Frequently Asked Questions

Water softener (like our salt-based system) uses salt to physically pull hard calcium and magnesium minerals completely out of your water. Water conditioner (like our salt-free system) uses advanced crystallization to change the structure of the minerals so they can't stick to pipes or appliances, but leaves them safely floating in the water without using salt.

While traditional salt softeners are perfectly legal in most areas with high water hardness, certain municipalities — especially in desert or coastal regions — restrict them due to local groundwater recycling laws. If you live in a restricted zone, or simply want a greener alternative, our salt-free system is a 100% legal, eco-friendly solution anywhere.

Salt-based softeners add a small amount of sodium through ion exchange — about 7.5 mg of sodium per liter for every grain of hardness removed. For typical Inland Empire water, that usually works out to:

• Roughly 15–30 mg of sodium in an 8-ounce glass
• Comparable to or less than a slice of bread or a cup of milk
• Not a meaningful health concern for most people

If you're on a doctor-supervised low-sodium diet, or managing diabetes with related kidney or blood pressure considerations, it's worth checking with your doctor before making softened water your everyday drinking water — sodium sensitivity varies from person to person. If you'd rather not think about it at all, our salt-free system conditions your whole home without adding any sodium, or you can pair our salt-based system with our under-sink filtration system, which filters your drinking water separately at the tap.

No — they complement each other perfectly. Our whole-house systems protect your entire plumbing, appliances, skin, and clothing from harsh water and chemicals. For pure, crisp drinking water, we bundle these systems with our premium under-sink filtration unit right at the tap.

Both of our whole-home systems are engineered specifically for the mineral-heavy water conditions common across Southern California:

• Our sodium-free system (Evince Insight) — uses Scale Shield anti-scale technology to prevent and break down scale buildup, without ion exchange or added salt
• Our salt-based system — handles similarly demanding conditions through traditional ion-exchange softening

Either way, your Cove rep confirms your home's exact hardness level during your free assessment before recommending a system.

Beyond hardness, common contaminants found in SoCal tap water include:

• Chlorine, lead, and arsenic
• Chromium-6, nitrates, and fluoride
• Haloacetic acids and trihalomethanes

Our Evince ClarityX under-sink system reduces lead, chlorine, and a range of other dissolved contaminants at the tap, with an optional mineral filter available to restore beneficial minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. You can look up what's actually been detected in your specific area using the free EWG tap water tool on our homepage.

It's a simple, straightforward swap — no tools or plumbing knowledge required. Exact filter life depends on your household's water usage and how much sediment or chlorine your specific water carries, so your Cove rep will confirm the right schedule for your home during setup. As a general rule, pre-filters tend to need changing more often than the deeper-stage filters. We're happy to handle filter changes for you as part of your service, or walk you through doing it yourself — whichever you prefer.

Your system is installed near your home's main water shut-off valve — the point where fresh water first enters your house. If that line runs along the garage, installing it there is ideal since it keeps your exterior clean and protects the equipment from the elements. If there's no garage nearby, installing it outside next to the main line works just as well with weather-resistant protection. Either way, your Cove rep confirms the exact spot based on your home's layout during your free in-home assessment.

• Our salt-free system — requires virtually zero maintenance, no salt bags to buy or load
• Our salt-based system — simply requires adding standard water softener salt to the brine tank periodically, depending on your home's water usage