All About Water Quality Facts

A sediment filter acts as a sieve to remove sand, silt, and dirt. The important thing to keep in mind about sediment filters is that they reduce sediment. They don't remove chemicals or heavy metals or make the water taste or smell better. Sediment filters are rated by a micron number.

Melt Blown - The highest quality in cartridge filtration. They offer excellent filtration and good thermal stability. The unique density gradient construction maximizes efficiency and minimizes pressure drop. They are manufactured from 100% pure polypropylene and designed for purity, bacteria, and chemical resistance. The spun fibers form a true gradient density from outer to inner surfaces.

String Wound - Cartridges which are a superior one-piece filter with hundreds of diamond shaped tunnels that get progressively smaller from the outside into the core. As the fluid travels to the center of the filter finer particles are trapped which allows for a much greater retention capacity than our melt blown filter media of the same dimensions and micron.

Activated Carbon - Activated carbon has many purposes in the water treatment industry. The main use is to improve the taste and odor by neutralizing the chlorine based disinfectants and adsorbing certain organic compounds.

Types of Activated Carbon - Bituminous is a coal-based used for general de-chlorination, taste/odor improvement and organic removal. Where coconut shell is carbon made from coconut shells. Coconut shell carbon has a higher surface area than bituminous and a higher capacity for de-chlorination than bituminous. Watts Premier only uses coconut shell based carbon block filters. Activated carbon cartridges typically come in two forms; granular activated carbon (GAC) cartridges and carbon block cartridges.

Activated Carbon Structure - Activated carbon is an extremely porous material, which causes it to have a high surface area (up to 1100 square meters per gram). This gives it a high capacity for contaminant removal in water treatment. Many contaminants are attracted to this high surface area like we are attracted to the earth by gravity. This process is called adsorption. Chlorine/chloramine is chemically neutralized by a reaction when the activated carbon is introduced.

Contaminants Removed by Activated Carbon - Chlorine reacts with the carbon and is neutralized. Chloramine - Reacts with carbon and is neutralized. Organics - Adsorbed by the carbon with 1 micron filtration. VOCs - Adsorbed by the carbon with 1 micron filtration. Lead - Adsorbed by an additive in the carbon with 1 micron filtration. Cysts - Mechanically filtered by the block with 1 micron filtration.

Granular Activated Carbon - Designed for maximum adsorption and has effective taste, odor, and chlorine deduction. Granular activated carbon filters are post filters to reduce carbon fines and are available in a variety of sizes and flow rates. Some advantages of granular activated carbon filters are; tolerant of high sediment waters and good general purpose drinking water cartridge. One disadvantage of granular activated carbon filters is it is typically designed for low flow rates.

Carbon Block Filters - Are economically priced and have a greater chlorine removal capacity than alternative technologies. Some of the advantages of carbon block filters are; they have a very high capacity, some blocks are capable of cyst / VOC reduction, there is little or no media migration and they can be designed for higher flow raters. A disadvantage of a carbon block filter is you may need a sediment pre-filter.

What are Microns in Water Filters - Filter cartridges for sediment removal are rated in microns. A micron rating for a water filter is a way of indicating the ability of the filter to remove contaminants by the size of the particles. A filter that is marked 5 microns has some capability in capturing particles as small as 5 microns.

What is the Size of a Micron - Sizes of airborne particles as dust, pollen bacteria, virus, and many more. The size of contaminants and particles are usually described in microns, a metric unit of measure where one micron is one-millionth of a meter.

In the natural cycle of water, water that began its life as rain and eventually found its way to your tap has come in contact with many sources of potential contaminant. The various minerals and salts that have been dissolved by the water during this cycle are called total dissolved solids (TDS).

Let’s take a brief look at the primary difference between a reverse osmosis system and simple faucet water filters. Faucet water filters are particle filtration systems and have a 1 micron rating. This means that all the nasty materials smaller than one micron such as arsenic, insecticides, pharmaceutical drugs, and human viruses will not be filtered out by faucet water filters.

The reverse osmosis membrane filter by itself has a .0001 micron rating, is classified under nano-filtration technology and would filter out all of these contaminants and thousands more that would be missed by faucet water filters. Combined with its other 4-stages of filtration, reverse osmosis systems deliver the cleanest drinking water available on the market with a 90-95% contaminant rejection rate.

