Softened water vs hand washing

[sophosis]

I think my wife has come to her end with this... today she said she would be fine ripping all the water softener and pH filter out. We have naturally soft water, but with a 5.5 pH water... it's not really feasible.

When she washes her hands, it takes forever for her to get soap-free. Her hand skin is cracking, as a result. I've watched her wash her hands (with a small amount of soap), then rinse for a full minute. Turn the water off, rub her hands together and get more soap bubbles. I don't have this problem with my hands, but she does.

Is there any system tuning that can be performed to help her? Hardness and pH are in check at the tap. Both units are 54x13 tanks with Clack valves. Recently tried using solar/natural salt crystal bags you can get from Lowe's, but noticed no change.

 

[Reach4]

Soda ash injection will raise pH without increasing hardness.

This is injected by a pump -- usually a peristaltic pump (Stenner is the best-known).

The injection can be proportional, with an injector and flow sensor after the pressure tank. This can be controlled by the pressure switch with an injector before the pressure tank.

With regard to your current system, I would start by adjusting your softener to use less salt. Somebody will know how to adjust your Clack valve settings.

Get a Hach 5-B test to measure your hardness before and after the softener.

Your wife can use less soap. I was surprised at the suds report.

Harder water combines with soap to make a scum that makes your skin high-friction, so may in fact be leaving more residue despite feeling "squeaky clean".

 

[Sponsor]

 

[TJanak]

You mention 2 tanks. Do you have a softener and a calcite/magox tank for pH? You mention naturally soft water, if so, why do you have a softener?

Clack also makes a proportioning valve V4099 that goes between the valve and bypass and allows you to blend in some unsoftened water to add a little hardness, providing you have some hardness available to blend back in and aren't also trying to remove iron, Mn, etc.