Preventing limescale in bathrooms

[John Rumm]

Or just don't drink the softened water...

(although I accept this may make the plumbing more complicated)

[The Natural Philosopher]

After I pointed out that the sodium in softened water is minuscule compared with almost any other source, and the same as you..don't soften the kitchen tap if it bothers..

People get religion, and they don't even read what you write.,

[Jan Wysocki]

Errm, but the reason to not drink water from an ion exchange water softener is not just because of the sodium content. The sodium content may be trivial, but there's no guarantee that the salt you're using is food grade. Any chemical or microbial contaminants that enter the salt store of your water softener, will also enter the softened water. I don't know about you, but I certainly don't use aseptic precautions when I take the lid off my water softener! You shouldn't drink softened water for the same reasons that you wouldn't drink water from a loft storage tank.

Anyway, you can always drink beer instead, from a hard water area:)

[The Natural Philosopher]

Are you sure about that?

Firstly, I don't know any microbes that can live on salt. Secondly, the drinking water is chlorinated for a reason. Thirdly, I think you will find that salt for softeners is not allowed to be laced with cyanide.

Good grief. I have done both for years..(different years) My dog drinks water from the pond. I have drunk from mountain streams...

I lived for ten years drinking water from a tank in the roof. Only water there was, pumped from a borehole..H & S came round once in my time there and took lots of test tubes from the taps and pronounced it safe.

Best water ever.