GE softener question

[moisheh]

2 weeks ago I installed a new GXSH40V softener in our Mexican home. Our water is horrible. Very hard, salty and some sand Most softeners do not last over 3 to 4 years. I bought a Hach5B test kit Tests @ 65 gpg. I set the softener @ 65 but only put in 80 lbs. of salt. All went well but the unit runs every 2nd night! Uses way too much salt. Meter says that average daily use is 100 gallons! I tested the soft water and it is 3 gpg. I am using 30 to 40 lbs. a week! Is that normal? We had an old Sears unit ( same as the GE ) but our water was only 35gpg and it hardly used any salt. I am tempted to turn down the hardness to 45. Any suggestions appreciated

 

[ditttohead]

You need to get a properly sized softener. That system is much too small. You should actually set the hardness considerably higher (compensated hardness) approximately 75 GPG but this will cause even more salt usage.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

So you should have a softener with a capacity of about 2X that of that "40000 grain" unit. I could see you using about 12 pounds of salt or more for each regeneration. A bigger unit could be set up to be more salt-efficient.

When measuring the hardness of your unsoftened water, test 2 parts distilled water to 1 part raw water. Then multiply the drops by 3.

I would also put in a cartridge filter before the softener to take care of sand and other sediment.
I like the Pentek 20x4.5 Big Blue housings. The cartridges are bigger, and they have less pressure loss than smaller filters.

We had an old Sears unit ( same as the GE ) but our water was only 35gpg
I presume that was a different well, right?

 

[moisheh]

The well is municipal. It is now about 7 years old. They are working on a new one and should be ready in about 6 months. The wells are out in the desert and get salty. Our water is turned off every night . I have a 1000 Litre cistern that feeds the softener via a pump and then the whole house. There is a GE standard size filter before the pump. I have been using 10 micron filters but am going to change to 30. I have to change the filter every month. Usually when they run a new well the water is not that hard and has less minerals. We are only in the house until April 1 and return 6 months later. I am hoping the new well will be running. We are planning on selling the place within 2 years and I did not want to invest in a huge softener. What has me confused is the screen showing 43 days to a salt refill. I just checked the salt level and I was wrong. I have used about 40 lbs. since I installed. I guess maybe 6 lbs. per charge. Why do you check with that combo of distilled and raw water? Thanks.

 

[Reach4]

Why do you check with that combo of distilled and raw water?

See #13 second paragraph: https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/water-softener-question.61770/#post-458320