Water Softner and filter for Well

[Scott Townsend]

I'm looking for a non-salt/KCL water softener and filtration system for my home. We are running off a well.

We had a salt based water softener before and we never liked the slimy feeling it left when you take a shower.

I was looking at the Life Source and the EWS water filtration/conditioner units. Has anyone used these or another type of non-salt/KCL water softener?? Opinions?

We do not need much throughput as we are going to store the softened/filtered water in a 5000 gallon tank before it is sent to the house.

Thanks, Scott

[Meat Plow]

Doesn't all soft water regardless of how it's softened feel that way?

[Scott Townsend]

The non-salt Softener's claim they do not, here are a few links

Then you have to deal with the Icemaker, the Pet's water, etc that would all be on the Softener. You don't really want to be drinking the Salt water.

I'm filter>

[Doug Miller]

You're not drinking "salt water" anyway, even with a conventional salt-based ion exchange water softener.

[Scott Townsend]

Though isn't it true you don't really want to be drinking the water that has been salt softened?

[dadiOH]

Sodium chloride (NaCl) is salt. Potassium chloride (KCl) is also salt. __________________

The "slimy" feeling is due to an *excess* of sodium carbonate (what's left from NaCl after the ion exchance with calcium carbonate). If you use KCl to soften, then what will remain is potassium carbonate.

Both sodium and potassium carbonate are bases. All bases have a slimy feel if the concentration is high enough; however, sodium is more reactive than potassium so it is possibel that the sliminess would be less in equal concentrations, can't say for sure.

[dadiOH]

No. Unless you have to restrict your sodium intake. Even then the sodium you'd get in drinking water/coffee/etc. is probably considerably less than you would get from a glass of V-8 or a bowl of canned soup.

[dadiOH]

There are lies and damn lies. I wouldn't call these either but I

*would* call them incorrect, said incorrectness being designed to sell you something.

[Scott Townsend]

So are these no-salt 'conditioners' more of a gimmick?

I know its all >> The non-salt Softener's claim they do not, here are a few links >>

[M Q]

... This stuff is techno babble: "A lime/scale elimination product that doesn't add or remove anything from your water."

It looks like a total scam to me.

From:

"One more bit of advice. The people that are buying or have bought magnets, electrolytic, or any other goofy "salt-free" system has just become the proud owner of a $4000 carbon filter. You could just buy a 75.00 whole house carbon filter at lowes. My least favorite is the lifesource water system. To those that own this: You have a carbon filter.It is a Fleck5600 valve with a tank full of carbon. There is also a "beotron energy cell" inside. It is worth it just to take this thing out, take it to your salesperson, and beg him to explain how this could do anything to the hardness in the water. The Beotron energy cell is a stick of thick pvc, capped at both ends, and filled with sand and one small copper coil.It is really funny. These companies train their sales people to actually believe this. This is also where the wqa,Nsf, and others are rolling over for money. The lifesource people would have you believe this system is approved, yet it is only approved as a taste and odor reduction system;A Carbon Filter."

[justalurker]

To "soften" water is to remove calcium (among other things like iron) from the water and that is commonly done by one of two methods.

One method is ion exchange as done by a water softener. A water softener exchanges either sodium ions (if using NaCl) or potassium ions (if using KCl as a SALT SUBSTITUTE) for calcium (and other) ions in the hard water. That's it, no ifs, no ands, no buts, and no sales double talk. Simple chemistry and physics. Softening water is not black magic. It is physics and chemistry with a side of mechanics. No matter how hard sales people try (and want) to they can not violate the laws of physics or change the nature of chemical actions and reactions.

The other is by a filter, but no simple filter will remove calcium. You would need a reverse osmosis unit large enough to service your entire house. You would not want to pay for that big an RO nor pay for the service and routine maintainence it would require and RO water would be very agressive in your plumbing and it would waste a lot of water.

NO magnet(ic) gizmo or electronic gizmo or "conditioner" or carbon filter will soften water but people waste their money on them EVERYDAY.

Check out this URL for one story

and there are many more on the net if you Google.

Pick the right softener (not a box store brand), size it properly for your water conditions and usage and the SFR of your plumbing, and get a competent install and you should go 15-20 years.

The MOST IMPORTANT thing is that water treatment begins with a complete water test so you know what needs to be treated or filtered out to get the quality water you want.

If you want to know more about that "slimy feeling" that comes with soft water go here...

[Scott Townsend]

Thank you for your reply. It did seem like the non-salt softeners were kind of black magic. Trying to get a hold of someone was also difficult. I have yet to try to get a hold of a salt based softener company.

We are trying to save money and do this ourselves. I've started the Plumbing manifold and its partially up. Here is a Schematic of my Setup:

here is a Picture. Its pretty close to the Schematic On the Right you can see where I have the hookup for the Filter/softener. We are Softening and filtering the water as it goes into a Storage Tank, so the demand/usage is low. The Plumbing from the Well through the softener/filter to the tank is all 1 1/2" pipe. Though the well Cant supply enough to keep that pipe happy, its only about 5-7 GPM.

Do you have a Recommendation on a Softener and filter?

Okay I have a little pride here. When I saw the magnetic things I knew to stay away from them.

Our Water was tested with the following results:

Total Hardness 310 mg/L

pH 6.8

Specific Conductance 830 umhos/cm

maganese from the water and that is commonly done by one of two methods.

[Gary Slusser]