Water Softener

fordson

fordson

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I live in an area that has hard water, ie high calcium content. Because of that, I’m thinking of getting a water softener. I’ve been doing research but before I invest in something like this, I’d like to hear from those of you who have, or have used, home water softeners, either salt or salt-free - The Pros and cons of a softener, maintenance, salt vs salt-free, cost vs benefits, your experience good or bad. Thanks.
 
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I personally have no need for having a water softener. I have owned only one house with one, and it was a disaster. I removed it. San Antonio has fairly hard city water (water source is a limestone aquifer, hardness is 15-20 gpg), yet we have gotten by for nearly 35 years just fine without a softener. If there is some benefit to having a softener, I have not discovered it.
 
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We are on a well in Florida (FL has terrible ground water) and we use a 3-stage water conditioner - filter media for sediment and debris, filter media for positively charged contaminants, and filter media for negatively charged contaminants. When it was installed, we were told it was the same unit they use at Dunkin Donuts. Our drinking water is wonderful, and I just had to replace my water heater after 31 years - not because it wasn't clean and working well (it was, in both respects), but because our new house insurance policy wouldn't cover us unless the unit was less than 15 years old.

Our water conditioner has a single large pressure tank that contains all the filter media and has an electro- mechanical valve on top, and a side tank that looks like a plastic barrel that holds water softener salt. With 3 of us in the house it uses 40-60 lbs of salt per month but will hold enough for 3+ months if I let it go. Salt here runs around $9 for a 40-lb bag.

To answer the most basic question, the salt is not for treating the water. There is no salt in our household water. The filter media treats the water and the salt is used to clean the filter media. We have it set to regenerate every 3 days between 2-4am and no matter how much water we use, we've never exceeded the unit's capacity.

I am so hooked on having a water conditioner, I would have one even if we had city water.
 
All the aquifers in our area run through limestone.
I was told by my old Urologist that it is the reason so many of his patients are blessed with Kidney Stones.
At my last residence we were on a well and the water was "hard" but not real bad and we did have a traditional water softener. That well water was nowhere near as hard as the city water where I now live (different aquifer). A softener system of some sort is pretty much mandatory to protect water heaters and other water appliances, much less being drinkable.
About 3 years ago I had to replace the older softener unit that was in the house when I bought it. (I didn't realize how bad the old unit was until I got the new unit installed.) It was a rental unit and it didn't cost me a thing to have the renting company come out and replace the worn out unit. I signed back up for another rental program because softener media units do not last very long (due to frequency of regeneration cycles) with the hardness of our city water and I don't want to continually have to pay out of pocket for new units. With my new unit, living by myself, I only go through 40lbs of salt every 3 1/2 to 4 months.
 
Back home (S.E. coast of N.C.) we had what we called "sulfer water". Stank, rotted plumbing fixtures, yellowed white clothes and yellowed gray/white hair. That was well water of course. City water was okay. If you wanted to avoid all of the above you got a treatment system from one of the known dealers who would service it and keep it filled with salt or you could buy one at the local hardware store. In any case, the savings on clothing, plumbing fixtures, etc. was well worth the added cost.

P.S.-Rotten egg is a terrible after taste in iced tea! Yuck!
 
I believe in water softeners especially if your water is very hard because it's tough on dishwashers, water heaters, clothes washers, faucets, shower heads, and plumbing in general. It also makes a glass shower enclosure look spotty and hazzy after a while and is a bear to get off. My last house was on a well and a few months after I built it the water was actually etching the finish on our brushed nickel faucets. The shower heads would clog with lime and calcium and I dreaded thinking about what it would do to my appliances long term. I got a softener and all problems went away. My new house I just built is on city water but I installed a water softener and showers and sinks now are so easy to clean with just a quick wipe of a soft cloth.
 
Jon651 said:
We are on a well in Florida (FL has terrible ground water) and we use a 3-stage water conditioner - filter media for sediment and debris, filter media for positively charged contaminants, and filter media for negatively charged contaminants. When it was installed, we were told it was the same unit they use at Dunkin Donuts. Our drinking water is wonderful, and I just had to replace my water heater after 31 years - not because it wasn't clean and working well (it was, in both respects), but because our new house insurance policy wouldn't cover us unless the unit was less than 15 years old.

Our water conditioner has a single large pressure tank that contains all the filter media and has an electro- mechanical valve on top, and a side tank that looks like a plastic barrel that holds water softener salt. With 3 of us in the house it uses 40-60 lbs of salt per month but will hold enough for 3+ months if I let it go. Salt here runs around $9 for a 40-lb bag.

To answer the most basic question, the salt is not for treating the water. There is no salt in our household water. The filter media treats the water and the salt is used to clean the filter media. We have it set to regenerate every 3 days between 2-4am and no matter how much water we use, we've never exceeded the unit's capacity.

I am so hooked on having a water conditioner, I would have one even if we had city water.
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Most water softeners use ion exchange resin, not filters. The resin exchanges the calcium ions naturally in the water (whch is what makes it hard) with sodium ions, and the salt is the source of the sodium ions. The ion exchange resin is periodically recharged by pumping salt water through it.
 
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A water softener is a common appliance in my area. The one that was in my house when I moved in was a high dollar unit that was ruined because the main-line pressure regulator failed (that is another crazy thing we have to have because the main-line pressure is about 110 psi).

When I replaced it, I got an inexpensive unit and had the plumbing set up with hose fittings. I bought the next (current) one from Costco and installed it myself. I works great and goes over a month on a 25# bag of salt.
 
Rotorhead1026 said:
If you've a lawn sprinkler system, plumb it separately. No sense in watering your grass with treated water.
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I do have a separate system/lines and meter for irrigation, so that would not be a problem. I did get one quote from a local plumbing contractor in our area for about $2500, drive out - systems, parts and labor. It would be a salt unit. I’m going to get more quotes.
 
Personally I am not a fan of "soft water". It feels slimy to me and soap is hard to remove from your body. In our community some have a softener system - some don't, but we shall not get one in our home.

On the other hand, we do have a whole house water filtration system. Not only does it remove many of the chemicals added to water such as Chlorine, Florine, etc it also removes solids that ca cause havoc on your plumbing strainers, valves, etc. It is nice to be able to drink pure water from any faucet in the house and not have to buy and store bottled water.
 
I worked in a town with 55 gr hardness with city water. Wells could run higher. Without a softner you got two years out of a water heater. I am currently at 14 gr. The water tastes great. I had cold hard ran to the kitchen tap and toilets, along with the outside faucets. My wife has skin issues and says she needs one to live.
If it's set right it shouldn't feel slimy. I get a slight salt taste if I drink soft water. The other claim is that you use less laundry soap and clothes get cleaner and last longer.
 
fordson said:
I do have a separate system/lines and meter for irrigation, so that would not be a problem. I did get one quote from a local plumbing contractor in our area for about $2500, drive out - systems, parts and labor. It would be a salt unit. I’m going to get more quotes.
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FWIW: I bought mine online for about $1K, currently about $1200. A plumber installed it for $350.
A salt based softener is one of the few things I would buy strictly on price. The technology is more than 100 yrs. old and they all work the same.
I doubt they even sell timer based systems as opposed to flow measuring for regeneration but avoid timer based if they do.
Your water department can tell you how hard the water is and your bill can tell you how much you use. With that you can determine the capacity you need.
 
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