Is .35 ppm chlorine level high enough to rate filtering pre-water softener?

[Ted T]

Getting ready to put in a water softener and was advised to install a GAC filter to remove chlorine ahead of the softener. I have city water (no iron) and chlorine level range of .22-.35 ppm with a running annual average of .30 ppm. Is this high enough to rate installing a filter? (I live in Hawaii, so am paying a major premium on parts and labor - paradise tax, lol)

What I've read online seems to indicate that 1 ppm is the level at which resin bead oxidization starts.

As an add-on question: I've seen varying opinions on using 8% vs 10% crosslink resin. With low (or no) chlorine, is there a major benefit to using 10%?

Any input or recommendations would be much appreciated!

 

[Reach4]

Getting ready to put in a water softener and was advised to install a GAC filter to remove chlorine ahead of the softener. I have city water (no iron) and chlorine level range of .22-.35 ppm with a running annual average of .30 ppm. Is this high enough to rate installing a filter?

I think not. I am not a pro. I would install a sediment filter. Look at aerator screens, and if you see sand, know that a sediment filter would have stopped that and more.

As an add-on question: I've seen varying opinions on using 8% vs 10% crosslink resin. With low (or no) chlorine, is there a major benefit to using 10%?

I think so, at least compared to the minor increment in cost for the 10% crosslinked. I may have been foolish to opt for 10% myself for my well water. It was cheap, in the scheme of things. My softener never sees chlorine, except maybe every few years when I sanitize. Even then, I limit the chlorine to the softener by keeping it in bypass during most of that.

I am not a pro.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[ditttohead]

Go for the 10%, the backwashing GAC filter is desirable but not mandatory. The chlorine levels will fluctuate during the year but resin is reasonably priced and easy to replace. 10% could easily last double the life of 8%.

 

[Ted T]

Thanks ditttohead and Reach4 for your input! I'm going to go with the filter and use the 10%. Probably overkill, but anything worth doing is worth overdoing, lol. In line with the overkill theme, I'd like to pair it with a Fleck 5800 or 5810, although the 5600 would probably be just fine.

Ditttohead - can you direct me to any decent dealers in Honolulu (Oahu)? The best quote I've gotten so far (for 5600 SXT 1 cuft softener & 1.5 cuft filter) is a little over $4K, not including installation ($500-$750), so if I can't find a local source with decent pricing I'll have to find a source on the mainland. So far, I've found very few online retailers that will ship systems to Hawaii and the ones that do want to charge an arm and a leg for shipping, so I may be reduced to ordering components separately from multiple retailers. I'll do the install myself.

 

[ditttohead]

I will send you a PM. I will be in Oahu in a few weeks, looking forward to zip lining and some exciting adventures with my daughters!

 

[Ted T]

I'm glad for you - living here, I sometimes forget how nice it is. I'm sure you'll have a blast. If you want any site-seeing tips, let me know. PM me where you're staying and what kinds of activities you're interested in, and I can make some suggestions. Hell, if you want you can come to my place for BBQ. I live about 25 minutes outside of town, but if you hit the North Shore there's only two ways to get there and one of them (the faster one) runs right past my house. You can stop for dinner on the way back to your hotel, lol. I don't need much encouragement to load up on ribs and beer!

 

[Ted T]

or sightseeing, if you're a stickler :|

 

[ditttohead]

Sounds awesome. My daughters like thrill stuff, so I am scheduling the shark dive, some zip lining, adventure park, and... not sure. I will send you a pm, I appreciate the suggestions.