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Do I need a water softener for both hot and cold?

16 years ago

We're in San Diego and have just started a renovation that will include two room additions, a second story porch and a complete kitchen remodel. This would be a good time to add a water softener. Would I want it for both hot and cold, or cold only? Will it make the water too soft? Softeners no longer adversely affect plants, do they? And will a water purifier under the kitchen sink be needed to counter the off-taste? It's just the two of us now in a (soon to be) 2000 SF 30 year old home.

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Comments (5)

asolo
16 years ago
Do you know your water's present hardness level?

Put it on the main line and do both. Your laundry, dishes, and hair will love you for it. Too soft? There's only "soft" -- which is zero grains -- and varying degrees of hardness above that. For example, my supply is 7-8 grains. When it goes though the softener, it comes out zero grains -- which is what "soft" water is.

There are many components of water's taste. However, I've never known anyone who liked the taste of softened water. I don't. It's not terrible or anything, just blah.

Where I live, tap water tastes terrible. Anybody with any money either has RO under the sink or buys bottled water for cooking/mixing/drinking. RO removes pretty much everything. It's not far removed from distilled, really, but tastes much different from water from softener only. Bottled water is usually RO'd local water with trace minerals added back. It's taste is superior, IMHO, but its relatively expensive.

If your tap water tastes OK to you, I suspect it would be a very simple matter to run a seperate tap with un-softened water to the sink and frig for drinking water. Cheaper than RO, surely, and no maintenance.
User
16 years ago
If you only soften the hot water then you have hard water. Softener the entire house and get the benefits of soft water.

Water can not be TOO soft. Water is soft at zero grains.

Water softened with potassium chloride (KCl) will not kill plants the way water softened with sodium chlotride (NaCl) does. In California you may be required to use KCl, but check me on that.

We have had an RO under the kitchen sink for 10+ years and use that water for making coffee and cooking. Both my wife and I grab a glass of soft tap water often and don't mind the taste. We prefer the taste of water softened by KCl to NaCl. You can always easily add an RO under the kitchen sink if desired.
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oofasis
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you both so much for clarifying.

Our water does taste yucky and we do have a filter under the sink and in the fridge. Do you think I can continue to use the filter, or should I invest in an RO system? I realize an RO system is a GOOD thing, but it's also costly. We're stretched to the max with the finalized cost of our remodel...if we can save $600 or $700 and make do with a filter instead of an RO, I'd be pleased. What do you think?
User
16 years ago
Depending on where you intend to buy your water softener they should be able to do a lot better than $600-$700 on an RO unless they are recommending one of the really zoot capri units like a GE Merlin or a Kinetico.

You can get a competent, basic RO made by Watts at either Sam's Club or Costco for under $200 and they stock filter kits.

You're gonna be replacing the undersink filter element and the one in the fridge anyway so why not do it right now?

Besides, clear ice cubes are neat and don't taste like anything.

Just don't buy a box store pre-built water softener, it's a waste of your money.
oofasis
Original Author
16 years ago
justalurker, consider yourself hugged! Thank you SO MUCH for making an over-my-head subject a very condensed no-brainer!
Denise

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