Reverse osmosis does remove total dissolved solids, including calcium. If your water is already very soft, you might need to add back a little mineral buffer. Otherwise, your water could get aggressive and start munching on your plaster or tile grout.
Don’t panic—it’s easy to fix. Most RO systems include a remineralization step. Or you just add a small amount of calcium chloride after treatment. Problem solved.
What About Saltwater Pools?
Oh, this is where it gets really fun. A saltwater pool uses a chlorine generator, and that salt builds up over time. Too much salt, and your generator stops working—or your water tastes like a tear. Reverse osmosis loves salt. It strips it out like nobody’s business. You can even reuse the extracted salt for winter road de-icing. Okay, I made that last part up, but you get the idea.
After RO treatment, you just add back a tiny bit of salt. Your salt cell will work perfectly again. It’s like hitting a reset button on your pool’s chemistry.