Note - Faucet water filters DO NOT remove the following contaminants from tap water. Reverse osmosis systems do filter these and many other contaminants missed by faucet water filters. Pesticides – aancer (bladder, lung, kidney, skin), diseases, diabetes 2 poisoning, cancer, miscarriages, birth defects. Arsenic – cancer (bladder, lung, kidney, skin), diseases, diabetes 2. Fluoride – neurotoxin, alzheimer’s disease, IQ & brain damage, skeletal fluorosis, reduces metabolism. Drugs – there are thousands of different drugs and chemicals! cryptosporidium – gastrointestinal Illness, diarrhea mercury – poison

These are scientific facts that even faucet water filter supporters cannot deny. They know that carbon filtration can never compete against reverse osmosis filtration, when it comes to water cleanliness and purity.

The typical ratio of wastewater to pure water is 4 to 1, based upon incoming water temperature and pressure. These discharged impurities filtered out are washed down the drain. Unlike filters, the reverse osmosis membrane is self-cleaning. As the source water flows through the module, it is divided into two streams. One stream is forced through the nembrane by osmotic pressure created due to the water pressure on each side of the semi-permeable membrane. The second stream carries the rejected salts, dissolved pollutants, and contaminates to the drain. Therefore, there is a minimum accumulation of debris on the pressure side of the membrane. Charcoal or carbon filters, on the other hand, become less efficient with each glass of water drawn through them. Carbon filters only remove a limited number of contaminants, some odors, and some tastes.

Watts Premier has developed a couple of innovative reverse osmosis systems referred to in the industry as "Zero-Discharge", because they discharge the backwash water back into the hot water supply. These two reverse osmosis systems which Watts Premier has developed are the ZeroWaste® and Zero Pure Plus Reverse Osmosis Systems.

Yes, most waste water today is recycled for golf courses and artificial lakes. The drain water is slightly higher in TDS concentration than the incoming water, but as reverse osmosis does not add anything to the water, it can be used to water your lawn or garden.

Recent research suggests there might be cause for concern. Chemicals called phthalates, which are known to disrupt testosterone and other hormones, can leach into bottled water over time. One study found that water that had been stored for 10 weeks in plastic and in glass bottles containing phthalates, suggesting that the chemicals could be coming from the plastic cap or liner. Although there are regulatory standards limiting phthalates in tap, there are no legal limits in bottled water; the bottled-water industry waged a successful campaign opposing the FDA proposal to set a legal limit for these chemicals.

If it only takes 10 weeks to start seeing enough levels to start "Adding Phthalates to the Water" think about how long bottled water sits before it gets to the store, gets to the shelf and then you actually drink it. In the past few years, researchers have linked phthalates to asthmas, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, breast cancer, obesity and type II diabetes, low IQ, neurodevelopmental issues, behavioral issues, autism spectrum disorders, altered reproductive development, and male fertility issues.

Recent research suggests there might be cause for concern. Chemicals called phthalates, which are known to disrupt testosterone and other hormones, can leach into bottled water over time. One study found that water that had been stored for 10 weeks in plastic and in glass bottles containing phthalates, suggesting that the chemicals could be coming from the plastic cap or liner. Although there are regulatory standards limiting phthalates in tap, there are no legal limits in bottled water; the bottled-water industry waged a successful campaign opposing the FDA proposal to set a legal limit for these chemicals.

If it only takes 10 weeks to start seeing enough levels to start "adding phthalates to the water" think about how long bottled water sits before it gets to the store, gets to the shelf and then you actually drink it. In the past few years, researchers have linked phthalates to asthmas, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, breast cancer, obesity and type II diabetes, low IQ, neurodevelopmental issues, behavioral issues, autism spectrum disorders, altered reproductive development, and male fertility issues.

Add a reverse osmosis system today and purify your own tap water. It is quick, simple and you can avoid any waste water by adding a ZeroWaste® Retro Fit Kit. Eliminating all waste water by sending it back into your hot water system.

Yes, municipalities work very hard to supply all residents with clean drinking water out of the tap, to meet the EPA's guidelines. However, the problem is not necessarily the municipalities. Once your water leaves the city's water plant, think about everywhere that water goes before it reaches your tap. The truth is that contaminants can reach the water from any number of sources after it leaves the water plant. Aquifers, springs, and corroded pipes can introduce impurities into the water lines even after the water has been treated at a water plant.

Reverse osmosis systems remove 99% of the impurities which are in your water. With a reverse osmosis system you have an initial investment and then minimal cost for maintenance, where bottled water costs you hundreds of dollars per year and fills up our landfills with non-degradable plastic.

