Ordering a new Water Softener and have a few questions.

[verbalkint99]

I am looking at ordering this softener to add in after my KL iron filter:

http://www.water-softeners-filters.com/autotrol-268-760-performa-logix-48k-grain-water-softener.php

The company has a brick and mortar store less than 10 miles from me and is where I ordered my iron filter. The same company wants 1400 to install or 900 to assemble and for me to pick up. The product description it a tad lacking but I emailed them for more information. They said it is a 10x54 tank and will not come with a gravel bed.

So my question is where would I get the gravel from, and how much would I need? Also, is there anything else not listed that would be a needed or nice to have feature? I think I read somewhere about a top screen? Anything else?

I had three local companies come out and assess my current set up and water tests and all three came back with 48k grain softeners and all three companies use Autotrol out here.

On a side note, a simple observation I made, and it is not meant to judge any of the reps. Two of the three (the two with the lower quotes) pulled up in their respective "work" trucks. The most expensive one showed up in a Mercedes E-class convertible.

 

[ditttohead]

LOL, wish I had one of them nice cars...

The Autotrol is a great valve that will last you for decades if serviced by a good technician every 10-15 years. Definitely get it from brick and mortar, ask them to put in a gravel underbedding. I don't care what lame excuse they give, I also did systems without gravel beds for many years, there is no excuse to not use a gravel underbedding other than shipping cost or if the tank is a vortex by Enpress. Otherwise... put a gravel underbedding in please. I hate the boring argument of "why a gravel underbedding is not needed" it gets old but... simply put every single commercial softener uses a gravel underbedding. There are many reasons why this is a good idea, there are virtually no reasons this is not a good idea. Commercially, just imagine a 400 bed hotel loosing a lateral due to not putting a gravel bed into a softener. When this occurs almost all of the resin will be drawn into the plumbing immediately, I have seen it in many smaller commercial applications and residential systems where a gravel bed was not installed. Almost never when a gravel bed and a high quality distribution system is used. After nearly 30 years of real world field service and a decade of that was running the largest commercial softening company in California... I think I can call myself the expert on this topic. Gravel cost leass than a buck or two, it enhances the distribution, adds considerable long tern protection to the bottom screen, and it also displaces the resin above the riser tube so more of the resin capacity gets used, unless the company claims to put in 1.7 cubic feet of resin, the resin at the level of the screen and below is completely lost capacity.
An NSF listed gravel should be used and if the company wont do it, I will send you some for basically nothing, but the shipping of 15 pounds of gravel will cost far more than the media itself.

Class dismissed.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Mialynette2003]

Make sure it comes with a bypass and the tail pieces. A lot of times there are sold separate but the customer does not realize it until they go to install it. Underbedding is a great $5.00 investment.

 

[verbalkint99]

It came with a bypass, but I am having a heck of a time getting gravel. I have tried three local companies and they al say they have it on the phone, then I get there and all they want to do is tell me I dont need it and that it is old thinking, none of their systems use it. I am now trying to decide if I want to order online and pay stupid S&H fees or skip the gravel all together

 

[ditttohead]

Old thinking... ask them if they forgo gravel in industrial systems? LOL< I doubt any of these companies even do commercial equipment. There are many reasons to use gravel, the potential problem of not using gravel far outweighs the slightly easier bed replacements that forgoing a gravel bed allows. This would also indicate that these companies are probably using low grade resin so resin bed changeouts are a common money maker for them.