Culligan Water Supplies

[DaRube]

Our new house has a Culligan system in it....installed by the previous owner. It consists of a water softening system, a greensand filtration system, and a reverse osmosis drinking water system.

In looking for supplies, I have found the following:

Iron Fighter Salt for the water softener....Culligan will deliver at $8.99 / bag. Home Depot has Iron Fighter Salt available for $4.59 a bag. Is salt just salt, and is there any reason I shouldn't save the bucks?

Potassium Permanganate to backwash the greensand....available from Culligan for $34 / 5 lbs. I haven't found any better deal than that. Do you guys know of one?

Filters for the reverse osmosis system....$42 from Culligan (for the 3 that need replacement each year). Are these a specialty item (special sizes, etc), or are there third party replacements available.

I don't mind paying a little bit extra to get the mfrs product, but if I can save 25% or more, and there are no other downsides, I'm gonna do it.

What do you guys think?

 

[ronjhall]

DaRube
I don't have a Culligan softener. I buy my red-out salt in bulk. My neighbor and I split 12, 80 lbs bags every six months. We get one free bag for this amount. The cost is $144.00. I plan the delivery so that 2 of the bags are put in the softener. The rest of the bags are stacked next to the softener. Lifting 80 lbs bags gets to be a chore after awhile./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif Culligan is a good system. But the cost for supplies is high. Other water conditioning companies have supplies that are cheaper and as good if not better than Culligan. Shop around I found filters for my reverse osmosis system at Home Depot. I buy all 3 filters for $70. I was paying more than that for membrane alone.

 

[TerryinMD]

DaRube,

I have a Culligan water softener also minus the filtration system and osmosis filter.

You can get the salt almost anywhere. We also used to get it from the Culligan people but now buy it where ever its available - Home Depot, Lowe's, Quality Farm and Home, etc. One note is to stay away from the pelletized salt as it seems to clump.

Can't comment on either of the filtration systems.

Terry

 

[patrickg]

Regarding the potassium permanganate: Does it come in dry (crystaline form) or in solution? Noting that you gave a weight rather than a volume I hoped dry was the case. I had previously had difficulty getting crystaline product due to its use in some circles in a DIY abortion procedure (and I thought it was to cure Ick (SP?) in aquariums).

It is a powerful oxidizer and a few heaping tablespoons of it in a cone shaped pile with a tablespoon sized depression on the top into which you pour a table spoon or so of glycerine (not nitro, but the stuff used in cosmetics available from the druggist) will produce a credible imitation volcano. Lots of spewed out sparks, purple flames and smoke. Reaction doesn't get too vigorous for a few seconds so I have never been showered with sparks when pourinig the glycerine. Used to have a plaster of perris and paper machette(SP?) volcano with a metal cup in the top that I stoked that way. Most impressive in reduced light but requires good ventilation if in a confined space as the fumes can get thick and smelly. Anyway most kids get a real kick out of it (regardless of age).

Patrick

 

[DaRube]

Patrick, it is the crystalline form that I need for my filter. My research did turn up the link to aquarium use, but aquarium houses sell it in much smaller quantities than I use, and consequently much more expensive.

That "volcano" trick sounds like fun. I oughta see if I can rig something like that up for a party!!

 

[gator]

DaRube,
You green sand filter is for removing iron from your water, if that is before your water softener there is no need to use red out salt, you can just use system saver or solar salt and save some money. If it is after your softener, you will be better using the red out salt in your softener as it will help during regeneration flush out the build up of iron that you water softener takes out before your water gets to the green sand filter. I get my salt from K Mart, Wally World or Lowe's, whoever is cheaper, and they all work the same.

Wally <font color=green>JD 750 "GATOR"</font color=green><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by gator on 10/28/01 05:44 PM (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[patrickg]

DaRube, Well now, since you expressed interest in party displays rather than something to pique the interest of young minds in vulcanology, here is something you might like:

Take several feet (try 6-8 to start) of Saran wrap double it and tie overhand knots in it every 9-16 inches (6-6-6-12 and repeat works well). The knots work better when doubled or trippled and drawn down fairly tightly. Hang this vertically from a fire proof support (metal clothes line, does this date me?). Place a bucket or basin (preferably fire proof) filled about 1/3 to 1/4 full (OK, or 2/3 to 3/4 empty) with water directly below the vertically suspended Saran wrap. A wide AND deep pan is better, metal is prefered. The taller the Saran wrap and stronger the breeze the wider water pan is needed. Actually this should not be done in strong wind or indoors (well maybe a garage if you are careful and have a water hose at the ready.

OK, here we go. Hush everyone, pause then hush them again as the display is subtle. Light the bottom of the Saran wrap. It will burn briskly and the flames will climb up quickly to the first knot where melted-on-fire-and-whooshing- sounding plastic will fall down into the bucket which being only partly filled will echo the whoosh. When the knot is consumed the flames will rush up to the next knot and repeat the performance. The glowing globules of melted-on- fire Saran wrap have a ghostly blue flame in addition to the "neat" whoosh as they fall into the water. Yet another nuance of sound is emited when a glob hits the water.

I enjoy this while stone cold sober as do most of my friends. Back inthe 60's when psychedelia were often mixed with mind altering drugs a lot of canibis sativa, Ripple, and other things were consumed prior to and during such displays. I just never found the need to chemically enhance the experience.

Enjoy,

Patrick

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I sometimes buy my KMnO4 from Central Tractor for less than the place I bought the equipment. Mostly because it saves me a trip.