New home softener and iron recommendation (test included)

[JC10380]

About a month left on our under construction home and am ready for finish plumbing. We live in Central Ohio, and have extremely hard water. We had it tested by Kinetico ($5000 quote) today and here are the results.

79 Grains Hardness
2.5 Iron
1700 TDS

We are on a well, and the water appears clear.

Any suggestions? Like everyone else, I'd love to have great water at a great price.

 

[Reach4]

I suggest that you get a Hach 5B test kit. Your number seems high. Even if they are right on, the kit will be useful later for testing your softened water. You can dilute your test water 1:1 and multiply the test drops by 2, or dilute 1:2 test:distilled and multiply the drops by 3.


Ideally you will get a backwashing iron filter and a softener both. Handling that much iron with a softener would require frequent extra cleaning.

How many people? Typically calculations estimate 60 gallons of softened water per day per person.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[JC10380]

I was just jumping back on to add that info, sorry.

4 people, (2 adults and 2 kids).

 

[Bannerman]

A full water lab test is really needed. All water conditions should be considered together to determine the most appropriate treatment methods required.

National Labs is the testing lab most recommended on this forum: https://watercheck.com/?aff=5

While Kinetico offer good equipment, the equipment is proprietary so you will then need to rely on their dealer network for parts and service and so are at their mercy for the cost you pay. There are common brands (ie: Fleck & Clack) that are comparable in quality to K but are commonly supplied and serviced by various local water treatment dealers.

While your water may appear clear initially, with exposure to oxygen, the iron will most likely turn Red which will then precipitate as rust. There are various methods to remove iron at point of entry, but a lab test is the appropriate place to start.

 

[Mikey]

I would add that while your home is under construction, make sure plumbing is roughed in to accommodate the softener, with soft water plumbed only to those fixtures that need it, drains in place, etc. While you're at it, plumb in return lines for hot-water circulation, should you want it in the future. And finally, when the electricians show up, plan for a generator hookup, should you want it in the future. All that is cheap now, crazy expensive in the future.

 

[WorthFlorida]

Definitely get a iron filter as recommended above. Too many sales people and the water softener companies alway state how much iron it removes. For the most part it doesn’t work well. Iron actually contaminates the resin bed and it prohibites the ion exchange for the calcium or magnesium removal for soft water. To remove the iron in the softener you need to use salt with iron remover, Morton Salt calls it Clean and Protect and “System Saver”. Without it you need to use to use Iron Out occasionally.
If this is clear water iron, after a few days after the iron and water softener are installed, Get rags or old clothes to throw out and wash them in bleach only. Bleach oxidizes iron, it can make the water rusty and it will stain fabric. It’s a test that enough iron has been removed from the water in addition to a water analysis.

When the water is first turned on with the filter and softener, it takes a few days to purge the water heater of hard water. If you plan to drain the heater and refill it, you must run the water at a slow rate. Full pressure through the filter and softener will flow so fast that there is not enough contact time for the filters to work 100%.

As stated above, at this time run separate pipes for the outside spigots. You do not want soft water on the plantings or lawn. It will stymie everything. Do have at least one soft water spigot for washing the cars. As you know, hard water spots stick to the paint like paint. Lawns love iron so it will be beneficial and you’ll have a deep green lawn. Lawn fertilizers are available with 2% iron.

Be sure to use about 1/2 the soap recommended for the dishwasher. Too much detergent with soft water will make the drinking glasses cloudy and can etch the glasses. Once cloudy it is almost impossible to remove.