If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably stood in front of a wall of water filters in the online world, feeling a little overwhelmed. There are so many options, each promising the cleanest, best-tasting water. But a couple of questions I get asked all the time are: “If I filter my water, am I stripping out the good stuff along with the bad?” and “I have too many minerals in my water – how can I reduce them?”

These are brilliant questions, and they get to the very heart of what makes different water filters tick. Today, let’s chat about water filters that remove minerals, and I’ll help you understand the different technologies so you can make the perfect choice for your home.

Does a water filter remove good minerals?

This is the big one, right? We’ve all heard that minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium are beneficial for our health. So, the short answer is: it depends entirely on the type of filter.

Most standard water filters use a carbon filter. These are fantastic at improving taste and odour by reducing chlorine, some heavy metals, and other contaminants. Crucially, they do not remove the beneficial, dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium. They primarily trap larger particles and impurities, letting the healthy minerals flow right through into your glass.

Where things change is with a more advanced technology: the Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System.

How Reverse Osmosis Works (And Where the Minerals Go)

A Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System is one of the most effective ways to purify water. It works by forcing water through an incredibly fine membrane. The pores in this membrane are so tiny that they block virtually everything larger than a water molecule itself.

This includes:

– Harmful contaminants like lead, arsenic, nitrates, and fluoride.

– Beneficial minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

Yes, that’s right. A standard RO system will remove almost all dissolved solids, both good and bad. The result is water that is incredibly pure, neutral tasting, and free from contaminants. However, this pure water can taste a bit “flat” to some people because those minerals contribute to taste.

But this is easily solved! Most high-quality RO systems, especially those considered the best undersink filtration options, come with a final-stage remineraliser or alkaliser cartridge. After the water has been purified by the RO membrane, it passes through this cartridge which adds a blend of those healthy minerals back into the water. You get the incredible purity of RO water, with the perfect balance of beneficial minerals and a great taste restored. It’s the best of both worlds!

A Different Approach: Protecting Your Home from Limescale

Now, maybe your main concern isn’t drinking water purity, but rather the havoc hard water wreaks on your appliances, sinks, and showers. Limescale is the chalky, white buildup that clogs pipes, reduces appliance efficiency, and leaves spots on your beautiful glassware.

For this, there’s a clever and highly effective solution: an undersink water filter for hard water that comes with a phosphate cartridge.

How does it work? It’s actually really fascinating. This system doesn’t remove the hardness minerals (high levels of calcium and magnesium) like a water softener does. Instead, it uses a food-grade polyphosphate crystal. As hard water flows past these crystals, a tiny, absolutely safe amount of phosphate is released into the water.

This phosphate acts as a crystal inhibitor. It surrounds the hardness minerals and prevents them from crystallizing together and sticking to your pipes, kettle elements, and tap fixtures. Instead of forming scale, the minerals remain in suspension and harmlessly flow down the drain. Your water is still “hard” and retains all its healthy minerals, but it loses its scaling ability.

This exact mechanism is why you’ll find similar phosphate scale inhibitors in many high-end coffee machines. It protects their delicate heating elements without altering the mineral content of the water, which is crucial for extracting the perfect flavour from your coffee beans!

Protecting Your Entire Home

But why stop at the kitchen sink? If hard water is a problem, it’s affecting every appliance and every tap in your house. Your showerheads, your washing machine, your dishwasher – they’re all under attack.

This is where a Whole Home Water Filter System designed for hard water comes in. Think of it as a bigger version of the undersink phosphate system, but for your entire water supply. Installed at the point where water enters your home, it treats all the water you use, providing comprehensive scale prevention.

Imagine:

• Spot-free glasses and shower doors.
• Softer feeling water on your skin.
• Longer lifespans for your water-using appliances.
• Reduced energy bills as heaters run more efficiently without scale builtup.

A Whole Home Water Filter System is an investment in your home’s plumbing, your appliances, and your comfort, all while allowing the beneficial minerals to remain in your drinking water.

So, there you have it! The world of water filtration is diverse for a reason – different problems have different solutions. Whether you want the ultra-pure, remineralised water from a RO water filter, targeted scale prevention for your kitchen with an under sink filter, or whole-house protection, there’s a perfect solution waiting for you.