New house new softener? new RO?

8 years ago

I am having a house build in Alamogordo NM so I can't test the water yet but here is the city report
www.eebmike.com/water.rtf
2 people in house maybe 3 later. 2 Baths no heavy demands.

I am thinking about getting this softener http://www.amazon.com/Fleck-5600SXT-softener-digitial-metered/dp/B004GEFKN8/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1413237125&sr=1-1&keywords=water+softners+for+home#productDetails
and this RO system
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XELTTG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003XELTTG&linkCode=as2&tag=softwaterfiltration-20

.. If I am being stupid with these choices would someone let me know?

I picked this softener because it has 1.5 SF Resin and all the ones I found in Home depot and lowes were smaller.

RO has good reviews.

I really would like to have no softener but can't find any alternatives, There are not whole house filters that will remove the Magnesium and Calcium?

Any other way around the water wasting softener and RO?

Thanks
Mike

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

guerinkeywest
Original Author
8 years ago
Guess the urls were a bit long here are some shortones. RO

http://goo.gl/HA9q1d

softener

http://goo.gl/vkoxuT

Here is a link that might be useful: softener
justalurker
8 years ago
"Any other way around the water wasting softener and RO?"

Well, you could correctly size your softener for your water condition, water use, and SFR so it would operate as efficiently as possible minimizing water waste and maximizing the benefits of soft water saving you $$$ with longer appliance, plumbing, and fixture service life, clothes lasting longer, and using less soap and detergent.

Softener wise, what diameter is the plumbing at the installation location? If you'll be on the Alamagordo municipal system then get a water sample from a neighbor and get it to a certified independent lab for analysis. At least test for hardness, iron (ferrous and ferric), pH, TDS, chlorine, sodium, manganese, arsenic and whatever else the lab recommends for your area.

"Water wasting softener and RO"... what a crock. The effective use of any resource to gain other benefits can be intelligent use not waste. Granted, there doesn't seem to be as many water treatment pros(?) who know how to correctly size a softener let alone program for efficiency and that's just wrong, but as long as people don't do their due diligence and buy what's easy and cheapest they'll get what they paid for and not what they need.

Water is a precious commodity in the SW and particularly in your area so efficiency is the key and BTW, Watts makes a ZERO waste RO.

What you want to know about that Amazon RO is... are all the components made in the US? If you buy it discard the saddle valve and plumb the RO is properly.

Now what you should really be asking is the most important question to a New Mexican... red or green?

This post was edited by justalurker on Tue, Oct 21, 14 at 22:37
Related Discussions
New house, New garden, New roses..what's new?
Q
Comments (33)
Kristi, just thought I should mention the Kordes perfume-fest Parole, aka Buxom Beauty. Was introduced to the USA in 2008, so it may have gone under your radar. Apart from its names (Jailbait/Dumpling - yeah, good work there, Kordes Marketing Dept), this deep cerise pink rose is pretty near perfect - no spray requirements, beautiful high-centred flowers with substantial petals (HUGE blooms in cooler weather), nicely productive with a fragrance that is really intoxicating and waft-y, richly sweet but sophisticated. No cold cream or myrrh. And it cuts like a dream. I'm up to six of these. They're my battery hens for vase filling. Just sayin'.
...See More
New House - Water Softener Questions
Q
Comments (6)
For once I am going to have to agree with Aliceinwonderland. That unit is not what I recommend! Even though you are on city water, there is no guarantee that it is iron free, but chances are that it is very light. The 2040 will work but I would only recommend it if spacing were extremely limited, like in a hall closet on a shelf, or something. Some RVs and mobile homes fall into this dilemma. The estimate given was not your optimum choice. The stats given you for the 2040sOD were inaccurate. That particular unit, although falling within performance limits, would in my opinion not be the best for that much hardness. And given that there is no iron or extremely little iron, it would still work, but...I have my reservations and would choose a valve that would have to regen so often. I would suggest a 2060s, instead. This will give you much better performance and regenerate 1/3 as often as the 2040 on your water. The 2060sOD would also be a good choice if total gallons per minute were the real issue. The RO is an excellent model with many unique features leading to benefits other systems cannot provide. I put in a used 2060 (actually a K-60, earlier model) and it works great at 28gpg and 2ppm iron. The estimated daily average water consumption per person changes according to various sources but ranges from 50 to 75 gallons/person/day. As far as salt solution time is concerned, there is ample brine solution in excess of what is require per each regeneration, so even if you regenerate numerous times each day there should be no problem with adequate supply. These are factory tested running all day long at different flow rates. Andy Christensen, CWS-II
...See More
New Home, New Kitchen, New Renovations?
Q
Comments (11)
My suggestion is that you combine the living room and dining room functions, but keep the kichen separate. Don't get yourself wrapped up in trying to replicate all the features of much-larger spaces. A dining room table can be easily intergrated into a living room and do double duty there as long as you don't try to copy the big table with chairs all around it plus sideboard. Think of a table (with leaves) that generally sits behind a sofa, for instance. Some times it's a sofa table, some times it's a dining table. The chairs need not stand around it all day long. They can be spread around the room, or even in different rooms if you don't use all of them for every day meals. The sideboard function can be handled by a cupboard, or a hutch, with some books as well as linens, serving pieces, and other DR accoutremnts. Bookshelves that are wonderful in a livng room are also fab for the walls of the DR space. You may be able to get a few seating postions (one or two) at a small island in the kitchen for those times when you have a kitchen companion hanging out with you, or when you're just grabbing a quick snack. I would concentrate on making the kitchen the most efficient and highly functional that your space allows. Since this is working area, function will really make or break the space. Think of your downstairs as having two rooms: a sitting room with the dining table in it AND a well-designed kitchen with a great place for another person to hang out with the cook. "Opening up" the rooms is a currently a popular trend, but its pouplarlity will wane (like all highly sought after and endlessly copied things). Meanwhile if you have made major structural changes in your building you will be stuck with them. Save yourself angst and money and make two great rooms -- you'll be way ahead of the style curve and you'll have two wonderful rooms that really work. Don't worry about "sliders here" or "sliders there" question at this point - think of the rooms' uses and work on those questions first. Once you have that worked out you can see how to integrate the fenestration pattern with what you already have. I think part of the current urge to open up the kitchen to the other rooms is because of the enormous size of most houses. In smaller houses there isn't as much os sense of estrangement between the people sitting in one room and those in another. Don't think you have to copy the "remedy" for the faults of houses that aren't like yours simply because that's all you see in shelter mags. Small houses are special, not the least because they are very human scaled and require you to think very carefully about your space and the choices of how you use it. I suppose you are familiar with the work of Susan Susanka of the Not So Big House fame. If not highly recommend getting her books from your library. She is a master of wonderful, small space planning. Above all else, don;t think you have to rush into a renovation. The most successful ones are those which start with a period of living n the house to see how it feels. This is the standard advice for new owners of old houses, but even less-than-antique houses have much to teach you about how they feel that you can't tell just by walking around in it a few times. Live there for 6 months ot a year -then you'll know what needs to be done and you'll have fewer regreats about your choices. HTH L.
...See More
Water Softener for New Home With New Well-Cost?
Q
Comments (8)
Ok, so I got our water report back and no iron but hardness of 332 mg/L. Our local water guy recommended a Softstream Standard model JLM-48 for our house. I attached a pic of the water report and the model specs. They are also including a reverse osmosis for under the sink and running to ice maker/fridge. Does that seem reasonable for family of 5, 3.5 bathrooms, no pool/jacuzzis? I like the 10 yr parts/service call warranty that comes with it, gives me some piece of mind. Again, thank you for your help aliceinwonderland
...See More
guerinkeywest
Original Author
8 years ago
Hi justalurker

