Two tools, two jobs
| Filter | Softener | |
|---|---|---|
| Targets | Chloramine, chlorine, taste, odor | Calcium and magnesium |
| Solves | Pool smell, chemical taste | Scale, spots, soap scum |
| Needs | Media replacement or service | Salt and a drain for brine |
Living Water describes its Puronics whole-home systems as removing chloramine and chlorine, and installs ion-exchange softening plants for homes and businesses.
What Miami Lakes water points to
- Chloramine: always present outside the yearly conversion; 2.5 ppm running annual average in WASD's 2025 report. A filter job.
- Hardness: reduced at the plants by lime or enhanced softening. Whether it's enough for you is a test result, not an assumption.
- Volatile organics: handled at the plant by air stripping, per WASD.
In short, the plants already handle part of the softening job; the chloramine is there by design, all the way to your tap.
Match the symptom
| Symptom | Likely tool |
|---|---|
| Pool-like smell in the shower | Filter |
| White crust on faucets | Softener, if hardness is high |
| Orange stains outside | Neither; treat irrigation water |
| Rotten-egg smell on hot taps | Neither; check the water heater |
See chloramine, hard water spots, iron stains and sulfur smell.
More than one symptom can mean more than one cause; that's what a test separates.
When you might want both
- A private drinking well with hardness and iron.
- A restaurant or gym that needs scale protection and better-tasting water.
- A home where the test shows both notable hardness and chloramine complaints.
Living Water installs both, so the recommendation can follow your numbers.
On a combined setup, the filter usually goes first so the softener resin isn't exposed to the disinfectant, though the exact layout depends on the equipment.
What the order of installation looks like
When a home needs both, the filter and softener are installed on the main line in a set order, each with a planned drain. That order protects the softener's resin and the filter's media. Jorge explains the layout before installing anything.
Why buying the wrong one costs you
A softener won't touch chloramine, and a filter won't stop scale. The general guide water softener vs. water filter covers the basics; a free test settles it for your house.
See also filtration cost in Miami Lakes for how the choice affects your total.
Book the test
Jorge measures chloramine and hardness at your tap in under an hour and explains both. Call, text or WhatsApp (305) 793-5974.
You keep the written results, which makes comparing any quote, from anyone, much easier.
Updated 2026-10-17 · Living Waters · Jorge Canela, Water Quality Specialist