Home Water Softener/ Filtration system

[radioguy]

Never had a softener system in my home. Prior owner had a Culligan system [leased] but they wanted too much $$ per month. Fast forward today, now I have better water in our travel trailer. Just invested in an all stainless, Made in USA, Veteran owned. The system is sweet, no leaks its all braided quick fits

We want to install a system that will soften our hard water possibly filter. What system types are out there now? Don't want to be carrying salt down the steps. The 10,000 grain RV softener recharges easy with a box of table salt


Thanks

RG

 

[SMOKEOCD]

I don’t know of a system that doesn’t use salt. What if you got the biggest setup and pay someone to deliver and pour in the salt two times a year? I don’t have anything fancy just the biggest unit Blain’s farm and fleet sells. Brand is Addie.

 

[radioguy]

How much salt does a system use? Guess I could make multiple trips with salt.

I already fill the 5 gallon fuel cans 3-4 gallons. I have the strength but risk spilling it or knocking my back out.

Thanks

RG

 

[Up_In_Smoke]

Just put half a bag of salt in a Homer bucket and make 2 trips.

 

[normanaj]

There's plenty of salt free water softner systems out there but initial cost is quite high.

 

[SMOKEOCD]

How much salt does a system use? Guess I could make multiple trips with salt.

I already fill the 5 gallon fuel cans 3-4 gallons. I have the strength but risk spilling it or knocking my back out.

Thanks

RG

Depends on your water hardness, you set that. Then also depends how much water you use. House of 4, I go through 16-20 bags annually. Garden, hot tub, car washing, laundry, dishwasher, showers, etc. So we’re a high usage household.

 

[zwiller]

I personally think our water is not so bad and not worth softening. Basic filtering with carbon to remove chlorine or and/or RO for kitchen is what I would do. That being said, I DO like the feel of softening but just not worth the cost IMO.

 

[clifish]

Not to derail, I don't need the softening aspect but what whole house systems are out there for general sediment, chlorine/chloromine and metal removing are out there.

 

[sandyut]

I had a softener at my old house. Not if it really helped and just complicated everything. Carrying the bags of salt to the basement sucked.

For filtration: I tried many. Some have super low flow which I find very irritating. Finally found Woder water filters. Affordable, last a year and have great flow. Pop that under the sink on a drinking tap with a line to the ice maker. Ice maker is on a bypass. @ $50 a year.

 

[Fueling Around]

Chlorine is removed in a charcoal filter.
Chloramines do not go away.
If you have hard water get a softener.
Only place i lived that didn't need water conditioning was Milwaukee WI. The city water was so soft the laundry mats had big warning signs to reduce soaps by by over half.
Also the reason Pabst beer was very good back in the day.
Fast forward to MN. We have a Kenmore softener that came with the house. I don't remember the maker as I had to replace some of the wear parts. The usage meter died so I have to recharge manually.
WE have pretty hard water and I go through maybe a bag of salt in a year but we are gone for 6 months

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

I live in an area of So Cal that has one of the hardest waters in the country. I had a salt baste system for many years then the local politics made them illegal. I jumped to a legal place to get a new one before it was law but it eventually expired.

I spent a lot of money and time setting up a salt free system but have never been able to stop it from leaking. Just a PITA and a waste of money. Now I have to remove my shower heads every few months and soak them on CLR to get them to run properly.

I have had a Reverse Osmosis system for drinking water for years. It works great. I recently added a second one with far more gallons per day for my reef fish tank.

The tap water has 180 TPS. The RO water brings it down to 15. The new system for the fish tank has a DI filter added that brings it to zero.

THE DI filter is not drinkable but is great for the salt water tank.

 

[JckDanls 07]

As said above... Depends on hardness an usage ...

We use a softner with salt for cleaning/backwash... 3 people in house... water usage from medium to high... Not sure of the hardness.. I use maybe a bag every 6 weeks or so... It is true that you must cut back on soap/laundry detergent... A lot of people say that soft water doesn't rinse the soap off in the shower... This is not true.. The slippery/slimy feel is just your body oil that is not rinsed off like hard water does...

There are two different models.. one is "on demand" which means it goes by total water usage... The other is on a timer... It can be set for every 24 hrs...every 48 hrs... and so on... Pending usage...

Just remember that the backwash is saltwater so if you want to keep your grass do not let it run out on the ground... I ran my drain to the ditch/culvert pipe... Or if there is a place where you want to kill grass/weeds then run it to that spot...

 

[radioguy]

Thanks guys! I too am not home a few months a year. Will do a water test before any decisions. Water does not taste too bad no iron or sulphur. They say it's the most expensive H2O in Ohio. River and reservoir water. I did run a reverse osmosis system for my drinking and aquariums but that system developed leak upon leak so I removed it.

Will let you know what gets installed.

RG

 

[clifish]

Thanks guys! I too am not home a few months a year. Will do a water test before any decisions. Water does not taste too bad no iron or sulphur. They say it's the most expensive H2O in Ohio. River and reservoir water. I did run a reverse osmosis system for my drinking and aquariums but that system developed leak upon leak so I removed it.

Will let you know what gets installed.

RG

you must have a reef system or raise Discus to need RO for the aquariums?

 

[Fueling Around]

I live in an area of So Cal that has one of the hardest waters in the country. I had a salt baste system for many years then the local politics made them illegal. I jumped to a legal place to get a new one before it was law but it eventually expired.
...

Are you allowed potassium chloride units? I used to use it until the cost skyrocketed.
Currently it is 5 times the cost of salt based, I've considered changing back due to our low usage.

As said above... Depends on hardness an usage ...

We use a softner with salt for cleaning/backwash... 3 people in house... water usage from medium to high... Not sure of the hardness.. I use maybe a bag every 6 weeks or so...

Florida water really sucks but it depends on where you live how bad the quality. Lots of dissolved minerals.
No way I can add a softener in our apartment. No ammonia as we get in MN, But the sulfur can get annoying.

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

Are you allowed potassium chloride units?

No, they are not legal here.

I have a two stage salt free water conditioner but it is being bypassed since I can not get the connectors to stop dripping. I just tried filling it with silicone and waiting two days to dry and it still drips.

 

[BugHunter]

I have a large unit that came with the house. Holds 2 bags of salt at a time, and I go though about 10 bags a year, sorta guessing there. Looks like many here use them for a lot of reasons I don't. For me, it's all about keeping fixtures and walls clean, no rings in the toilets, etc. The water is fine for drinking and cooking without it, if you didn't mind orange and blue rings and stains all over every white fixture and ceramic tile.