Do you have a water softener system?

That is why we have only in the kitchen (nspüle) a pipe from which water comes that did not go through the descaling .... and we drink that ...

We usually treat drinking water the same way as , except that we were not smart enough to run a bypass line all the way to the kitchens. We only do not soften the garden water. The taste of the water is not only determined by the hardness, so it is somewhat difficult to compare. We taste a clear difference – the water that did not go through the softener simply tastes much better as water. In tea, the softened water tastes better, and in coffee (and I am really picky about that) there is surprisingly almost no difference. Monitoring the sodium content in the water is fundamentally correct, but I do not see a problem with it for us, and we reduce it by about 20 points. Since we have more than 20 connected water-bearing components in the house, from simple faucets to the steam cooker to the toilet, a softener was a must for us.

We usually handle our drinking water like , except that we weren’t clever enough to run a bypass line all the way to the kitchens. We only don’t soften the garden water.
The taste of the water is not determined solely by its hardness, so the comparison is a bit tricky. We notice a clear difference – the water that didn’t go through the softener simply tastes much better as water. In tea, the softened water tastes better, and in coffee (and I’m really picky here) there’s surprisingly almost no difference.
Monitoring the sodium content in the water is basically correct, but I don’t see a problem with it on our end either, and we reduce it by about 20 points.
Since we have over 20 connected water-bearing components in the house, from the simple faucet to the steam cooker to the toilet, a softener was a given for us.

Do you then get your drinking water from the garden (-:

Thank you very much for your assessments. Let's start with the taste: Water certainly changes its taste depending on how strongly it is demineralized. There are opinions stating the more, the better. And others who believe that the taste worsens the stronger it is demineralized. I also do not like the taste of demineralized water. However, I have tried water with just over zero, 4° and more (about 8°) at friends' places, chilled and unchilled – and I feel like in a blind test with music: Yes, there seem to be differences (there were days in between), but every change in coffee or tea variety, even between individual batches, will certainly have a stronger effect – and what is "better" or "worse" I cannot judge. That is really irrelevant to me.

Bypass per hose: Per hose? Preferably one that is not food-safe?? And also the drinking water suitable PE pipes (with blue identifying thread) will not come into my house. Laying a composite pipe up to the main tap point (kitchen) does not seem sensible to me as long as I do not consistently refrain from sausage, cheese, pickled fish or any kind of meat. And that is out of the question. By the way, I have not found a neutral, scientifically (1) comprehensible (2) treatise on the subject. Only more or less extreme personal opinions, expressed with differing intensity.

MayrCh, many thanks for your detailed presentation. I have seen this presented this way for the first time (Sweetspot). Do you have a link for me to read more on this? I find it interesting that there is hardly any difference between soft water and medium water hardness (from 8°dH, Bremen, for example, has 5°). Because if that is the case, one would kill two birds with one stone and certainly stay below the limit value. Manufacturers advertise with saving modes based on the fact that one does not soften to 0°. Why don’t they advertise that 8-10° is perfectly sufficient?

I am increasingly inclined to install such a system without a bypass and operate it at 4°dh.

Best regards Stefan

Let's start with the taste:

Taste is subjective. Seriously: in Germany there are > 5000 water extraction companies with correspondingly fewer water extraction facilities. Accordingly, there is also a corresponding variance in the water composition. The extent of ion exchange will sometimes have more, sometimes less influence on the water taste. Whether "better" or "worse" depends individually on the test subject. And on the raw water.

And I also don't want drinking water suitable PE pipes in my house.

Do you know what the water supply infrastructure at the distribution level has been built from almost exclusively since the 1990s? So yes, they do (literally) come into your house.

Manufacturers advertise with economy circuits that are based on not softening down to 0°. Why don't they advertise that 8-10° are easily enough?
I am increasingly inclined to use such a system without a bypass and operate it at 4°dH.

They do. Softening is always done fully. Via the internal bypass of the system and a corresponding mixing valve, the hardness at the system outlet is then adjusted. But what goes through the ion exchanger always goes down to 0 dH. And at least the reputable manufacturers indicate in their product documentation that full softening makes no sense. Already for corrosion protection reasons alone, "hardness buffers pH."

Who said the bypass is a hose? Through what kind of pipe does your normal drinking water come??? I didn't quite get the part about giving up sausage ... The normal drinking water in our case bypasses the softening ... whether with or without softening there is always a pipe leading to the kitchen from which you take your water?!?