Water Softeners

[Davey]

Looking for recommendations for household water softeners, for East Anglia area, but generally what's good/what's bad?

- Davey.

[Tim Lamb]

In message , Davey writes

Make sure it monitors actual consumption rather than rely on a simple time clock.

Our replacement uses less than half the salt of the original which was set on *estimated* water use.

The guy who installed ours advised against using a ball c*ck in the main header tank. Something to do with a slowly reducing flow leading to

*squirreling* where water finds and follows an easy route through the resin.

There was a thread in here a year or two back.

regards

[Davey]

Yes, I have learned that the flow-monitoring system is better. I understand the theory behind the 'squirreling' idea, but the header tank is a long way horizontally and vertically from the softnener location, so I doubt any such effect. I can't see that far back!

I am really looking for experiences with different brands and models, but thanks anyway.

[Invisible Man]

We have a Culligan unit from B&Q. Had some initial problems but after an updated part it works fine. Measures water flow to regenerate only when necessary. Makes a huge difference to cleaning wash hand basins, bath, shower etc.

A separate hard water drinking water supply in the kitchen is necessary. Unit needs a drain and a separate overflow.

Fairly easy DIY job if the rising main is under the kitchen sink. Ours isn't so floorboards up to run hard water supply to kitchen.

[Davey]

The old dead one is (was) a Culligan Waterside unit, now obsolete, and generally regarded as not worth bothering with. However, it was installed right where the water enters the house, which is a mile from the kitchen, and it's not all floorboards between them. This may need some more thought. Thanks for the reply.

[Tim Lamb]

In message , Davey writes

Surely the original installation would have provided an untreated supply to the kitchen? Your problem is getting soft water to your dishwasher/washing m/c. etc.

Our unit is a nuwave ND600. Narrow but fairly tall. You can just about squeeze in a full bag of salt tablets.

regards

[Davey]

No, it was installed right at the rising main, in the downstairs bathroom. I do not know who did this, but I can understand why. For that location of the softener, it would be a major job to get an unsoftened supply to the kitchen. There are many pipes and 'T's everywhere, this is a several hundred-year old house which has had many updates over the times, and the downstairs bathroom's cold supply is tapped right after the softener. Installing the softener in the kitchen would equally require extensive extra plumbing to get the softened supply back to where it is needed. Some pipework is underground. So, what is the downside of having all house water softened, apart from the expense of regeneration needed after softening the water used for garden watering? Does it taste bad/ affect your health/ just cost a lot ? This is how it has been for several years, long enough for the softener to die of old age. Now we move in, and have to sort it out. At the moment, I am minded to just replace the old unit with the current model, I know it will fit, and the plumbing connections are right there ready. Maybe cost about =C2=A3400. A friend has given me details of his two-tower system, good but expensive initially, say =C2=A31,000, and it's taller than the old one, so may need rework of the housing.

--=20 Davey.

[Invisible Man]

Advice is that softened water contains some sodium and should not be used for drinking. Allegedly the sodium level is fairly low.

Our mains rises under the stairs where the softener is installed. Everything is softened apart from one flexible pipe I ran under the floors to a drinking water tap in the kitchen.

The outside tap runs off post softener but pre loft tanks. Soft water is much easier to use washing cars. When watering the garden I turn the valves to temporarily bypass the softener. Some plants do not like softened water.

[Davey]

snip

Makes sense, both parts. I would hope that a new unit would be pretty safe.

Again, not an option here without major work, including digging, which is not on the cards for now. And I would love to stop watching the kettle furr up!

Good idea, but here, the valve and the softener are pretty well buried in a bathroom cupboard, and take some getting at. That part supports the under-the sink option, especially as the outside tap and the kitchen tap are off the same bit of pipe. But then, as mentioned earlier, I have to get the softened water back to the rest of the system.

[JohnW]

We have a water softener installed in the utility, so the water at that sink is unsoftened, and we have easy access to it. We do however normally use the softened water from the kitchen for making drinks etc. We have not noticed any taste and I think the main problem is with increased sodium levels in the water.

John