You may have a right to be concerned. EPA administrator Lisa Jackson admits that American water fails to meet public health goals, and water pollution law enforcement is unacceptably low. There has even been times when companies have intentionally released pollutants into the water supply. With a Watts Premier reverse osmosis system you don't have to worry about the quality of your drinking water. All of our reverse osmosis systems are tested and certified to NSF standards by a third party in order to ensure they meet the federal regulatory requirements. By meeting these standards the majority of the impurities are removed from your drinking water.

There has been an age old debate..."Does drinking water have a flavor?" If your water does have a distinct flavor (i.e. salt, chlorine, metallic, etc.) this normally means there is something in the water that is giving it this flavor. Not because water has a flavor. One of the best ways to remove these unwanted elements in your drinking water is to add a reverse osmosis system. This water can be used for drinking and cooking. Removing these elements from both your drinking and cooking water will make it much healthier for you and your family.

What is This Warning? - Sometimes you will see a product for sale that has a label with a warning along the lines of the following: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer or reproductive harm. You may also see this warning at the point of purchase at an online retailer or for a catalog item. California has two different types of warnings – those for cancer and those for reproductive health effects. Some products have one or the other of these warnings and some products have both warnings. These warnings are required by California labeling law Proposition 65 (or Prop 65 for short), which is meant to notify individuals in California of exposures to Prop 65-listed chemicals. Prop 65 does not ban the sale of any products containing these chemicals; it only requires warnings.

Does This Law Apply Everywhere? - The “Prop 65” warnings are only required under California law. Prop 65 standards are among the most stringent standards in place anywhere and are often far more stringent than federal standards.

What Kinds of Substances Require Warnings? - Over 800 chemicals have been listed under California Prop 65. They include pesticides, heavy metals, and Vitamin A at certain levels. Certain listed chemicals, such as lead, are widely distributed through the environment in air, soil, water, and rocks. As a result, these types of chemicals are often found in commonly eaten foods and throughout the food supply even though these chemicals are not intentionally added to foods or nutritional supplements.

How do the California Warnings Compare to Federal Limits? - It should be noted that California product label warning requirements are not usually the same as federal safety requirements. This causes a mismatch between warnings on products sold in California and what is required elsewhere in the U.S.A. So this can explain why sometimes you may see a California Prop 65 warning on a product sold in California but no warning on the same product sold elsewhere. The products are not different; it’s just that Prop 65 warnings are required for sales to California consumers. Additionally, there are various substances that require a California Prop 65 warning at levels that are far more stringent than federal action limits. One example is lead. The Prop 65 standard for warnings for lead is 0.5 micrograms per day, which is far more stringent than federal and international standards for lead.

A semi permeable membrane, like the membrane of a cell wall or a bladder, is selective about what it allows to pass through, and what it prevents from passing. These membranes in general pass water very easily because of its small molecular size; but also prevent many other contaminants from passing by trapping them. Water will typically be present on both sides of the membrane, with each side having a different concentration of dissolved minerals. Since the water is the less concentrated solution seeks to dilute the more concentrated solution, water will pass through the membrane from the lower concentration side to the greater concentration side. Eventually, osmotic pressure (seen in the diagram below as the pressure created by the difference in water levels) will counter the diffusion process exactly, and an equilibrium will form.

A CTA (cellulose triacetate) membrane is a paper by-product membrane bonded to a synthetic layer. Due to its cellulose composition, a CTA membrane requires chlorine in the water source to keep bacteria from forming on it. A CTA membrane has a rejection rate of between 85-94%. CTA membranes have an average life expectancy of 18-24 months and are considered inferior to TFM membranes. Premier only uses TFM (Thin Film Membrane) membranes, which are made of a synthetic material. A TFM membrane requires the chlorine be removed prior to the water entering the membrane. A TFM membrane has a rejection percentage between 95-98%, which is much higher than the CTA membrane. A TFM membrane will last between 2-5 years. Many hospitals use TFM membranes in their hemo-dialysis (kidney) machines because of the higher purity water they produce.

Yes. Iron will plug a R.O. membrane, as the membrane is not able to flush iron out. Trace amounts of iron (up to 2 PPM) can be removed by a water softener. If the water contains 1 PPM or less, there is no need for concern as the membrane will usually last 1-2 years. Note: This refers to clear water iron, not red iron. The difference is that clear water iron leaves no visible signs, whereas red iron leaves a reddish brown discoloration in toilet bowls, tanks, sinks and tubs. If red iron is present, steps to remove the iron will have to be taken, otherwise the warranty will be void.

