WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WATER FILTER AND A WATER SOFTENER?
Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, a water filter and a water softener perform two very different jobs.
The simplest explanation is:
👉 A water filter improves the quality, taste and smell of your water.
👉 A water softener removes the minerals responsible for hard-water scale.
For the most complete water-treatment solution, many Perth homes benefit from having both systems installed together.
🔹 WHAT DOES A WHOLE-HOUSE WATER FILTER DO?
A whole-house water filtration system is installed on the incoming water supply so that the water delivered throughout the property is filtered.
The system’s performance depends on the cartridges installed. A typical multi-stage system may include:
đź’§ SEDIMENT FILTRATION
The sediment cartridge captures dirt, sand, rust and other suspended particles. This helps improve water clarity and protects the following filtration stages, plumbing fixtures and appliances.
đź’§ CARBON FILTRATION
A quality carbon cartridge can reduce chlorine, unpleasant tastes and odours. Depending on the cartridge specification, some systems may also target chloramine and other chemicals.
đź’§ SPECIALIST FILTRATION
Additional cartridges can be selected to target particular water-quality concerns. The correct cartridges should always be chosen according to the local water conditions and what the homeowner wants to achieve.
A standard whole-house water filter can improve water quality throughout the property, but it generally does not remove the dissolved calcium and magnesium responsible for hard-water scale.
🔹 WHAT DOES A WATER SOFTENER DO?
A genuine water softener uses a process called ion exchange.
Hard water passes through a tank containing specialised resin beads. These beads capture calcium and magnesium—the primary hardness minerals—and exchange them for sodium ions.
This produces softened water that is far less likely to leave stubborn calcium and limescale deposits around the home.
Over time, the resin becomes loaded with hardness minerals. The water softener then completes an automatic regeneration cycle using a brine solution made from water-softener salt. This cleans and recharges the resin so it can continue softening the water.
A correctly selected water softener is sized according to:
✅ The property’s water-hardness reading
âś… The number of people living in the home
âś… Estimated daily water consumption
✅ The property’s peak flow-rate requirements
âś… The amount of resin inside the softener
âś… The required time between regeneration cycles
Correct sizing is important. An undersized water softener may regenerate too frequently or struggle to provide adequate flow, while an oversized or incorrectly programmed unit may waste unnecessary water and salt.
🔬 HOW IS WATER HARDNESS MEASURED?
Water hardness is commonly measured in parts per million—ppm—as calcium carbonate. One ppm is approximately equal to one milligram per litre.
As a practical guide:
• Below 60 ppm: Soft water
• 60–120 ppm: Moderately hard water
• 120–180 ppm: Hard water
• Above 180 ppm: Very hard water with a greater risk of scale
The higher the hardness reading, the more likely you are to notice:
• White deposits on taps and tiles
• Cloudy or scale-covered shower screens
• Scale inside kettles and coffee machines
• Reduced soap and shampoo lather
• Build-up within hot-water systems and appliances
• Increased cleaning requirements
Because Perth’s drinking-water supply is blended from multiple sources, hardness can vary between suburbs and may change over time. Testing the water at the individual property provides a better basis for selecting and sizing a system.
🔹 DOES AN ANTI-SCALE FILTER SOFTEN WATER?
No. An anti-scale cartridge and a genuine water softener are not the same thing.
Anti-scale media may help manage how minerals behave and reduce their tendency to attach to certain surfaces. However, it does not physically remove calcium and magnesium from the water.
A genuine ion-exchange water softener removes the hardness minerals and provides measurable softened water.
🔹 DOES A WATER SOFTENER FILTER THE WATER?
Not in the same way as a whole-house filtration system.
A water softener is specifically designed to remove hardness minerals. It does not replace sediment and carbon filtration and shouldn’t be relied upon to remove chlorine, dirt, rust, unpleasant tastes or odours.
This is why filtration is generally installed before the softener. The filtration system improves the water quality and helps protect the softening resin from sediment and chlorine exposure.
🔹 WHAT ABOUT TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS?
A common misunderstanding is that a water softener should dramatically lower a total dissolved solids—or TDS—reading.
A water softener exchanges calcium and magnesium for sodium, so the overall TDS reading may remain similar. This doesn’t mean the softener isn’t working.
The correct way to confirm water-softener performance is with a dedicated hardness test—not a basic TDS meter.
âś… BENEFITS OF WHOLE-HOUSE WATER FILTRATION
đź’§ Reduces dirt, rust and sediment
đź’§ Reduces chlorine, taste and odour
đź’§ Improves the quality of water throughout the home
đź’§ Helps protect plumbing fixtures and appliances from sediment
đź’§ Provides more enjoyable water for showering, bathing and cooking
âś… BENEFITS OF A WHOLE-HOUSE WATER SOFTENER
đź’§ Dramatically reduces calcium and limescale
đź’§ Helps keep shower screens, tiles and tapware cleaner
đź’§ Protects hot-water systems and household appliances
đź’§ Improves soap, shampoo and detergent performance
đź’§ Can leave skin, hair and laundry feeling softer
đź’§ Reduces the time and products required for cleaning
đź’§ Helps protect premium tapware and newly renovated bathrooms
⚠️ WHAT SHOULD HOMEOWNERS CONSIDER?
A salt-based water softener requires:
• Periodic salt top-ups
• Routine servicing and inspections
• Access to drainage for regeneration wastewater
• Correct programming for the home’s water usage and hardness
• A suitable bypass arrangement for servicing
Outdoor taps and garden reticulation are generally kept off the softened-water supply. This avoids unnecessarily using softened water outdoors, reduces salt consumption and protects salt-sensitive plants.
Because ion-exchange softening introduces a small amount of sodium, many homeowners also choose to leave the kitchen drinking-water tap unsoftened or install a separate under-sink drinking-water filtration system.
🔹 WHICH SYSTEM DOES MY HOME NEED?
Choose whole-house water filtration if your main concerns are:
• Chlorine
• Sediment
• Unpleasant taste or odour
• General water quality
Choose a water softener if your main concerns are:
• Calcium and limescale
• White marks on taps and shower screens
• Hard-water build-up in appliances
• Poor soap and shampoo performance
• Protecting bathrooms and hot-water systems
Choose whole-house filtration and water softening if you want the complete solution—cleaner, better-tasting water combined with effective protection against Perth’s hard-water scale.
Put simply:
đź’§ A water filter cleans and improves the water.
đź’§ A water softener removes the hardness.
đź’§ Installing both gives your home the benefits of filtration and softening.
Better Water Solutions WA provides professional water-hardness testing, whole-house water filtration and water-softener installation throughout Perth’s northern suburbs.
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