Can Fridge Water Filter turn water "Soft"?

Mr S · Dec 16, 2018

Hi All.

I think I know the answer to this, but I wanted to double-check before raising yet another (potentially major) issue with the plumbing of our recent build.

I had my suspicions and eventually decided to test the hardness/softness of the water coming out of various taps using a (seemingly accurate) water test kit (SimplexHealth Home Water Test Kit 5-in-One) using strips.

This confirmed that the supposed hard/soft water taps were the wrong way round (and thus hard into the dishwasher too!), but, more worrying, that the "drinking" water coming out of the (plumbed in) fridge was/is soft.

Now, the fridge has a fitted Samsung water filter. Is there any chance that the water filter could be resulting in a reading of "very soft" even though the incoming water is supposedly very hard? (I'm clutching at straws I know).

Your thoughts and advice please.

Thanks, Steve.

Sharp Point · Dec 16, 2018

Can’t you measure the incoming water out of the valve before it enters the fridge filter?

Mr S · Dec 16, 2018

bogrodder said:
Can’t you measure the incoming water out of the valve before it enters the fridge filter?

Not so easily. The incoming pipe runs behind a plasterboard wall and the inlet into the f/f is behind the (installed) f/f, inside fitted units.

That's why I asked the question before having to resign myself to anything more disruptive.

Thanks!

snowhead · Dec 16, 2018

A filter on it's own, whether paper or carbon, cannot soften water.
Only a Water softener can do that.

Magnetic / electronic Conditioners reduce the likelyhood of calcium being deposited, but if you test the water out of a conditioner it will still show hard.