Water Softener recommendations and purchase for self install.

[NC Hard Water]

I have been following this forum for a while. Many people with experience. looking forward to your thoughts .
I have a 2700 SQ Ft finished home with two full and one 1/2 bath, dishwasher and washing machine. Well produces 8 gallons a minute. Not a lot but works ok unless pressure washing or watering the lawn. We are careful with heavy use as running it down will pack prefilters with sediment.

Talked to GE and Kinetico both seem to be overpriced compared to just buying and self install. Fleck seems to well thought of here. I am comfortable doing install myself with a good manual and tech support if needed. I have pulled and replaced well before and never hired a plumber in 22 years of home ownership.

Buying a good one slightly oversized always seems to be cheapest in the long run. I have 4 outside spigots and plan on bypassing 3 of them. I would like to keep one treated for car and RV washing so system needs to sized for that.

Looking for size , brand, and places to purchase recommendations. Look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Water tests results and current system pictures attached.
Thanks
Scott

 

[Reach4]

Your manganese is 0.04. Not a lot but it is something. With your hardness (under 1 grain) most people would not have a softener. Is it possible that you got your softened water tested? If not, why have a softener?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Mialynette2003]

In your case, over sizing is not recommended. In fact, with the amount of iron you have, you would need to regen sooner than the hardness will exhaust the capacity. That being the case, I would recommend a Clack 1 CF system because of how you can set the capacity to regen to keep the iron off the resin but now use a lot of salt.

 

[ditttohead]

Iron seems to be less the 0.05 ppm, probably means it is below their test parameters but their appears to be trace manganese.

I would recommend getting rid of the undersized sediment filters. The caps on those tend to fail and leak, not worth fixing when they do. There are many much better options. A simple Hydra is always a good idea for a well system pre-filter, then maybe a single big blue style filter.

 

[NC Hard Water]

Thanks to all who replied. The water test was done by local county government about 10 years ago and raw water was tested. If it helps I am posting a few pictures of problems I am having. The shower was 100 % new ( glass is clear or was ) 6 years ago. I also replaced two toilets around that time and both need replacement

. The other picture are of a older fixtures. I realize a water softener will not be perfect or replace regular maintenance. As it stands now any new plumbing fixture installed is ruined within the first year.
We are going to start a major rehab and water treatment is first on the list. I would hate to do all the work and expense just to see the plumbing part trashed in a short period.
Scott

 

[NC Hard Water]

I did something wrong on the pictures, sorry abou the mistake .

 

[Reach4]

The shower was 100 % new ( glass is clear or was ) 6 years ago. I also replaced two toilets around that time and both need replacement

Silica can leave deposits, and you cannot clean that off with CLR. Kit 90 from http://www.karlabs.com/watertestkit/ tests for silica and more. It is not harmful to drink.

 

[ditttohead]

Many manufacturers are coating chrome and glass with hydrophobic coatings that greatly extend the life of the fixtures and prevent this kind of extensive damage. Once you have the water test done please post it so that we can more accurateley recommend a proper solution. If you replace the fixtures try coating them with Rain-X, this creates a simple hydrophobic layer.

 

[Mialynette2003]

Thank you Reach4. I did mis-read the iron. I took it as .5. There is a BIG difference from .05. LOL

 

[Dgold]

Are those blue stains? That could be a sign of acidic water... Which could also contribute to corrosion of the metal fixture surfaces.

You may want to check the pH of the water to ensure its above 7.0 (neutral). Anything below 7.0 is acidic. If you take a fresh sample to any local pool store, they can measure the pH for you quickly, cheaply, and accurately.

If your water is acidic, you can install an acid neutralizer. The neutralizer will raise the pH of the water. Unfortunately, it will also harden the water, which will in turn increase your softener capacity requirement.

 

[SuperGreg]

I see your pH is 6.7 in your test. Mine is 6.5, and I get extensive blue staining from copper corrosion (I see some in your pics). I just installed a pH neutralizer from cleanwaterstore.com. I'm going to re-test hardness, as it wasn't enough before to need a softener but the neutralizer does add hardness as mentioned above.

 

[ditttohead]

He disappeared.. hasn't been back since he posted.

As to the hardness added by the neutralizer, I highly recommend you test the hardness multiple times. Since calcite tanks are uncontrolled pH control methods the amount of hardness and pH correction will vary wildly. This is not bad, just something to be aware of. If you test the water after filling a large high volume tub, the hardness and pH correction may be minimal. If you test it in the morning while brushing your teeth you may have a massive increase since the water has been soaking in the calcite all night. Also... as the media is consumed you will have less of it so the correction will drop over time. Be sure to keep the calcite level kept at a proper level.

 

[SuperGreg]

Thanks, will the calcite continue to dissolve even though the water has reached a neutral pH? I have gathered that you can check the level of the calcite with a flashlight against the tank - how low would you normally let it go before refilling?

 

[ditttohead]

I recommend half way down, time to add. It will continue to dissolve well past 7, just at a very slow increase. Too many variables to say exactly but calcite can dissolve to reach hundreds of parts per million if left to do so for extended periods of time.