No, calcium and magnesium (lime scale) are two of the hardest minerals for the reverse osmosis membrane to remove. Sodium (added to the water by the softener) is much easier on the membrane and it will reject 98% of all sodium in the water. A water softener will help extend the life of the membrane.

Yes a reverse osmosis system will soften your drinking water through the Purification process; however hard water (above 7 grains of hardness) will shorten the life of the membrane. The harder the water, the shorter the life of your Membrane. For example, if your incoming water is 15 grains of hardness, you may only get 2-3 years of life from your membrane.

Faucets have a light to notify you when your filters need to be changed. Faucets with a time calculation. When you change your filters and remove the battery on the faucet this resets the clock to 0 months. When you re-instert the battery the timer starts a new timed count to 6 months. When the count equals 6 months the light on the faucet will change colors. Older faucets displayed a green and red light for notification. All 2011 and newer Faucets will display a blue and red light indicator for notification.

Yes, you can by-pass the air-gap on any of Watts Premiers air-gap faucet. Note - Before performing the air-gap by-pass you will need to ensure the ASOV is functioning properly. As well as checking to make sure the air pressure in your tank is between 5 to 7 psi.

To determine whether the ASOV is damaged you will want to check the water production to the tank. On average the system produces up to 4 ounces of water per minute. Close the ball valve on the tank as well as the water supply. Remove the blue line from the tank and set it into a liquid measuring cup. As soon as water begins to flow from the blue line measure the water level for one minute. If the blue tank line produces the right amount of water (approximately 4 oz), reconnect the Blue Tube to the tank. Leaving the tank in the closed position, turn the incoming water back on. Water should begin flowing down the drain. In about 15 to 20 minutes the ASOV should close and you will hear no more noise from the drain. If the noise from the drain doesn't stop, replace your ASOV.

In order to test to see if you have high or low air pressure in the tank, you will need to empty all the water from your storage tank. In order to do this shut off the main water supply and open the RO Faucet until the water stops running. Then check the pressure using a digital air gauge for the best results. The tanks pressure should be set between 5 to 7 psi.

You will need 2 parts in order to by-pass the air-gap. A double check valve (610019) as well as a ¼” x ⅜” union (125037). The Instructions for the air-gap by-pass are as follows:

1) Shut-off the cold water supply to the system.
2) Cut the red & black tubing approximately 4" from the bottom of the reverse osmosis faucet.
3) Cut the ⅜” black tube approximately 6" from the drain saddle.
4) Using a ¼” x ⅜” union connect the ¼” red tubing from the reverse osmosis system to the ⅜” black tubing from the drain saddle.
5) Splice in the one way check valve inline of the ¼” red tube with flow arrow pointing towards the drain saddle.
6) Start-up your reverse osmosis system and check for any leaks.

Please be aware that in the event you encounter an issue involving water constantly running (i.e. damaged ASOV, high or low pressure In The tank, etc) in the future you will be less likely to hear it. Installation must comply with all state and local plumbing regulations.

No, a water softener and a reverse osmosis system do two different things. Water Softeners, soften your water but do not remove the impurities which may be in your water. These impurities are removed by a reverse osmosis system. The water you drink and cook with will be softened but not purified. A reverse osmosis system can even remove 98% of all sodium let in the water from the softening process.

A Water Softener and reverse osmosis system actually work well together. The softened water gives your membrane a longer life. You can run your reverse osmosis to your refrigerator and/or freezer as well as using it for cooking and straight from the mounted Faucet giving you clean, clear and quality drinking water. There is a cost savings on both the softener side wear on the appliances, less laundry detergent, soaps, etc. Families normally find they buy less bottle water and sodas as well.

You will be able to tell by the taste and clarity of the water. For example, ice cubes made with the R.O. water are harder, clearer, and last much longer. If you take two clean glasses of the same size and put ice cubes made with R.O. water in one and the same number of ice cubes made from tap water in the other, you will notice that it takes longer for the R.O. ice cubes to melt. Not only do ice cubes made with R.O. water last longer but juices and mixed drinks made with R.O. water taste better. When ice cubes made from tap water are melted in a glass, you will most likely see unsightly sediments on the bottom. This is not so with R.O. water. Another way of determining the amount of dissolved solids removed from tap water is by the use of a conductivity meter. This meter measures the conductivity the dissolved solids impart to the water. This is converted on the meter scale into parts per million of total dissolved solids (TDS). Premier offers a TDS Meter, which can be used to test your reverse osmosis water and tap water to determine how the membrane is working and when to replace it.

