My prior post regarding conditioners vs. softeners put me on the track of reputable softener sellers/installers in my region (eastern WA/ north ID). My current favorite is a local company selling Watts equipment. My only issue is hardness, which tests anywhere from 9 to 11 GPG, pH is 7.9. Water line is 1". Our household uses about 270 gals per day (excluding irrigation). Home has 4 baths w/ 5 shower heads & 2 tubs (1 is very rarely used).
Proposed system is a 10", 1.5 cu ft single tank, 45,000 grains capacity, Model M3013-W100SM. The head appears to be a Clack WS-1 re-branded by Watts. My salesman claims up to 32 gpm of treated water with that setup. QWA's calculator recommends 21,600 grains for our conditions, and treated flow of just 12 gpm conditioned water for an average 1.5 cu ft system. Somehow the math isn't adding up.
To help reduce the slickness and soapy residue feeling, the installer is proposing to add an adjustable bypass valve so I can dial in the % of untreated water added to the conditioned water to suit my taste. Curiously, Culligan pushes the dial-a-softness "metered" feature in their heads, and their rep pooh-poohed the effectiveness of a manual bypass valve. He claimed a disproportionate % of untreated water would pass through the manual valve during low-flow conditions. I don't see it being any different than a manual balancing valve; you balance it once and forget it.
Does anyone have input, pro or con, about Watts softeners or Clack heads?
Or about manual bypass valve vs. metered?
Proposed system is a 10", 1.5 cu ft single tank, 45,000 grains capacity, Model M3013-W100SM. The head appears to be a Clack WS-1 re-branded by Watts. My salesman claims up to 32 gpm of treated water with that setup. QWA's calculator recommends 21,600 grains for our conditions, and treated flow of just 12 gpm conditioned water for an average 1.5 cu ft system. Somehow the math isn't adding up.
To help reduce the slickness and soapy residue feeling, the installer is proposing to add an adjustable bypass valve so I can dial in the % of untreated water added to the conditioned water to suit my taste. Curiously, Culligan pushes the dial-a-softness "metered" feature in their heads, and their rep pooh-poohed the effectiveness of a manual bypass valve. He claimed a disproportionate % of untreated water would pass through the manual valve during low-flow conditions. I don't see it being any different than a manual balancing valve; you balance it once and forget it.
Does anyone have input, pro or con, about Watts softeners or Clack heads?
Or about manual bypass valve vs. metered?