The most effective way to deal with these problems is to use a house water softener. While water softeners are used to remove hard minerals from water, water conditioners are typically used to remove chemicals and substances that give your water an unpleasant taste or smell. The term “hard water” refers to groundwater that contains high levels of such minerals as magnesium or calcium. Water softeners are devices designed to reduce the amount or effects of minerals in your home's water system.

Water conditioners do not remove hardness minerals, they physically alter them and render them unable to form scale build-ups. Traditional water softeners eliminate hardness minerals through a process called ion exchange.