Due to R.O. water being void from contaminants, it is what is known as "hungry water." R.O. water can leach the minerals out of the copper tubing and may cause a metallic taste in the ice cubes and over a period of time, the copper tubing can develop pinhole leaks.

A water softener and reverse osmosis system actually work well together. The softened water gives your membrane a longer life. You can run your reverse osmosis to your refrigerator and/or freezer as well as using it for cooking and straight from the mounted faucet giving you clean, clear and quality drinking water. There is a cost savings on both the softener side wear on the appliances, less laundry detergent, soaps, etc. Families normally find they buy less bottle water and sodas as well.

No, your reverse osmosis system can be mounted in a cabinet to either side of the kitchen sink or even mounted remotely in a garage or basement. Make sure the reverse osmosis system is within 20 to 25' of the reverse osmosis faucet. See below for additional information.

Approximately 20-25' with ¼" POLY tubing. For runs longer than that, use ⅜" POLY tubing. Tubing that runs from the reverse osmosis system to the ice maker should always be POLY tubing.  Do not use copper.

A TDS Meters is used to test the effectiveness of the membrane filter and ensures you get the longest life out of your membrane by eliminating premature changes. Simply test both your RO water and your tap water for TDS levels and put them in the TDS Calculator to see how effective your system is running. We do all the calculations for you. Just go to the TDS Calculator here and follow the instructions on where to enter your TDS levels for RO and tap water.

If you have a lot of sediment in your water you will benefit from the Watts Premiers full flow whole house system. This filter is installed on the incoming water line into the home. It's clear canister lets you see the sand, silt, dirt and rust particles it is removing before your very eyes! The whole house filter helps to reduce unneeded stress on your home appliances and water heater. Those that do not have issues with sediment in the water can benefit by replacing the sediment filter with a carbon block to reduce chlorine taste and odors. Having a whole house filter doesn't replace your reverse osmosis system, because it filters out the sediment but does not put the water through all the different stages necessary. You can check out our Watts Premiers full flow whole house system for further information.

Reverse osmosis is one of the few water treatment technologies that filters virtually all contaminants from water, both organic and inorganic. If reverse osmosis did not filter out the inorganic it would miss many of the inorganic contaminants such as nitrates, arsenic and chromium 6. However, the same high performance filtration that filters harmful contaminants also filters healthy minerals from water, including calcium. Because the minerals have been filtered from the water, reverse osmosis water is inherently more acidic than tap water because of all the impurities it removes. The pH filter adds the healthy minerals such as calcium and magnesium back into the water and in the process bring the PH level closer to neutral.

An ice maker kit makes the ice and the water in your fridge more pure! An ice maker kit simply connects to the reverse osmosis faucet line of one of our systems to send pure reverse osmosis water to your ice maker and cold fridge water. See crystal clear ice cubes and rid your refrigerator water of impurities.

An average home has 125 feet of ¾" pipe. This holds 3.14 gallons of water. If hot water is used 10 times per day, 31 gallons of water is wasted running the Faucets/Shower to get the hot water. In a year, this equals 11,461 gallons of water. 25.2 millions homes waste approximately 300 billion gallons of water annually.

A pump with a built-in timer is installed on the hot water line from the water heater. A patented sensor valve opens when the water on the hot water side cools and pushes the cool water back to the water heater. As the temperature in the hot water line hits 98 degrees, the valve closes. Some homes are designed with multiple hot water loops, one per floor, etc. If one section of the house does not receive hot water, you will need to purchase a watts sensor valve kit for each loop. For best results, the valve should be located at the faucet furthest from the water heater in each loop.

This Watts Instant hot water recirculating system brings convenience and savings to your home, giving you Hot Water instantly at every faucet or shower when you need it. This unique product connects easily to existing plumbing. It saves up to 15,000 gallons of water per year and up to 10% of your water bill.

Features include: easy to install in under one hour. Twenty four hour programmable timer activates pump when you need it. Maintenance free. Pump mounts directly onto a water heater with ¾" connections. Can be used with all types of pipe. 10' power cord. ½" thermal bypass valve. Extremely quiet - no vibrations.  Do not use with tankless water heaters.

