 6 acidic. Another molecule that is sometimes added to the water is sodium hydroxide. This can also lower the pH to about 6.
So do water softeners lower pH? Yes, due to the removal of bicarbonate which causes an increase in carbon dioxide, the pH can be lowered below a neutral 7 making the water slightly acidic and still safe to drink.
What Is The pH Level Of Soft Water?
If you’re worried that your soft water may be too acidic to drink, then you can rest assured that isn’t the case. pH stands for Potential Hydrogen. It calculates the number of H’s in a substance. As the pH lowers, it’s considered more acidic in nature. PH levels that rise are considered alkaline.
The sweet spot in the middle, where water is pH levels are calculated, is 7. Anything higher than 7 runs to the alkaline side while anything lower than 7 runs on the acidic side.
Drinking water ranges anywhere from 6.5 to 8.5. Soft water ranges around 6.5.
Hard water exists when the pH of the water is above 8.5. While the water is still technically safe to drink, it can come with a few unpleasant attributes. One of the most common is a bitter taste. You may notice the taste the most when you drink coffee or tea.
You may also notice scales that grow on the piping where water is transferred. Most often, you’ll see the scales or build-up on faucets, in showers, and in other places where water lingers. Even your dishes may have some build-up on them when they’re taken out of the dishwasher.
A problem that can occur with hard water is that it can cause certain coils in water heaters to build-up and lose efficiency. As a result, it will require more power to run. It may also take more time for the water to become warm.
Soft water, on the other hand, can carry its own problems. Sometimes it can turn clothes green if they’re washed in untreated soft water. The acidity of the water may also start to have an effect on the piping over a long duration.
Is Softened Water Alkaline Or Acidic?
Because the water drops below 7, the standard neutral, it is considered acidic. It is not too acidic to be considered unsafe to drink.
How Do I Lower The pH In My Home Water?
There are a few different ways you can lower the pH, or increase the acidity, of your water. The first is to squeeze some lemon drops into a glass of water. This method is best used for those who are drinking a single glass of water rather than a pitch of water or using the water for a shower or dishwasher. To increase the acidity of your water with the lemon, simply squeeze it and let two or three drops of lemon juice into your water.
You can also lower the pH of your water by adding a filter to the faucet or source of water. A filter removes minerals that cause the water to become hard. A water softener is an example of a kind of filter you can use to lower the pH of your water. Filters are advantageous because they can filter out minerals from every water source. That includes your showers, sinks, and dishwashers.
You can also buy a water treatment system. Although the more expensive option, a water treatment system can also filter a larger amount of minerals from your water.
Why Is My Tap Water pH So High?
The main reason your pH may be high, or alkaline, is because of the water supply. Water has to pass through several materials before it enters your home. Certain factors like the soil, bedrock, and other materials can influence the kind of minerals that enter your water.
For example, if you have a high pH in your water, then it’s likely because the bedrock it passes through is made mostly of limestone. Limestone tends to have large amounts of bicarbonate, hydroxide minerals, and other carbonate minerals that increase the pH level.
Your soil can also influence your water’s pH. During a storm, certain minerals can be washed into your water source.
What Is The Best pH Water To Drink?
The EPA considers the safe drinking range of water to be 6.5 to 8.5. If you test your water and find that it’s slightly lower than 6.5 or slightly higher than 8.5, then it doesn’t mean your water isn’t technically safe to drink. It’s pHs that have extremely low pH or extremely high pH that should be tested.
An extremely high or low pH indicates that are some sort of toxins or pollutants in your drinking water.
pHs that are only slightly above or below the range may indicate that there is just a heavy presence of a particular mineral or chemical within the water.
If you want to make sure that you’re drinking neutral water, then you’ll want to aim for a pH of 7.
What Is The Best pH Water For Plants?
To ensure your plants grow healthy, you’ll want to use water that brings their total pH level to 5.5 or 6.5. Because plants use the soil to take in nutrients, that’s the substance that you’ll be testing for your pH. Certain kinds of soil and fertilizers can have a big impact on the overall pH of the soil. This, in turn, can make your plants healthier or sicker.
To counteract the pH of the soil, you can fill your water with the opposite charge to bring the pH within the optimal range.