Soft water causes water heaters to corrode?

There are accounts of softeners prolonging a water heater’s life span as well as some anecdotal accounts of water softeners causing water heaters to fail sooner, so this really needs to be clarified/qualified. Let’s dig a little deeper into it…

Soft Water not for Drinking? – Is softened water corrosive?

Hard water contains calcium and/or magnesium ions. These ions make soap hard to lather, giving hard water its name. For water to be called “soft”, it must be devoid of these hardness ions. There is a significant difference between “naturally soft” water and “ion exchange softened” water.

DI Water Compatibility Chart

We design and sell a complete line of DI and RO/DI hybrid water processors. So we naturally get a lot of request for information about DI material compatibility. The table below lists the most common interactions. Talk to your local Clean Water Crusader if you require more information.