You must drain at least 2 to 3 inches of water from the hot water heater's rank. This will allow you to install the unit, but if there is any build-up inside of the tank and/or the tank has not be drained before, then you will need to fully drain the water from your water heater before installing.

Horsepower = 1/30th of a horsepower. 25 watts / 746 = 0.0355
Amperage = 115v, 2 watts, 0.23 amps
Gallons Per Minute = ¼ gallon per minute, 0 to 3.5 feet head

The pump uses 25 watts or 0.025 kWh. You need to multiply the number of hours the pump is running by 0.025 to determine the total kWh then multiply that answer by the electricity rate for your area. This is only for the pump itself. We recommend running the pump on a set timer to help limit this expense.

For example - The pump only uses 25 watts and the amperage is 0.23 amps, 25 watts converts to 0.025 kWh. If you are using the pump 15 hours a day that equates to 3.6 kWh used for the entire 15 hour period. Here in Arizona our average rate for electricity is $.12 per kilowatt hour; this would equate to $0.43 a day.

The sensor valve works based upon the temperature of your water. If the water is 96 degrees or more the sensor valve will close the valve only to open back up when the water temperature drops below 80 degrees. Because of how this operates, when the pump is running the water at the valve on the hot side should be at 95 degrees or hotter when initially opened and reaching the water heater temperature fairly quickly.

A permeate pump is a special device for undersink reverse osmosis systems that uses the hydro power of the brine (WasteWater), to pack the permeate (product water), into the storage tank. “permeate” is industry jargon for product water: the purified water that has passed through the reverse osmosis membrane, the water you will drink. The water that is rejected by the membrane, the WasteWater, is called “brine” or “concentrate.” fA standard reverse osmosis unit is controlled by an automatic shutoff system that shuts down water production when pressure in the storage tank reaches about 2/3 of the inlet water pressure. In other words, if your city water pressure is 60 pounds (psi), your reverse osmosis unit will stop producing and storing water when pressure in the storage tank reaches about 40 psi. For most household purposes, this is plenty of pressure and the reverse osmosis system will run wonderfully.

The same reverse osmosis system with a permeate pump and 60 psi coming in will continue to produce water until pressure in the tank reaches almost 60 psi. This is especially helpful for low-pressure installations. If, for example, you have a well system that provides only 40 psi, a standard RO unit will run, but it won't run well. The unit will shut down when tank pressure reaches 25 psi or so. With a permeate pump, the unit will put almost the full 40 psi into the storage tank.

What's best about the permeate pump, though, is the increased efficiency. With a standard shutoff system, as the storage tank fills, the RO unit must push against an increasing amount of storage tank pressure. With the permeate pump, the unit is shielded from this pressure and the membrane works in a virtually pressure-free situation, even when the tank is almost full.

There are advantages to having a permeate pump. There is greatly improved water pressure from the reverse osmosis tank, especially in low-pressure installations. No electricity is used, so there is no electrical connection required (as compared with electric booster pumps). There is much greater efficiency as the reverse osmosis system does not have to push against the pressure of the storage tank. The ratio of product water to WasteWater improves significantly.

The purpose of the reverse osmosis booster pump is to increase water pressure going into the reverse osmosis system. Reverse osmosis is a pressure-driven process. If you have low water pressure Under 40psi you may require a booster pump in order to keep raise your pressure to the required levels.

Water softening is the removal of calcium, magnesium, and certain other metal cations in hard water. The resulting soft water is more compatible with soap and extends the lifetime of plumbing. Water softening is usually achieved using lime softening or ion-exchange resins.

No, calcium and magnesium (Lime scale) are two of the hardest minerals for the reverse osmosis membrane to remove. Sodium (added to the water by the softener) is much easier on the membrane and it will reject 98% of all Sodium in the water. A water softener will help extend the life of the membrane.

No, a water softener and a reverse osmosis system do two different things. Water softeners, soften your water but do not remove the impurities which may be in your water. These impurities are removed by a reverse osmosis system. The water you drink and cook with will be softened but not purified. A reverse osmosis system can even remove 98% of all sodium let in the water from the softening process.

A water softener and reverse osmosis system actually work well together. The softened water gives your membrane a longer life. You can run your reverse osmosis to your refrigerator and/or freezer as well as using it for cooking and straight from the mounted Faucet giving you clean, clear and quality drinking water. There is a cost savings on both the softener side wear on the appliances, less laundry detergent, soaps, etc. Families normally find they buy less bottle water and sodas as well.