Well, the aquifer the water is stored in is surrounded by limestone which happens to be the foundation for my soil. The majority of the water for my garden comes from the hose. So all of those things in the water that makes it hard is being added to the already alkaline soil. Most of the plants in my vegetable garden handle this okay, some of my roses, not as much and my Japanese maples get rain water, only. Of the 2 outdoor spigots on my house, one gets water through the softener and one does not. I hook the hose up to the one that does not, just due to the high price of the potassium. I give dirty looks to the person in the house who will sometimes use the other spigot out of convenience. If I have to water a more sensitive plant with the hard water, I sometimes add some vinegar to react with the limestone. I also make a point to make sure to leave some beds open (i.e., do not cover all with row cover fabric) so that any little of natural precipitation I get can help leach out some of the build up from the water.

"... you can not drink the water if it softened" COMPLETELY untrue and a great example of don't blindly believe anything you read. Some people prefer the taste of hard water. Some people prefer the taste of NaCl softened water. Some people prefer the taste of KCl softened water. Some people prefer the taste of RO water, which is what you get from the water machine at Walmart BTW. That's why Baskin-Robbins has 31 flavors. The taste of softened water will vary based on what else is in the water (and how much of it) and how hard the water was to begin with. If you have been put on a low salt or salt free diet by your doctor then KCl softened water is the choice with or without an RO. It would BOGGLE your mind if you knew how many times you've drank soft water and eaten food prepared with soft water at restaurants AND NEVER KNEW IT. If you require a softener that is non-electric then you have only one option... Kinetico. Have the dealer demonstrate their RO (reverse osmosis) for you and you can decide for yourself on the taste. All of this is based on your limited description of your water as 9 gpg hard. There is much information lacking in that description.

I have a whole house Rain Soft brand water conditioner/softener, but it is not plumbed in. I've been in the house 5 years now and the previous owners 2 years. It's unknown if the previous owners had it disconnected or someone prior to that. So at best, I know the unit is 7 years old, probably more. The unit sits outside. When I moved in my house, Rain Soft did a free visit and said everything looked OK, but until it was plumbed in with water flowing througn, they had no way to know if a certain part inside needed to be replaced. The technician said there was a $300 item that may need to be replaced. I don't recall what that part was. I don't know the model of the unit, but if you look at this picture, it looks just like the one on the right: http://www.rainsoft.com/siteart/products/ec4.jpg My wife wants me to get this unit plumbed back in and going. We have city water and we don't drink it out of the tap (use filtered water through refridgerator). The water is a little bit on the hard side. My wife is sick of hard water spots in the shower and the idea of washing my cars with non-hard water is certainly appealing. I'm wondering if it's worth the cost of possible repair on this Rain Soft unit, vs. going out and buying something new. Is there anything special about Rain Soft over other brands? I know Rain Soft products carry quite a premium price. I see Kenmoore units in the $460-700 range, which is within a price range I'd like to stay in. My house is 1850 sq ft with 2 bathrooms.

In your diagram, the valve just before the filter is a shut-off not a bypass. You never mentioned the pre-filter before... what are you filtering? what size is the filter? What element is inside? Does it have adequate flow as to NOT impede the house water pressure and flow? If there's a good reason to install the filter then install pressure gauges before and after the filter so you can see the pressure drop and know when to change the filter element. Close the open resin bag and keep it clean and dry. I'd assemble the softener and get it plumbed, check for leaks and correct operation, and then program it.