All water contains dissolved minerals and nutrients, but some sources of water contain more minerals than others. Water is considered hard when it contains high amounts of calcium-carbonate and magnesium. These minerals – in particular – have a high propensity to adhere to surfaces and form scale on surfaces the water comes into contact with, such as pipes and fixtures. In fact, soap scum and scale buildup on bathroom fixtures are how most people realize they have hard water in their home

85% of American homes have hard water (water with a high mineral content - typically calcium and magnesium). This map shows a general depiction of the hardness of water throughout the United States:

Stopping scale formation has a few noticeable benefits:

Dramatically increase the life and efficiency of hot water heaters and other major appliances. Water heaters are the second highest energy consuming appliances of most homes.

NuvoH2O’s chelation process keeps pipes from getting clogged, reduces the likelihood that critical parts of appliances will fail, and makes cleaning your home easier and faster.

In addition, NuvoH2O’s system is scientifically proven to remove scale that already exists, not just keep it from forming in the future. You will get these benefits in the most natural way available so you will experience healthier, smoother skin and hair with no slick, soapy, residue feeling. And finally, the NuvoH2O system’s citric acid naturally improves the effectiveness of cleaning agents you use every day in your dishwasher and washing machine – making your dishes sparkle and your clothes cleaner, softer and brighter.

NuvoH2O water softeners work because they utilize a natural chemical process called chelation. However, we don't use artificial or unhealthy products commonly associated with Chelation such as EDTA. We have discovered that we can tap into one of nature's finest gifts, citrus, and use it as our chelating agent. This is the same type of citrus that you would find in lemons, limes, and oranges. It’s food-grade citrate, non-GMO and is safe for plants, animals, septic tanks and, of course, human consumption.

Our unique cartridge design uses your water pressure to push just the right amount of citrate into your water. No water is wasted and no electricity is needed. The citrus in your water will trigger chelation, changing the calcium carbonate to a calcium citrate, keeping the scale from bonding with your pipes, appliances and faucets. It will also gradually remove pre-existing scale buildup. Your skin will feel clean, but it won't feel slick or slimy.

NuvoH2O’s chelation process is similar to when a homeowner cleans with vinegar or when a plumber flushes out a water heater with acid, NuvoH2O systems are introducing a small amount of citric acid into the water. As such, we do not recommend using our product in water that is below a 7.3 pH.

NuvoH2O systems don’t remove the minerals from the water. It's wasteful to remove the minerals and many of them are beneficial to humans, plants and animals. Chelation not only reacts with the calcium-carbonate in your water, it also reacts with calcium-carbonate in your scale which removes your existing scale over time. Water hardness tests typically only measure the amount of calcium in your water and still detect calcium-citrate, even though it doesn’t contribute to scale build up or hard water effects. As the citrus clears away existing scale, the extra calcium-citrate may make the hardness of your water appear to go up.

Even though a water hardness test isn’t appropriate for a NuvoH2O water softener, it is still relevant. Our product is designed to work with hard water issues that most consumers experience. For rare situations when water is over 25 GPG, we would recommend caution. Our product may help soften water that hard, but homeowners with water over 25 GPG will likely not experience the stellar results most consumers experience.

Although the NuvoH2O system installs like a water filter, it is not a filter. NuvoH2O does not remove minerals, it changes minerals into a form that does not form scale.

The media in our product is water soluble. Once water is introduced, the media will start to dissolve. We have different sized products for different amounts of water use. The approximate dissolve rate is designed to be 6 months. Home Water Softener Cartridges will last for up to 20,000 gallons of water use. Manor Water Softener Cartridges will last for up to 50,000 gallons of water use. However, all consumers use water differently and depletion times may vary due to fluctuations in water usage, temperature, and water pressure.

