Softener in older home

[Fixitman]

I recently bought a home built in 1952 in Northern NJ. The city water is hard (ie white deposits on fixtures-shower roughness). I want to install a softener (I've done a few before). We prefer soft water too.
My question is that the 1/2 " copper pipes appear to be original with the house. Will a softener with 64 yr. old pipes cause any deterioration of the old copper?

#2 I also have a oil fired steam boiler (about a 10 yr. old unit) Will this cause any concern?

Thanks, Bill

 

[Reach4]

Soft water should not harm the pipes.

The boiler will be better off.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Fixitman]

Soft water should not harm the pipes.

The boiler will be better off.

Thanks for the assurance.

 

[Bannerman]

Hopefully, you've been performing daily blowdowns of the steam boiler to flush-out debris. Make-up water for large scale steam boilers is often softened to a high rate to reduce hardness ppm (calcium and magnesium). As each grain of hardness = 17.1 ppm, even water tested at 0 grains hardness (soft) can contain up to 17 ppm of hardness.

Reactions with metal pipes is often a result of low pH. The water pH will not change much if any as a result of softening.

What is the water's hardness level? You maybe able to obtain that info online from your water supplier. For most accuraate readings at your location, you could have your water tested or obtain a Hach 5B test kit to periodically test the hardness level of the raw and softened water.

 

[Fixitman]

Thx, I will dig deeper.