Access to clean water can affect many aspects of our lifestyles not only when it comes to drinking it. Using water for cleaning and washing, we can find out how water quality is impacting our health in a somewhat more indirect way. Many concerns have been raised about water quality and how easily certain substances can be ingested. There is also the issue of contaminants on the skin or the potential to breath them in during a shower. 

It is, thus, an important issue to tackle, and ultimately provide better quality water in our showers as well as for drinking. Before endeavoring to start tackling such issues, however, it’s essential to understand exactly what contaminants would be affecting water use for showering and what their effects could be. 

Issues due to shower water

Many problems can stem from poor quality water in showers; some can affect one’s health or even damage the shower fittings.

Health issues

Some of the more harmful contaminants in shower water usually come in the form of chlorine and chloramine, trihalomethanes (THMs), volatile organic chemicals (VOCs). These substances alone can be responsible for some undesired health effects when exposed to in the shower. 

The most common health effect encountered from shower water is an allergic reaction. This can manifest with dry skin and hair, itchy skin, or eyes, runny nose, or even coughing. Chlorine is largely to blame for these reactions. On the other hand, more severe reactions and problems appear from THMs and VOCs. Respiratory problems like asthma can be triggered, or even damage the lungs. 

Plumbing issues

Hard water can be a very serious problem with regard to the plumbing system itself. Not only can limescale build-up clog up the shower fittings and drains, but it also makes cleaning less effective as it limits the efficiency of shampoos and soaps. 

How to handle shower water-related problems?

There are a number of things that can be done to improve water quality in the home and in the showers as well. Water filtration systems have been around for a while and their popularity is ever-growing, especially in the wake of the many different types of filtration systems. To better understand what these are, you can find some of the best resources in the field here.

Showerhead filters

One of the most evident ways to improve shower water quality is to install a shower head filter. These little filters are very easy to install and equipped with multiple stages of filtration. Layers inside the filter can consist of sand, stainless steel mesh, activated carbon, and much more. Many of these are capable of removing substances like chlorine, limescale, and even reducing rust or absorbing bacteria. 

What is more, certain shower filters even come with added minerals and pressure settings to improve water quality further. As with drinking water filters, a shower filter is to be replaced after some time of use, to provide the maximum potential of its functionality. 

Water softeners

A great way of improving water quality for washing is by implementing a water softener. Dealing with limescale is one of the most irritating issues with showers, as not only do they reduce shampoo efficiency, but also damage fittings, and create deposits on the tub or shower screens. Water softeners come with some more equipment such as a water tank and salt that has to be maintained but are overall the most efficient at reducing limescale.

Whole house water filters

The most sure-fire way to guarantee higher quality water is to filter all the water that comes into the home. Sediment and rust can infiltrate water pipes and create tainted water. The whole house water filtration system is a catch-all blanket filter that can have multiple filtration stages with multiple types of filtering mediums. 

The capability to expand and include different water cleaning methods makes the whole house water filter highly adaptable and efficient. It’s an added bonus that all water gets this treatment, including shower water. The complexity of this system will most likely require professional installations, but once done, the maintenance process is far easier. 

Choosing which filtering medium to use specifically for shower water depends on the water source. There could be instances where collected rainwater is used for showering and that would require an entirely different filtration method than water from the city. 

Considerations for choosing shower filtrations systems

Before going out and buying a shower filter, there are some factors to consider. For one, make sure the filtration system is powerful enough to clean out contaminants present in the shower water. This can depend on the area and the water source itself. 

Consider installation, as some filters are easier than others to set into place. Water quality is important, but so is the available space and the type of filtration system. That being said it may be more worthwhile to install a more complex system that deals with many more issues than a simpler one would. 

Another thing to consider is maintenance. All water filters need periodic maintenance and more complex ones will come with a few extra steps. Layered filtering mediums will have separate time slots for when they need changing and all this has to be taken into account, in order to guarantee proper functionality. Some systems could potentially have the option of coming with service providers that make it their goal to alert their customers when maintenance is due.