Experience with GE Logix Water softener?

16 years ago

Hello

this will be the first time I'm using a water softener. We are planning to purchase the GE Logix 960000 grain model at this site. http://www.discountwatersofteners.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=28

I live in northern cal and the water hardness is 11grain. The home is 5100 square feet, there will be 4 people and 4 bathrooms. I will also have visitors throughout the year, so during those times I can have up to 7-8 ppl living in the house.

What do you think of this choice?

Here is a link that might be useful: water softener site

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Comments (11)

andy_c
16 years ago
I think you mean 96,000 not 960,000 grains.

Anyway. that would be a tank about 13" in diameter and 54" tall with about 3 cuft of resin in it. That's a big one! I would almost say over kill. But it will work.

With your water usage varying like you say, have you considerd a twin tank softener? These will take up for any variation of water usage, are far more salt efficient and usually have a longer warranty.

Do not get a TIMER model!!! They are very wasteful and you'll need to constantly re-set them for guests and when you leave for a day or more. You need to get a DEMAND initiated regeneration (DIR).

From the sound of it, your house is rather nice. Don't take short-cuts on your water. Get a quality system that will last for decades instead of years. In the water treatment business, you often get what you pay for.

Andy Christensen, CWS-II
chops57
Original Author
16 years ago
thanks for the info. We did end up going with a twin tank model , Fleck 9100 SE, 48,000 grain.

its a little smaller 47x15x52
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andy_c
16 years ago
I think you will be happy with the results of going with a twin-tank design. There are many advantages with this set up. Make sure it is properly set and you should have years of troublefree water.

Andy Christensen, CWS-II
mhlurker
16 years ago
Your house would have been better served with the 3.0 cuft because it has a constant SFR of 20 gpm. The 10" x 54" 1.5 cuft (48k) tanks of the twin tank softener only have a constant SFR of 12 gpm. You only get water through one of the two tanks at a time.

Every time a softener's SFR gpm is exceeded, the softener can not remove all the hardness from your water.

When a twin tank softener is being regenerated, you share the water flowing to drain with your water use in the house. You must be using water to cause a twin tank to regenerate. It would be very rare to stop using the water while a twin tank is regenerating.

The maximum K of capacity you can regenerate regular mesh resin to is 30K per cuft of resin. To do that you must set the salt dose at 15 lbs/cuft. With 1.5 cuft (48K) tanks, you must set the salt dose at 22.5 lbs for the maximum 45K of capacity. You lose 2k of capacity per cuft of resin the first time the resin is used. So 1.5 * 2000 = 3K and the 48k softener becomes a 45K.

To figure salt efficiency, you divide the 45000 by 22.5. That is 2000 grains/lb, and not very good salt efficiency.

The 3.0 cuft would give you much better salt efficiency. It wouldn't be regenerating while you were using water; unless you were using water during the middle of the night once every 7-9 days. You didn't need a twin tank unless water was going to be used 24 hrs/day. With the 3.0 cuft, you would have had one regeneration on average every 8 days. You would have set the salt dose at 8 lbs (2.7 lbs/cuft) and programmed for say 26K per service run of 8 days on average. And you could go to 21K and 6.5 lbs.

The twin may regenerate more frequently than once every 8 days, so it may use more water on an 8 day basis than the 3.0 cuft would. The same for the total salt use on an 8 day basis. And the twin takes up more floor space than the 3.0 cuft softener would.
andy_c
16 years ago
Chops57

Not to worry, you water will treated as you hoped. The twin tank will be more efficient than the timer model that you previouly presented. Of course time will tell, so keep us updated. Although it is impossible for you to compare as you only have the twin tank and not a single tank softener but you will be assured of good water all the time and will regenerate when it needs to.

mhlurker, you said that we can "google" you to check out your background in water treatment. How would we go about doing that?

In another forum someone presented an anology in comparing a "Chevy with a Ford" in efficiency in comparing twin-tank softeners. Well, I guess that answers it right there. If your claim is true at 2000 gr/lb and Kinetico's is certified at more than 4000, then that answers that question.

If I had to put money down, I would rather say that of either the Chevy or the Ford, one of them will be more fuel efficient than not. I just won't know which would without more data.

Andy Christensen, CWS-II
User
16 years ago
chops57,

"We did end up going with a twin tank model , Fleck 9100 SE, 48,000 grain".

A wise choice... uninterrupted soft water 24/7, regeneration exactly when required (instead of guessing when), with a softener using industry standard components that have proven themselves in the field for decades, that will serve you well for many years.
mhlurker
16 years ago
Chops57, if you have a large jetted or non jetted tub, and/or a two person shower or a large showerhead or any body sprays, that peak demand flow rate alone can be higher than the 12 gpm SFR of 1.5 cuft of resin. And if there are other fixtures being used at the same time, you add it all together to get your peak demand gpm, if it goes over 12 gpm, the softener can not remove all the hardness. You can check that out with any resin manufacturer.

Here's some salt dose information.

Salt dose used PER EACH cuft:
6# 9# 10# 15#
cuft Capacity of regular resin:

1.0- 20,000 24,000 27,000 30,000
1.5- 30,000 36,000 40,500 45,000
2.0- 40,000 48,000 54,000 60,000
2.5- 50,000 60,000 67,500 75,000
3.0- 60,000 72,000 81,000 90,000
4.0- 80,000 96,000 108,000 120,000
5.0-100,000 120,000 135,000 150,000

For less than 6lb/cuft:

3 lbs/cuft - 12,580 grains = 4193 grains/lb
4 lbs/cuft - 15,530 grains = 3882 grains/lb
5 lbs/cuft - 17,880 grains = 3576 grains/lb

Also, a 13" x 54" tank is used for a 2.5' softener, not a 3.0'; they use a 14" x 65" tank.
User
16 years ago
User
16 years ago
Guys, the baiting and snarkiness is N0T helping the OP. How about starting a new thread, solely for the purpose of insulting each other, rather than taking every softener question off on this tired old tangent?

chops57 - Just let us know if you have any further questions we can help with. As long as you have a softener that meets YOUR needs, you've got the right one.
mhlurker
16 years ago
Chops57, if your household water use peak demand gpm is higher than the SFR gpm of the softener (not just the control valve as some web sites mention), the softener can not meet your needs of 0 gpg of hardness in your softened water.
andy_c
16 years ago
mhlurker,

You said that we can "google" you to check out your background in water treatment. How would we go about doing that?

I am beginning to wonder if you are simply taking info off the net and putting it down becuase what you saying doesn't make a lot of sense and it sounds like you have an issue to prove which no one is interested in.

What would be your background?

Andy Christensen, CWS-II

Experience with GE Logix Water softener?

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