Replacement Softener Help what all is needed

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jpatz18

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Heres a little background, I have an old softener not worth fixing. Im in a 2-bed-1ba-1garage. I Have very hard water. I have iron as well. Im not sure on the hardness. The free water test never tell me, just trys to sell me on the standard softener to buy. I 'm thinking about getting a 42000 grain fleck 5600.

Im having trouble with what kind, I should get one says metered the other says timed. The one says I should get the timed one because I am on a well, and metered are more for city water. Is this true?

I plan on buying from an online dealer. After I buy what else will I need, besides the pvc connections. Any help would be great. I plan on buying one from discountwatersoftener not sure if im allowed to link it.
 

Reach4

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Get a good independent water test of your raw water. I like the test60 from http://www.karlabs.com/watertestkit/

If you want the included coliform test to be meaningful, you would want to sterilize your faucet before running the water for many minutes and drawing the samples.
 

Bannerman

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As R4 suggested, a comprehensive water analysis and report is needed. Also useful is the usual number of house occupants.

Since you are on our own private well, there is no one to test and verify that your water is safe. That responsibility falls on you as the well's owner so your water should be tested on a periodic but regular ongoing basis.

Included in the test will be an indication of contaminates and minerals present in the water sample. Knowing the quantity of hardness (calcium and magnesium), iron and manganese are particularly needed when choosing the size of softener. Depending on the quantity of iron, or if sulfur is also present, other types of water treatment methods may also be necessary.

I have an old softener not worth fixing.
Describe the age of the 'old' softener and post some photos especially of the controls, front and back. A good quality control valve (ie: Fleck, Clack, Autotrol) will typically provide 10-20+ years of reliable service. Even very old ones, may often be rebuilt utilizing new seals, spacers and other low cost parts, to restore them to 'like new' operation.

The one says I should get the timed one because I am on a well, and metered are more for city water. Is this true?
No. A timer is an old method for initiating a regeneration cycle. With a timer, regeneration will occur whether all softening capacity has been utilized or none at all.

Metered controls have become common as they are considered to be more salt and water efficient since they will normally only initiate regeneration after a set amount of softening capacity has been actually utilized. For this reason, some states are now beginning to require metered controls while timed controls are being outlawed for new installations.

With regard to a new softener, many online dealers do not include nor even mention gravel under-bedding. That is a layer of gravel at the bottom of the tank which helps to protect the bottom screen and also distributes water flow throughout the resin bed above.

While a gravel under bed is highly recommended, since most online sellers include shipping in their prices, not including gravel saves them a few $$ in shipping. It seems there are a few online guys that by leaving out the gravel, also downsize the resin tank so by later adding a gravel under bed, there is not enough space remaining for the full amount of resin.

Recommend to:
1) have your water tested
2) post the test results
3) obtain advice and recommendations pertinent to your specific water conditions
4) ask for opinions and recommendations on the specific equipment you are considering
 

jpatz18

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Here are my results from a water test that I got. 1 bathroom 2 people occasional.
Iron- 2.5-3.0
-----------------
From Pinch a Penny (10000 gallon)
Hardness -310ppm
alkalinity-340ppm
P.H- 7.2

I want to get the fleck 5600 metered 40,000. I also plan on putting tannin resin on top of the softener resin to remove the tannin from my water?
Should I add gravel to the softener?
Should I get fine resin to help with the iron?
Should I remove some of the resin to compensate for the tannin media?
Give me your expert advice on what I will need.
 

Bannerman

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Your water's iron level is very high. Softeners are not efficient in removing iron and iron exposure will then require high ongoing maintenance as iron will foul softener resin.

While you are now indicating 'tannins', that was not stated in your OP and is not indicated in the test results you posted.

Your hardness = 310ppm / 17.1 = 18.13 grains.

Mixing media in the same tank is often not advised as each media usually has specific backwash requirements which are often very different.

The media tank size corresponds to the amount of media contained. As above, if an additional media type is required, each media should be placed in its own tank and backwashed independently according to the requirements for that media.

Gravel underbedding is advisable in almost all softeners.

With high iron (above 0.3ppm), it would be recommended to utilize a separate backwashing filter containing iron reduction media (ie: Katalox Lite) prior to the softener.

While fine resin maybe more efficient with iron exposure, it is often not recommended as it can restrict water flow through the softener, resulting in a flow reduction to plumbing fixtures.
 
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jpatz18

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thanks for the reply the only reason I asked. I talked to 2 installer and they are mixing resin here in brevard county. They call it whit resin to remove the tannin.

I figured the fine resin would take care of a lot of the iron.
 

Bannerman

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Pinch-A-Penny seems to be in the pool business. Their testing pertains to pool water, not water for consumption.

If your water is derived from your own private well, that water should be tested by a lab which addresses water safety as well as asthetic conditions. As stated previously, the safety of private well water is the responsibility of the well owner. There is no one else responsible.
 
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Bannerman

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While a softener can remove some levels of iron, it should not be its primary purpose as it is not efficient at doing so and removal of the iron buildup must usually be done manually utilizing chemicals on an ongoing basis. Each ppm of iron is equivalent to 4 grains of hardness so salt consumption will need to be increased substantially and the regeneration interval will need to be more frequent than if iron was not present.

Some water equipment installers do mix medias, but that doesn't mean it should be done.

As with all business types, there are those that understand and know what is required and will proceed with the customer's best long term interests in mind. Other's, know enough to be dangerous and rely on the customer's lack of knowledge and a quick sale while relying on servicing the equipment over years to come.

Are tannins a real problem with your water specifically or are those installers just selling their customers a possible solution to a problem that doesn't really exist?

The effectiveness of a media is often reliant on the volume of media versus the contamination level. If tannin media is being mixed in with the softener resin, how much of each are customers actually receiving? What is the capacity of each? If the lifespan of one is substantially differnet than the other, it appears that both medias would need to be discarded and exchanged even though one may have substantial life remaining.

There is a poster here (mialynette2003) who is located in Ocala. While that is likely too far to service you, he may have relavent experience with your water conditions and may know a trustworthy professional in your area.
 
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ditttohead

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agreed, mialynette2003 may be familiar with the water your area. Much of Florida suffers from Tannins, but mixing resins when you have iron issues as well will work great for a short while. T resin will probably foul up very quickly though.

Get a real water report. You have a well, this means you are your own municipality. Get a comprehensive test done. Once we have some information that is solid, not a pool companies test, we can make some real recommendations.

Otherwise, you could simply go with the old standby of chlorination, contact tank, dechlorination and softening. This works for most iron, manganese, H2s, and sometimes for tannins.
Check out National Testing Labs
http://www.ntllabs.com/Merchant2/me...NTL&Product_Code=9003&Category_Code=Homeowner

This is a good test for most applications.
 
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