water treatment advice

[mrutkaus]

Just FYI, there are electronic 'softeners' out there I really don't know anything much about them and they may all be snake oil, but just looking, here's one of many:

HydroCare USA


Mike

 

[ronjhall]

To give you a idea what the real cost of a good softener and RO systems cost. Check out this place. Water Softener, Fleck.
I have the dual tank softener and 5 stage RO.

 

[kidr]

I bought and installed a Morton brand softener myself. It works great with potassium salt. Also uses regular salt.It senses the water useage and adjusts regeneration accordingly. Under $400 if I recall. Why would you need an RO if you don't have bacteria?

 

[Egon]

There may be a little residual salt left over but I don't think they actually add much actual salt to your daily intake.

If you are using salt in your softener the sodium ion replaces the hardness ion in the water. You get sodium in the softened water.

Reverse osmosis filters may have a limit on the TDS of the raw water that they can handle.

 

[bp fick]

Had a great well, a few years back, in volume, but lots of hardness and red iron. I did a DIY install of a Sears (at that time) softener. Very inexpensive and very effective.

The discharge is too salty for your septic. I discharged to an underground rock pit. Still, residue of sodium remained in the water. We did not like drinking it, so we used a simple RO for drinking water only. No need to RO the rest of the water for laundry, bathing, etc.

I'd do it again, the same way, if faced with it.

 

[Chilly807]

If you are using salt in your softener the sodium ion replaces the hardness ion in the water. You get sodium in the softened water.

Reverse osmosis filters may have a limit on the TDS of the raw water that they can handle.

Exactly.. if you're on a low sodium diet your doctor isn't going to be happy with you.

Our TDS was 230 ppm, which is pretty low by most standards. The Canadian limit for sodium is 300 ppm in drinking water, and most doctors with an eye on your blood pressure like to see something in the order of 20-30 ppm sodium level.

The salt softeners do exchange hardness for sodium, as Egon said, and in most cases it isn't a problem. Ours would have been in time.

The no-salt softeners don't do well with water that has high manganese or TDS, according to our installer. If you have simple hardness problems (few do) they are fine. What they do is alter the molecular structure of the hardness (usually calcium) so that it doesn't attach itself to pipes, fixtures, etc.

The reverse osmosis looked after the sodium content in our softened water, and also produces the best tasting water I've ever drunk.

We also had concerns with dumping the salt brine and backwash into the septic system, it will form deposits over time that can clog the system. We dump ours outside via a gravity drain. Not a perfect solution, but not bad considering the tons of road salt the municipality dumps on our roads every year for snow and ice.

Sean

 

[honorbound]

Just a note. The R/O water removes ALL minerals and impurities in the water. Water in its natural state wants minerals, hence it absorbs the minerals from the ground or mountain or whatever other sorce it can. Without the minerals in the water it will take them from somewhere and the only place will be your body. This is basic water treatment that you learn when operating a water plant or wastewater plant. I myself bring jugs of treated city water home to drink because I will not drink the RO water. By the way I have operated a wastewater plant for the past 20 years. Also if the water is high in disolved solids the soilds will have to be precipitated out which would create a sludge. In a water plant this is usually done with alum whereas in a wastewater plant it is done with alum sulphate, ferric chloride, ferric sulphate and others.

 

[PaulieD]

Thanks gentlemen,

I greatly appreciate the advice and information you've provided. Not having any experience with water treatment solutions, I felt I needed something more than an academic investigation. You have provided a ton of useful and interesting information. If other folks have more to contribute, please do.

My interpretation of the feedback offered, makes me inclined to price out a water softener and RO solution with other vendors, while at the same time revisiting the original pricing with the Kinetco Rep. Maybe he has some wiggle room in his price.

Thanks again,

Paul

 

[dodge man]

I agree with some of the others, I don't think you need a RO unit also, just a softner. I have a whole house water filter before the softner. The two together seem to do a good job.

 

[Travelover]

I put in the RO unit for about $150. My wife hated the taste of the well water and now she is happy. Now that's a good investment.