# Sage Oracle - Water Hardness Setting and need for filter when using Osmio Zero?



## Sean T (Oct 1, 2021)

Hi team Sage. Made the jump from an old Jura S9 bean to cup to the Sage Oracle Touch, got a good deal from Dawsons eCookshoop for under £1700. Really enjoying it so far.

Am in East London with hard water +/- 300ppm, and as scale seems to be the major enemy of these machines I got an Osmio Zero water filter at the same time. Would people still run a Sage filter as well, but perhaps change less often? I was planning on running a filter & changing every 6 months, belt and braces

What does the water hardness setting on the machine actually do/change? The frequency that it suggests or requires a descale? I have it on the softest setting at the moment.

Thanks for any feedback, & sorry if this has been posted before, I did try a search.


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

Remove the filter from the machine, just focus onto the TDS on the Osmio so you know when to change the filters.

There should be no need to descale the machine if you've only been using that. 👍


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## Sean T (Oct 1, 2021)

Thanks.

Just googled TDS. So is this the best way to understand when to change the Osmio Zero filters, rather than by time/warning lights/blockages? Can order a TDS reader for not a lot if so.

I was about to post a separate thread about understanding when to change the Osmio filters. It says in the Osmio Zero manual:

'The pre-filter (sediment filter) inside the Supply Tank should be changed every 6 months or when needed (e.g. if blocked by poor source water)'.

On their website it also suggests that in hard water areas the membrane filter (is that the same as the reverse osmosis filter?) may need to be changed more often than the others. But how do you know when and which filter/s need changing? Confused.com.


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## Sean T (Oct 1, 2021)

Reading the Osmio Zero review thread Mark says

'The manual says to change the filters every 6 months and sanitise every 6 or 12 months as necessary, I change all the filters every 6 months and have never sanitised one of my own yet, but it's been used every day and filters changed on time'.

So given I am in a hard water area it sounds like I would be advised to change all filters every 6 months, but be prepared to change earlier if the lights go off or I get a blockage. I have bought the sanitisation blank filters so will do that at the same time as well.

Does that sound about right?


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## MediumRoastSteam (Jul 7, 2015)

@Sean T follow the advice here. TDS is just a way of monitoring if you are so inclined.

https://coffeeequipmentreviews.wordpress.com/2019/01/06/osmio-zero/

https://coffeeequipmentreviews.wordpress.com/2019/07/14/osmio-zero-6-months-later/


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## Sean T (Oct 1, 2021)

Thanks again will read up.

Back to the Sage. Does anyone know what the water hardness setting actually does then?


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## Eiffel (Apr 3, 2021)

Typically these settings set a more or less frequent 'Friendly reminder' that it's time to descale. Whether it's based on the number of shots made, time, or volume of water gone through the machine will vary. With the Osmio, I'd set the setting to it's lowest value. Not knowing your machine, it might also be possible to disregard the 'descaling' warning and continue as usual (some machines do require going through the motions of descaling, even if you just pretend to do it, using plain water).


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## Sean T (Oct 1, 2021)

Thanks. I'm googling, will leave it set on the soft water setting. Cheers all!


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