Water Softeners

[Tony_SS]

Can anyone recommend a system?



I came across this.. it almost sounds too good to be true:
http://www.easywater.com/howitworks.aspx

Our town has some very hard water so if anyone has some feedback about what works I'd appreciate it.

[67 ls1 vert]

wonder what that cost? I haven't seen that before.

This is what we use. We use it for filtering our soda machine, fish tank water, Deionized water bottle, and whole house. We get no calcium build up on our faucets at all. Taste like Arrowhead water from the tap.
Removes the chlorine and other harmful things from the water.









It flushes out the build up every 14 days.
We have 7 more days to go if you look at the picture.

If you are intrerested in more info, let me know i can get you a phone number and you can ask him all about the specs. Im sure they are nation wide.

[Tony_SS]

http://www.easywater.com/systems.aspx
849.00 is what they start at.

I searched Watts and found their home page.. thanks I'll look into them as well.

Here's another system that sounds good
http://www.waterboss.com/

[Tony_SS]

regarding the 'easywater' system:

MYTH: Magnetic or electronic devices can soften water without using salt.
While many of the devices do exist, they are referred to as "descalers" in the water treatment industry, not water softeners. They do not remove the hardness from the water, like a water softener. Where the may help prevent the build up of scale in pipes and appliances, all the benefits of softened water are forfeited.

[68nate]

I have a Kinetico system. They are kind of expensive, but they work great. Uses no electricity at all, operates off of water pressure. Has two tanks so when one is regenerating it runs off the other tank- always soft water. We have a well- water is 43 grains hard, and this always keeps the water soft.

[Tony_SS]

Wow..that is pretty hard. Ours is city water and is about 14 grains per gallon hardness. I didn't clarify.. I am looking for a residential system too. I'll lookup Kinetico..thanks.

[Chevrolaine]

Kinetico here also for 15 years.

[shep]

Kinetico here as well. Mine is a commercial system, the brine tank holds 300 pounds of salt I only fill it twice a year. Mine also back flushes based on usage not time.

[Tony_SS]

Kinetico looks like the way to go. I think I'm going to cringe at their price though...

[Jared Rude]

When I lived in Florida I had very hard water and a large concentration of tannins, and my previous system had been destroyed by Hurricane Wilma. I looked around at a lot of the pre made systems, and for the prices, I decided I could build my own DIY softener filter system (and I needed a new pump and plumbing too). I vaguely remember that I spent about $1700 for an auto backwash softener, auto backwash iron filter, carbon whole house sediment filter, anti backflow valve, all the PCV plumbing, AND a new Goulds brand cast iron well jet pump. Most of the parts I ordered from the local plumbing supply in West Palm Beach FL and I assembled it myself.

It's not rocket science. If you can do DIY repairs to your car, can do basic some math, and can spend a week's worth of evenings on Google researching how the systems work, you can easily calculate the system capacity you need and choose the type of backwash valves you desire. You will have to measure the volume flow available from your well pump / city water source to determine what backwash capacity you can support. You will need to know how hard the water is and if there's anything else you need to address (do you need a UV sterilizer, etc?) and there are companies which will test for hardness, etc, for a small fee. You will need to call the valve manufacturer or sales rep and get a recommendation on capacity of the system assuming water usage and hardness. It's really less complicated than it sounds.

The brand name pre made systems I looed at, and the local water contractors, all wanted upwards of $3000 for a somewhat inferior system to the one I built myself. The key to remember is that the backwash valve is the brains of the system. A tank is a tank, greensand is greensand, potassium permangenate is potassium permangenate.

A cheap/crappy control system is not a nice/efficient control system.

[Tony_SS]

Jared, while I appreciate the DIY approach, it would not be feasable for me at this time.

However, it sounds like you have this mastered. I think a small business approach would yield you some great returns in the area. I certainly would be interested of course.

[shep]

Tony just noticed you are here in MO. I got mine from a place in Sedalia installed for I think $1200 it was a used system from some place probably a restaurant that went under around the lake. Anyway contact info.
AQUA TEKinetico
Sedalia MO
888-826-6801