Filtering hard water is a complex thing, and not all conventional Brita water filters can filter hard water.
However, Brita can filter hard water with the help of Brita appliances to remove contaminants and metals such as the buildup of scale, lead, cadmium, copper, etc., if it uses carbon cartridges and an ion exchange filter.
Here, the thing is Brita water filter is used to filter soft water, but if you want to filter hard water, you need to use Brita faucet filters, filter pitchers, and bottles.
These Brita filter appliances use carbon filters to filter contaminants stuck to the carbon surfaces and use an ion-exchange filter to remove the harmful metals.
Therefore, if the hard water is running through a Brita water filter, it can’t be filtered. Well, to better understand the topic, I have gathered a lot of related information here in this article.
So, check out the article and read it consciously to get a clear idea about it.
Can you use hard water through your Brita filter?
Yes, you can use hard water through your Brita filter. Here, the hard water is usually caused by the calcium and magnesium ions in the water. And, over time, these ions will build up the scale deposits on the filter and inside the filter’s housing area of Brita appliances.
This is because it doesn’t filter out many of these ions. As a result, even after filtering the hard water using carbon cartridges, you will find out that it may remove some yet not all of them.
And, still, there present some calcium ions in the water of your filter in the form of Calcium bicarbonate which causes temporary hardness of the water.
Besides, here, one thing you need to know is that the calcium ions present in the form of Calcium Sulphate and Calcium Chloride will cause permanent hardness of the water. And if so, Brita filters can’t remove these ions.
Besides, if you use hard water through your Brita water filter, you need to be careful about cleaning the filtering device so the scale deposits can be removed.
If the filter is not cleaned more frequently, you will find a buildup of scale deposits inside the filter that will ultimately slow down the entire water filtration process.
Well, here also, you should remember that the mineral damage to your Brita filter is generally permanent. Therefore, you must replace it if you find out the mineral damage.
Moreover, if it’s a conventional Brita water filter and you use hard water in it, you will need to change the filter repeatedly and more often than the manufacturer recommends.
So, considering these issues, I won’t recommend you run hard water through your Brita water filter.
Can your Brita filter soften tough water?
The Brita manufacturer claims that their Brita conventional filters include filter pitchers, faucet filters, dispensers, water bottles, etc. (Standard filter device, Longlast filter device, or Stream filter device), do not typically soften very hard water.
Although, as I mentioned above, if they use other filter devices like ion-exchange filters and carbon filters, the Brita filters will soften the hard running water.
As you may know, the working principle of a carbon cartridges filter is the adsorption of the contaminants. Therefore, it can effectively remove heavy metals and some volatile organic compounds such as lead, cadmium, benzene, mercury, chlorine, asbestos, etc.
However, here the thing is, while filtering out the contaminants, it can’t remove calcium (carbonates, chlorides) and magnesium salts (sulfates) effectively.
Moreover, Brita filters also use an ion exchange filter to soften hard water and remove the metal contaminants such as cadmium, copper, etc. However, this filtration process won’t work with the calcium and magnesium ions.
However, if you still want to use a Brita filter to soften the hard water, you can use Brita PRO filter in-home system.
Are the Brita water filters harmful to you?
The Brita water filters are not harmful if you take much care of them, such as cleaning and changing the filter device more frequently. Besides, using this one is entirely okay for you if you use it simply for taking extra precautions and for your personal preference for the water taste.
However, although the Brita manufacturer claims that this Brita filter can kill and remove the bacteria, it’s not true.
According to the lab test, it is proved that the Brita filter cannot kill all grown-up bacteria. Since the bacteria are trapped by the filter and thus the environment inside the filter becomes suitable for other bacterial breeding grounds.
Not only that but also this filter can’t significantly remove the organic chemical compounds- trihalomethanes (THMs). However, it can remove heavy leads, mercury, chlorines, etc., whereas tap water can evaporate these organic compounds.
Therefore, the Brita water filter will be helpful if you want to filter germs and chemicals from not only plumbing issues but also other industrial metals. However, remember that this filter can’t remove microorganisms where the tap water removes them naturally.
So, use tap water instead of Brita filtered water. Well, I’m not saying that this filtered water is that harmful to you, but I just recommend that if you have a scope to use tap water, just use it.
Final verdict
So, after reading the whole article, what do you think-Does Brita filters hard water? Is this filtered water safe for you to drink and use?
The answer is both Yes and No. The conventional Brita filter can’t filter hard water without using some cartridges and an ion exchange filter. Besides, although with the help of these filters, Brita can filter hard water, the filtration process is not that effective, unfortunately.
Well, in this article, I’ve answered the issues mentioned above. Hopefully, you have understood them well, yet, let me know by commenting on the comment section if you want to know more.
