Water Softeners?

[madcat6183]

We just did a bunch of research on the RO too, wife wanted one now with the newborn, I said hold on and showed her research showing what you just said.  We use a carbon filter only for plain water, but for his bottles it's straight tap water because it's actually beneficial to have some, again SOME of the minerals in tap water, even if city.

 

Nice thing tho RO is cheap and easy to install. 

[Pokey]

Soft water for shaving is AWESOME!

[ScubaCinci]

I'm really leaning towards the salt-free conditioning system (like from Pelican) with a carbon filtration system. What surprises me is the lack of real-world and/or research information on their effectiveness. There was one study by ASU (previously linked) that showed very good results but not much else. I was thinking by now, someone would have had one of these systems for 5-10 years and reported back on how it has performed over the years.Supposedly these are used pretty widely in Europe due to restrictions on the salt water waste but I can't find much else on it. Most information is presented by companies selling the systems which I'm taking with a grain of salt (no pun intended).

[ScubaCinci]

Through much digging I determined that the crystallization effect from the salt free conditioner breaks down after 36-72 hours and more or less becomes the same water that came into the house. So, for a house like mine with 2x's more bathrooms than people living there, it's would be a total waste. For a smaller house with more people, I still think it may make sense.

[2talltim]

We have a rainsoft system  for 12 ish years now, while it is fairly expensive it does come with a lifetime warranty on most parts. Id like to say ive never had trouble with it but I now have a guy coming out tomorrow to look at it. After it cycles at night weve been getting some salt in the water in the mornings but it goes away after we run the water a couple min. He said its prob just a Oring or two and should be cover under the warranty so I will see tomorrow. Its easy on salt(usually) and we also have the reverse osmosis system to go with it

 

I think this is the one i have...  http://www.rainsoft.com/products/water-conditioning-systems/tcseries-water-conditioner.cfm

 

Some on the warranty... http://www.rainsoft.com/customer-service.cfm

Edited December 13, 2013 by 2talltim

[2talltim]

Only cost me $140 today and $60 of that was new filters for the reverse osmosis. Parts were covered under warranty but I had to pay labor. He dose still do installs and said he actually sells refurbished ones that will still have the warranty for half the price of a new system.

[JohnG]

Only cost me $140 today and $60 of that was new filters for the reverse osmosis. Parts were covered under warranty but I had to pay labor. He dose still do installs and said he actually sells refurbished ones that will still have the warranty for half the price of a new system.

 

Many thanks, Tim!  Hooked up with Darwin Thompson and got a refurbed Rainsoft system installed in about an hour and a half.  Darwin is a straight up good guy with tons of experience and lots of good information.  Great all around experience.  Very happy with the new system.

[vf1000ride]

I have a few parts to a United Standard Hydro Quad system sitting unused in my basement if anybody wants it.  I know it's at least the big silver tank with all the valving along with the black plastic holding tank, the holding tank is filled with plumbing parts but not sure if it belongs with the water softener or not. It has been disconnected for the 5 years I've owned the house and don't know it's history.  I can take pictures if you want.  The stuff is free as long as you come and get it.

[fuelit]

Installed RO system this summer with a re-mineralization filter. Water taste great and makes clear ice cubes!!

[zx3vfr]

My parents have 2 houses both on the same plot of land one of them, the on I grew up in had really hard water. They had all the treatments, except reverse osmosis, and let me tell you. Taking a shower sucked, brushing teeth sucked. Dishwasher and washing ,aching repairmen knew us well. The average age of each respectively was 3 years. One time the pump broke and my dad ran a garden hose from another well to the house and it ruined the dishwasher in the 3 days it was hooked up. Tons and tins of calcium in the wells. One of the older wells, (we have 7 functioning currently) reeks of sulfur, just nasty nasty sulfur.

Now at the other house where my grandpa lived, they installed a reverse osmosis. It makes the water taste absolutely great, but.......

The filters are constantly getting clogged with junk and can take 2 minutes just to fill up a regular glass.

Side note, one well is dug into an underground river, during the warm season, and irrigation systems are running, we dump it into the pond and it keeps the pond level, while the pond pump pushes 55psi through 3" lines over 13 acres. If the line into the pond is left open, and the irrigation systems are off the pond will overflow in 12 hours or so.

But at my house we have the evil fluorinated city water. And I just run 2 filters under the kitchen sink. One for taste and the other to remove fluoride and once the chlorine is out of the water it's very drinkable.