It’s as easy as replacing batteries in a flashlight. We recommend installing a bypass with your system to divert the water so you can easily pull off the casing, put in a new cartridge, and reattach the casing in just a few minutes. It gets even easier. Sign up and we’ll automatically ship a new cartridge to your house twice a year with a 10% discount plus free shipping. Disposing of the old cartridge is just as simple. Without spilling any of the residual citrate from inside the cartridge, carefully place it in a plastic bag and dispose it in the recycling bin if your city accepts Class 3 plastics or in any trash receptacle. For full cartridge replacement instructions, click here.

The installation of our NuvoH2O system can be quickly accomplished by an installer with the right tools and training. It is easy to find an installer in most areas.

Please visit our Installer Locator.

Whomever is installing the system should avoid two common mistakes that we often see:

Make sure the plastic wrap is removed from the cartridge (stored inside the housing) prior to installation. This can cause a build-up of pressure which can then lead to future problems, such as blue water and system failure. Failure to remove the plastic wrap when installing cartridges will void the manufacturers warranty on the system.

Always install the system prior to the hot/cold split on your main water line. Failing to do so – even if it’s hooked up before the water heater – may result in only treating a portion of your water. If you have any further questions regarding installation, please contact us at (877) 688-6426.

The NuvoH2O Salt-Free Water Softeners are so dependable that you can count on enjoying healthy, salt-free softened water. In the unlikely event that you have trouble with your softener, NuvoH2O will, at its option, repair, modify, or exchange it at no cost to you within 5 years of purchase date. This limited warranty is fully transferable with the sale of your house. To qualify for the limited warranty use only genuine replacement cartridges from NuvoH2O.

Installing this system in direct sunlight or unprotected outside your home will VOID this warranty.

NuvoH2O is not responsible for damages incurred due to improper installation.

Please see our Policies page for all terms and conditions related to our limited warranty.

NuvoH2O offers a variety of products to help combat the negative impacts of hard water. Our products can be classified as either whole house systems or point of use systems.

We offer CitraCharge packs that can serve a variety of cleaning purposes. They can be opened and mixed in spray bottles to remove hard water spots, or placed in a dishwasher to protect dishes. It’s an easy way to clearly experience the benefits of citric acid as a cleaner and scale remover.

Dishwasher System is a small system that is quickly attached to the water line of your dishwasher to continuously inject citric acid infused water into the dishwasher. Citric acid is an extremely effective natural cleaner which will keep dishes spot free and the dishwasher scale free.

We also offer whole house water filters that are installed on the main water line. These water filters are installed as a gateway filter in your home to filter out sediment, chlorine and other agents in the water before it hits any other systems in your house. If you’re interested in a water filter give us a call at 833-408-2359.

In general, NuvoH2O systems work great with well water. However, NuvoH2O systems are exclusively for scale. If you have other water issues such as flavors, odors, iron, bacteria, manganese, etc., then those issues will still need to be addressed. Citric acid can enhance certain preexisting conditions in your water, so we recommend installing a UV filter, carbon filter or iron filter to treat these issues.

Please note we do offer some additional products that may address some of your other water concerns. The Home Duo and Manor Duo systems come with a carbon filter along with the softening system. The Manor Trio systems allow you to choose two filters to pair with the softening system. You can choose between Sediment, Carbon, Iron, and Chloramine filters. See them here.

The NuvoH2O system is actually beneficial for your septic system. Our media is healthy for the microbes living in your septic tank because our products introduce an edible, food-grade citrate into the water. There is no salt-water discharge that has to be dealt with and no water is wasted.

For our customers who travel for very long periods of time, we recommend removing the NuvoH2O cartridge and putting it upright, in a dry bucket while you’re away. This will extend the life of the cartridge and will help avoid water issues associated with stagnant water.

Otherwise, if you’re away on a typical vacation, you can bypass the softener for periods when you don’t expect water to be running.

Actually, we’re both. Some people think we don’t soften the water because we leave the calcium in your water with other nutrients and minerals. We still soften the water because we don’t leave the calcium-carbonate in your water, we change it to calcium-citrate which is not the hard form of calcium.

We’re not concerned with what name we’re given – as long as you realize that we’re the best way to deal with minerals which most people have in their water.