Lol. I hear ya. Thanks for pointing that one out to me - I haven't done as much research into RO units as I did the softeners. I guess I'll get an education on how to do some actual plumbing in the next couple weeks... I'm bet the guy used a saddle valve in my basement when he installed my humidifier a year or so ago...I'll check that out. This post was edited by Jlmurph2 on Fri, Apr 26, 13 at 11:03

You will see closer to a 5% reduction using a twin system. The only way you would see close to a 15% reduction in salt usage is if somehow you always hit the cutoff right as you used the last drop of water for the day. Close, because twin tanks use softened water for brine make-up, which increases salt usage by a bit. You will save 2-3 lb potassium chloride per month using a twin vs single-tank system, assuming you regen with 4 lb salt/cuft of resin. It is possible to regen with an even lower salt dosage, but not successfully in a standard softener. For that you would need a packed bed softener, such as those offered by Kinetico. They are mechanically operated by water power, rather than electronically controlled. Although they come at a premium price, they are very reliable. If your chief concern is environmental, they are worth a look. The 2x1cuft twin system you have quoted above should work fine for your purposes if you prefer a Fleck softener. Alternately, a 1.5 cuft single tank would work. For watering outdoor plants you may wand to consider alternating between raw water and softener effluent. The effluent will have a very high TDS. Coupled with your already high pH, it could burn your plants if it is their primary source of water. There is a big difference between watering with potassium-softened water and watering with potassium chloride saturated water.

As a first run, your numbers can get us close. I strongly urge you to obtain your own water test from a sample of the water at your house. Although it should be similar to the city's analysis, it won't necessarily be. Particularly, water can pick up iron along its run through the various pipes on its way to your house and iron makes a huge difference in required softener size. For example, if you actually have no iron, a 0.75 cubic ft softener will do nicely. However, if you have just 1 ppm of iron, you would need a 1.25 cuft softner - that's a pretty big difference. In order to properly size your softener, we need to know: pH TDS hardness alkalinity iron manganese sulfates As to your questions: 1) Absolutely you want a gravel base in your softener. This will ensure you get proper flow without channeling and improve backwash. Many softener providers will tell you this is not necessary, but they are incorrect. The issue is that gravel is heavy and expensive to ship. Too bad - you need it. The only time you shouldn't have gravel is if you have a turbulator. I don't generally recommend one though as they have a tendency to be a maintenance issue. 2) Any made-in-the-USA resin will be of high quality. You don't need fine-mesh resin (that simply means that the resin beads are smaller diameter) in your case, but since you are on city water with some chlorine, you do need resin that is 10% crosslinked, rather than a more standard 8% crosslinked resin. The 10% crosslink will withstand the chlorine and provide longer resin life. It's generally a good idea to get a local water treatment company out and see what they recommend. You may get lucky and have a good one. See what they can offer your - you may be pleasantly surprised.

I know this is an older thread. however, I feel I could add some additional points to consider that I found on Qualitywaterlab when I was researching whole house water filters for my own home due to high PFAS concentrations in our water quality report. Here are some takeaways I've learned: Water test results: It's important to understand the quality of your water before selecting a whole house water filter and softener. A professional water test can provide you with information about the levels of contaminants in your home’s water supply, which will help you determine what type of filtration system is best for your needs. Type of filter: The type of filter you choose will depend on the size and complexity of your water system, as well as the types of contaminants that need to be removed from your water supply. Different filters are designed for different purposes, so it's important to understand what type best suits your needs. Capacity: It's also important to consider how much water you use in a day when selecting a whole house water filter and softener system. If you have a large family or use more than average amounts of water, then you may want to select one with higher capacity than normal systems offer. Maintenance requirements: Some whole house systems require regular maintenance such as changing out cartridges or cleaning sediment traps regularly while others are self-cleaning and require little upkeep over time. Consider which option works best for your lifestyle before making a purchase decision. Cost: Whole house filtration systems can range in price depending on their features and capabilities, so it’s important to compare prices between models before making a final decision about which one is right for you and your budget constraints.. Warranty/Guarantee: Many manufacturers offer warranties or guarantees on their products, so make sure that any product you buy has a good warranty or guarantee in case something goes wrong. This will help protect your investment and ensure that you get the most out of your purchase.