The recommended replacement interval for the protect-home cartridge is 2 years.

The actual replacement time may vary depending on the size of your home, water hardness, water consumption, and the plumbing system. Based on these factors, we will inform you individually of the optimal replacement time.

dropvital guarantees a service life of 2 years, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

Upon request, maintenance can be performed by one of our service technicians for an additional fee.

Compared to other systems, the maintenance required for the protect-home is particularly low: no salt refills, no monthly regeneration cycles, and no ongoing service costs. The only cost incurred is for the replacement cartridge every 2 years.

Unlike salt-based water softeners, where the warranty often remains valid only if the manufacturer performs regular service, the dropvital warranty remains valid regardless of whether service is performed.

Yes. You can easily replace the cartridge yourself. With each cartridge, you’ll receive a QR code that links to maintenance instructions in your preferred language, as well as a clear, step-by-step video.

The process takes just a few minutes: remove the old cartridge, insert the new one, and you’re done. No technical expertise or special tools are required.

Alternatively, one of our service technicians will be happy to replace the cartridge for you.

The protect-home cartridge operates on the principle of seed crystallization—a purely physical process that has its origins in nature. It is based on the process of biomineralization, as seen, for example, in the formation of mussel shells or coral.

Inside the cartridge is a specially developed catalyst granulate. Its surface provides specific binding sites for the calcium and carbonate ions dissolved in the water. At these sites, microscopic calcium crystals—known as seed crystals—form without the use of chemicals, electricity, or any other additives.

As soon as these seed crystals reach a certain size, they detach from the granules and are carried by the water flow into your plumbing system. This frees up the binding sites on the granules, and the process starts all over again—continuously and automatically.

Within the plumbing system, the seed crystals bind excess calcium. This calcium tends to deposit on the crystals—rather than on your pipes, water heaters, heat exchangers, or faucets. Every time water is drawn, the loaded crystals are flushed out through the faucets.

Important:
No substances are added to or removed from the water. The water’s composition remains completely intact—including the valuable minerals calcium and magnesium.

The measured water hardness remains unchanged with the protect-home—and that is by design.

To understand this, it’s important to know what a hardness measurement actually measures: Conventional test strips and standard hardness testing methods measure only the total amount of calcium and magnesium ions in the water. In other words, they measure the mineral content—nothing more, nothing less. A simple hardness measurement does not distinguish whether these minerals are freely available, whether they are bound to crystals, or whether they can actually deposit as limescale.

This is precisely the crucial point.

What happens in a salt-based water softener:
Traditional water softeners physically remove calcium and magnesium from the water and replace them with sodium. The hardness measurement then shows a lower value because the minerals are, in fact, no longer present. The result: The water lacks valuable minerals, and the sodium content rises.

What happens with protect-home:
Seed crystal technology does not remove the minerals from the water but alters their behavior. Calcium and carbonate ions are bound to the microscopic seed crystals. In this bound form, they can no longer settle as limescale on pipes, water heaters, or faucets. Limescale protection is thus active—yet the minerals remain present in the water.

Since the hardness measurement only records the total amount of minerals and not their physical state, it continues to indicate the original hardness level. This is not a flaw in the system, but rather the logical result of a process that deliberately leaves the minerals in the water.

Why this is an advantage:
Calcium and magnesium are essential minerals for the human body. Among other things, they contribute to the development of bones and teeth and act as flavor carriers—minerals give drinking water its natural, fresh taste.

In summary:
The water hardness reading remains the same because the minerals are retained. The limescale protection is still effective, however, because the limescale deposits on the seed crystals rather than on your plumbing. What matters is not the numerical value on the test strip, but how the minerals behave in the water.

No. The protect-home does not alter the pH level of the water.

Water treatment is purely physical, without ion exchange and without any chemical shift in pH. The natural pH level, conductivity, and hardness of the source water remain unchanged.

Yes. Over a period of several weeks to months, existing limescale deposits in your pipes can be gently dissolved. The seed crystals dispersed in the water shift the calcium carbonate-carbonic acid equilibrium in such a way that existing deposits are gradually removed.

It is therefore possible that, in the initial phase after installation, isolated dissolved lime particles may become visible at water outlets. This is a normal part of the cleaning process and does not indicate a system malfunction.

Since the hardness minerals calcium and magnesium are intentionally left in the water, the formation of limescale stains on visible surfaces such as faucets, glass shower walls, or tiles cannot be completely prevented.

The key difference compared to untreated water: The deposits are significantly smaller and much easier to remove. The stubborn, firmly encrusted layers of limescale that form without limescale protection are a thing of the past.

The primary protection provided by protect-home is aimed at the drinking water system—that is, pipes, water heaters, heat exchangers, and faucets. In these areas, limescale deposits are largely prevented at temperatures up to 80 °C.

Yes, absolutely. Vaccine Crystal technology does not add any substances to the water nor does it remove any. The composition of the drinking water remains completely natural.

The treated water is suitable for everyone—including pregnant women, infants, children, and people who should or choose to follow a low-sodium diet. There is no increase in sodium content, as is the case with salt-based water softeners.