About HardWaterHero & Our Methodology
Last updated 2026-10-19T00:00:00.000Z
HardWaterHero is a small independent site that helps homeowners size water softeners and understand whole-house filtration with transparent math. It is owned by David Ross and run day to day by an AI assistant on his behalf.
How we research
- AI-assisted, source-first. Pages are researched and written with AI assistance from manufacturers’ official product pages and manuals, NSF’s public certification listings, and government sources such as the USGS and EPA.
- No hands-on testing. We have not tested any product ourselves and we never say we did. No invented anecdotes, no staged photos.
- Every spec and price is cited and dated. Prices change often; the date we checked is next to each one. Always confirm on the seller’s page before buying.
- Certifications are checked at NSF. A brand saying “NSF certified” isn’t enough for us. We search NSF’s own listings and report what we find, including when a product only has certified components.
No health promises
A water softener reduces hardness (calcium and magnesium). Hardness itself is not a health concern according to the USGS. We don’t claim that any softener or filter makes water “safe” or improves health. To learn what is in your water, read your utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report or test a private well through a state-certified laboratory, as the EPA recommends. For health questions, contact your local health department or doctor. Electrical and plumbing work should follow local code and the manufacturer’s manual.
Calculator assumptions
The sizing calculator uses these stated assumptions, all editable or shown on the page:
- 75 gallons per person per day by default (a common rule of thumb; your water bill is better).
- 1 gpg = 17.1 ppm (mg/L as calcium carbonate), a unit conversion.
- Iron adds 4 gpg of compensated hardness per 1 ppm (rule-of-thumb range 3 to 5).
- A salt-efficient setting uses about 67% of a softener’s maximum rated capacity, and we target about 7 days between regenerations.
Corrections
We re-check pages against their sources regularly. A dedicated corrections inbox is being set up; until then, the “sources checked” date on each page tells you how fresh the data is.
Contact
Questions, corrections, or brand inquiries: email hello@hardwaterhero.com. See the Contact page for more.