Thank you for your reply. You donÃ¢ÂÂt seem to mince words Ã¢ÂÂwhat a crockÃ¢ÂÂ however it worked on me and I wanted someone to let me know what they thought, so thanks again. I was trying to figure out any alternatives I may have and it was beginning to look like I really didnÃ¢ÂÂt have any and your to the point rebuttal convinced me.
So now I just have to pick a RO system and a softener system. The Ã¢ÂÂiSpring 75GPD 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System with Brushed Nickel Faucet, Model RCC7Ã¢ÂÂ
That I mentioned last time proved to be made in china and sold by a U.S. company but I found one almost the same that is made in USA with Ã¢ÂÂmostlyÃ¢ÂÂ Made in USA parts. DonÃ¢ÂÂt know what Ã¢ÂÂmostlyÃ¢ÂÂ means but I take it that they try to use USA parts when they can. It is a Ã¢ÂÂAPEC Water - USA Top Rated 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filter System (ROES-50)Ã¢ÂÂ I looked at the Watts zero waste and it was also made in China and it just pumps the waste water back into your hot water system, I think I can pump waste water into an outside container and use it for certain plants. I would appreciate any warnings or praise that you may give the APEC RO before I commit. I will be installing it in garage so no saddle valve

CanÃ¢ÂÂt get to the neighbors yet to beg for water. Hoping to get out there soon. 3/4 inch pipes. Still thinking about this one http://goo.gl/vkoxuT IÃ¢ÂÂm thinking that it can be programmed for what I need after I get moved in. Possible or just more of a crock (;-)]

The important question Red of course for me but I know my new neighbors mostly prefer green, maybe I can develop a taste for green in a few years

Thanks again justalurker

Here is a link that might be useful: softener system
justalurker
8 years ago
To speak intelligently regarding water treatment we need to know what is in the water that we want, need, to treat.

Water treatment is physics, chemistry, and mechanics... all disciplines that don't lend themselves to guessing in order to get an accurate answer.

I suggest you stop shopping until you know what you need.

Carne Adovada, red... no question. Roasted green chili on burgers... sinful.

New house new softener? new RO?

Comments (4)

guerinkeywest
Original Author

justalurker

Related Discussions

guerinkeywest
Original Author

justalurker

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

New house new softener? new RO?

Comments (4)

guerinkeywestOriginal Author

justalurker

Related Discussions

guerinkeywestOriginal Author

justalurker

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

guerinkeywest
Original Author

guerinkeywest
Original Author