does reverse osmosis remove calcium

does reverse osmosis remove calcium?Okay, here’s my blog post about whether reverse osmosis removes calcium, written from my personal experience:

So, I’ve been having this issue with hard water at my place. You know, the kind that leaves nasty white spots on everything and makes your skin feel all dry and itchy after a shower. I did some digging, and it turns out it’s mostly because of high calcium and magnesium levels. I started wondering if a reverse osmosis (RO) system could be the solution, so I decided to put it to the test.

Getting Started: My Little Experiment

First, I grabbed a simple water testing kit from the local hardware store. Nothing fancy, just the basic strips that change color to show you the hardness level. I tested my tap water straight up, and yup, the strip turned a deep color, confirming what I already knew – hard water city!

The RO System: Setting Things Up

Next, I got myself a basic under-sink RO system. It wasn’t the top-of-the-line model, just a standard one that seemed like it would do the job. Installation was a bit of a pain, I’m not gonna lie. I had to fiddle around with the plumbing under my sink, which is always a fun time. But, after a bit of struggling, I got it all hooked up and running.

Testing the Waters…Again

Once the RO system was in place, I let it run for a bit to flush out any manufacturing residues or anything like that. Then, I took another water sample, this time from the RO faucet. I dipped one of those test strips into the RO water and waited… and waited… The strip barely changed color! It was way lighter than the first test, showing a significant drop in hardness.

My Observations: What I Noticed

• The Taste: I have to say, the water tasted noticeably different. It was… cleaner, I guess? Less of that mineral-y taste I was used to.
• The Soap: I also noticed that soap and shampoo lathered up way better with the RO water. Before, I felt like I had to use a ton of soap just to get a decent amount of suds.
• The Spots: The most obvious change, though, was the lack of those annoying white spots on my dishes and shower doors. After a few weeks of using the RO water, everything was staying noticeably cleaner.

My Conclusion: It Works!

Based on my little home experiment, I can confidently say that, yeah, reverse osmosis does remove a significant amount of calcium from water. My test strips showed a big difference, and the real-world effects were pretty clear too. If you’re battling hard water and all the headaches it brings, I’d definitely recommend considering an RO system. Just be prepared for a bit of DIY plumbing, or maybe call a professional if you’re not comfortable with that kind of stuff!