Upflow vs Downflow

[Calvin Sterling]

Hello, guys. I'm new to this site but could really use your help. I currently have a 32k basicic softner with electronic control and 100+ hardness water. With only my wife and I in the house, my softner regens on average every 1.5 days. I am assuming that a lot of the regens are due to the unit calculating it needs to regen tonite to provide soft water throughout the next day. I have been looking at dual tank units to minimize salt consumption and frequency of regens. I am on a septic tank, so the least amount of salt used, the better. Very little iron in the water. With my situation, would an upflow system provide any benefit? What size system would you recommend to maximize efficiency?

 

[ditttohead]

A twin alternating would be a good solution for your application. As to up/down flow, I do training on both... it depends on what the customer wants, marketing and pizzazz, or simple and easy... I can talk to the pros/cons of either. We sell both so it really comes down to about 50 questions. For your application, a simple twin alt. or an upflow regen with proportional brining would be the obvious solution to your system being massively undersized.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Calvin Sterling]

A twin alternating would be a good solution for your application. As to up/down flow, I do training on both... it depends on what the customer wants, marketing and pizzazz, or simple and easy... I can talk to the pros/cons of either. We sell both so it really comes down to about 50 questions. For your application, a simple twin alt. or an upflow regen with proportional brining would be the obvious solution to your system being massively undersized.

 

[Calvin Sterling]

I will probably buy a dual tank system to minimize regens and reduce salt consumption. Would I be better off to buy a twin 32k or 48k? From what I have read, it appears the smaller capacity units have a higher salt efficiency, and I am more concerned with salt usage than water usage, as I am on a well. Do the benefits of an upflow system outweigh the costs?

 

[Reach4]

Would I be better off to buy a twin 32k or 48k? From what I have read, it appears the smaller capacity units have a higher salt efficiency, and I am more concerned with salt usage than water usage, as I am on a well.

Smaller units don't have more salt efficiency, unless they are dealing with significant iron. For single tank systems they have less efficiency, but it should be the same with dual tank. If you go dual, I would opt for two 10x54 inch tanks, each of which will have 1.5 cuft of resin.

Another way to go is to get a single tank with 2.5 or 3 cubic ft of resin. Your old 9x48 inch tank system has 1.0 cuft of resin.

 

[bingow]

Our newbie situation was similar to yours, except for your unknown daily average water usage? Ours is a high 185 gpd (DIY metered), with 64gpg (uncompensated) hardness and very high TDS. We went with twin 12x52 tanks (2ft3) with resulting regens at 4 days. If our very limited space had allowed larger tanks, we would have gone the next size up. Check the $ differential for the larger system, especially if your water usage is higher than average. My understanding is that erring on the high side has few drawbacks.

 

[Calvin Sterling]

Our newbie situation was similar to yours, except for your unknown daily average water usage? Ours is a high 185 gpd (DIY metered), with 64gpg (uncompensated) hardness and very high TDS. We went with twin 12x52 tanks (2ft3) with resulting regens at 4 days. If our very limited space had allowed larger tanks, we would have gone the next size up. Check the $ differential for the larger system, especially if your water usage is higher than average. My understanding is that erring on the high side has few drawbacks.

 

[Calvin Sterling]

What brand did you get? Upflow or downflow? If you Google dual tank water softner, the fleck 9100sxt seems to be the most prevalent result with good ratings, but I dont want to go cheap.

 

[bingow]

Mine is a Clack WS1-TT, programmed for downflow, and also capable, I believe, for upflow. My remote location steered me toward Clack vs Fleck for availibility, but I would have gone with either. @ditttohead can likely recommend a system, and that would be my best recommendation for starters.

 

[Calvin Sterling]

I just tested my water using three pool hardness testers and they show my hardness to be 14 GPG. If these testers (2 chemical and 1 strip) are accurate enough, what would your recommendations for a new softner be?

 

[bingow]

Was the "100+" gpg or ppm? Regardless, if you haven't had your water lab tested, especially being on a well, I'd bite the bullet for a comprehensive analysis which the pros on this forum will need and will allow you to make a better decision. A local certified lab (Albany, Bainbridge?) will usually be much faster than by mail. I ended up doing both, and favor the much faster local, actually a 120 mile round trip.

 

[ditttohead]

Please get a real water test if you are on your own private well.
NTLWATERTEST

Well standard is fine.