Questions about an Eco-water, water softener
baymee
14 years ago
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Comments (34)
baymee
14 years agoRelated Discussions
water filtration/water softening for well water
Comments (6)Living on a well is different and more complicated than living on a water system. You have to make the water SAFE and then decide whether to make the water NICE. NICE water gives you longer service life for plumbing, appliances, and fixtures and can save you money in soap and detergent use and your clothes will last longer. You need to get a comprehensive water test from an independent certified lab. Labs usually know what to test for in well water in their areas but at a minimum... hardness, iron (ferrous and ferric), manganese, pH, TDS, nitrates, bacteria, sodium, copper, arsenic. With those test results we can intelligently discuss what is in your water, in what amounts, and how best to treat it....See MoreQuestion about water softener valve heads
Comments (8)People in the business of high volume and low margins rarely offer custom solutions. Sales numbers are all they care about and that's why so many people come to these forums seeking help to correctly size a softener and set it up for efficient operation and get information on treating other water problems. Because that's not what they got from their softener sellers although they expected it. There is a vast difference between looking at the results of a water test and knowing what is in the water and remarking that "I don't live next to or lower than farm fields where chemicals can seep into water table". If that water is going in my body or my family's body then I have to know what is in the water and what might cause (economic and health) problems and then I choose what or whether to do something about it. If you don't care then that's your choice but don't expect me to be an accessory before the fact. Water treatment is chemistry, physics, and mechanics. Two of those disciplines don't lend themselves to assumptions or averaging or generalizing. There's no crying in baseball and there's no guessing in mathematics. When you go to the doctor complaining about the pain in your left arm and he/she says... you know you have high blood pressure... been taking your meds... did you get the lab work and the EKG I ordered? Do you reply... I'm curious how those tests effect your diagnosis and my treatment? You don't know what you don't know and you're read enough to be dangerous and that's OK cause lots of people come to forums looking for answers and most accept the expert help they get especially at the price they pay but some few challenge those far more knowledgeable than themselves and who provide their knowledge and experience for free and sometimes that makes us think that we're wasting out time and we don't like that feeling. If you're looking for the WHY then I'm not your guy cause you wouldn't believe me anyway and I won't waste time trying to educate you. Anymore... I only do the HOW and if that isn't a good enough deal for FREE then wait for someone else to reply to your post or hit the online softener huckster web sites, read some more, and take your chances. I'll leave you with this (rhetorical) question... with your unwillingness and reluctance to provide ANY substantive details regarding your water conditions other than "My water comes from a well, I don't have a detailed report of the quality of the water but I do know it has good amount of iron in it. Water tastes good, there's no high levels of arsenic or bacteria in it (had that tested)". How would anyone be able to help you? This post was edited by justalurker on Thu, Sep 5, 13 at 22:26...See MoreWater Test Results/Filtration/Softener set-up question(s) -Lurker?
Comments (1)I assume you do not currently have a softener in place. Please confirm. I will try to go through your questions in order. Conductivity: This will always be higher than TDS. It has to do with they types of ions in your water. Your conductivity is on the high end of the scale based on your TDS, but not out of line. Other analysis: Do you have any rusty, brown, or black staining on fixtures? If so - test your water for iron and manganese. Sediment filtration: Two cartridge filters is certainly a viable option. Install them in parallel so that one cartridge may be changed without interrupting water supply to your home. Make sure to use 4" diameter, not 2". Big Blue is a very reliable brand. I like the clear housings for a visible indicator, but that is just my personal preference. All cartridge filters are a pain to change. If you currently have to make frequent cartridge changes you may wish to consider a backwashing sediment filter instead of cartridges. It would be similar in appearance to a softener, but pretty much no work on your part to operate. Softeners: Kinetico softeners are very reliable, but expensive (as you mentioned). If you are willing to spend the money up front and like your local dealer, they would be a good choice. Regeneration time is not an issue with any twin-tank softener, whether Kinetico or Fleck, since one tank is always available to provide soft water while the other is being regenerated. A Fleck of Clack twin tank softener would take up significantly more space than a Kinetico because you would have to purchase a larger softener to accommodate the higher flow rate for your jacuzzi tub. Sprinkler system: Yes, bypass the sprinkler system. There is no sense paying to soften all that extra water. RO: Any RO system will last longer if fed softened water. The minerals you get from water are in minute quantities - even heavily mineral laden water would be insufficient to provide the minerals your body needs. Additionally, your water has nitrates. If you want them removed from your drinking water, RO is the only reasonable way to do so. Why do you want a carbon filter? What, specifically, do you want removed from your water? Certainly two would be overkill. Once may be as well, unless you have a specific contaminant in mind. Softener bypass: Here is a picture of what a three-valve bypass should look like. And a drawing of a setup:...See MoreHome water filtration and water softeners
Comments (8)Check out your local extension service for labs in your area that conduct drinking water testing. They can also give you insight as to pollutants of concern that you may want to add onto a standard drinking water test. As long as they are accredited, online labs should be fine. In fact, often times local labs will mail out their samples to other labs if they do not conduct a particular test onsite. No need to test for 100 pollutant parameters. Sticking to the standard tests, plus a few extra parameters you're concerned about, will be a heck of a lot cheaper than a larger-scale analysis--especially if it's treated municipal water. Good luck!...See MoreUser
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