Need some help

[Mendocino101]

Ok....this is not Hot Tub related but does anyone here know much about water softeners and if they are worth investing in....My wife wants one as she thinks the water here is to hard on her hair and leaves he skin dry as well as spotting on the shower door.....any help is appreciated .....

[Anoroc]

When we purchased our home the previouls owners were renting one and said it really helped them with dishes, washing mashine and showering.

Since we did not know how much more in monthly expensed were going to cost us we decided we did not want it.

I guess we never got to experince the difference but the previous owners sure swore by it.

[Skellman]

I would try a whole house filter first. I believe they cost about $40.00- $50.00 at Lowe's, Menard's, Home Depot etc.
You can get different filters depending on what you're looking to remove. I would suggest the filter that is made of carbon.
I have one that is a spun wound filter that removes sediment. Simply just a precaution for me.
It will require some plumbing work. I did mine so it can't be that difficult.
Question: Are there stains in your tub, sink etc. from the iron?

[Bonibelle]

Mendo. I have a water softener as I also use a neutralizer to keep the pH of my well water neutral (I have copper pipes and my water is a bit acid). The softener removes the hardness that the neutralizer adds. My softener also take out iron that I have had some problems with. I just replaced my 13 year old unit with a salt saver that only regenerates and uses salt on demand, not on a schedule. You will notice a great difference in how your hair and skin feel. You will save a fortune in laundry and dish detergent. I turn my softener off to fill my hot tub and my fish pond and fish tanks (it is not good for fish tanks) and when I forget to turn it back on, my whole family notices. So that tells me, it really makes a difference. Have someone come out and do a free water test and determine just how hard your water is. I always get 3 estimates and opinions before I buy something like this. It helps you be sure that a softener is really a solution, not just an added expense that you won't really appreciate. (OH and don't get Sears, sorry Drew but I think they are either switching manufacturers or something)

[Mendocino101]

Thank you all....Bonni......I understand that for a home like mine I would only plumb it to my inside plumbing and my outside / garden hose would stay as is.....perhaps as you are on a well it is different for you.....It sounds like something we will do....

[Brewman]

What the hardness reading of your water?  
You can test it with your spa test kit, if you've got one.
Lots of softner sales folk will also test your water, or you're on city water you can ask them.  
Our water is pretty hard, so most people on our water system have a softner.  
  Your dishwasher and washing machine will work better, and you'll notice the difference when you use shampoo or soap when you bathe.  That's assuming you have hard water to begin with.
A filter won't solve the problems that hard water presents.  
Hardness can't be filtered out.  I wish it was that simple and inexpensive.

[Vinny]

Mendo,

The "correct" place for a water softener is right after the water meter. It then softens all the water in the house. It uses salt to achieve that.

How hard is the water?

[wmccall]

Ok....this is not Hot Tub related but does anyone here know much about water softeners and if they are worth investing in....My wife wants one as she thinks the water here is to hard on her hair and leaves he skin dry as well as spotting on the shower door.....any help is appreciated .....

Good question, sales people of water softeners would certainly tell you of the neccesity. I wonder using pool and spa testing methods what everyone's hardness is. Mine is virtually non-existent and I've had people come from my original home town and say the laundry here gets cleaner easier.

[Mendocino101]

I have not tested for hardness but I will.....I have heard that for most things around the house the soft water is better.....

[Skellman]

That's assuming you have hard water to begin with.
A filter won't solve the problems that hard water presents.  
Hardness can't be filtered out.  I wish it was that simple and inexpensive.

[/quote]
This is true. It's all speculation until a water test is done. Spots, dry skin etc. can be caused by other things in water besides iron. High pH and calcium come to mind.
I ask again-Are there "iron" stains in the sink & toilets?

[Bonibelle]

Mendo, I am on a well so I have to turn it off and on. If you do find that you need or really want a softener, I am really pleased with the salt saver I bought. Since I also have a septic tank, the amount of salt that I was dumping during regeneration was also an issue. The mechanics of a softener are very simple so it isn't something that will require a lot of service work, they usually last a long time.

[Mendocino101]

That's assuming you have hard water to begin with.
 A filter won't solve the problems that hard water presents.  
 Hardness can't be filtered out.  I wish it was that simple and inexpensive.This is true. It's all speculation until a water test is done. Spots, dry skin etc. can be caused by other things in water besides iron. High pH and calcium come to mind.
I ask again-Are there "iron" stains in the sink & toilets?

The house is only 2 years old....so other than the dry skin, hair  no sink spotting also porcelain sinks do they show on them as well.....

[Bonibelle]

If you are on public water, you may not have a problem with iron. Hard water however will leave white / off-white deposits, and make water marks. I would get the water tested but some of the water softener sales people are high pressure sales guys so be ready...

[Mendocino101]

Yeah Bonni most in home sales people no matter the product seem to be that way....that is where the 3 day rescission period comes in to play .......to be able to get people out of your home....many people think it applies when you shop in a store as well and it does not....if you walk in to a place of business and sign a binding contract you are obligated to it.....the three day rule applies when you sign in your home......I was thinking of buying a softener and just having it installed....

[Brewman]

 Water hardness is either expressed in Grains Per Gallon, (GPG) or Parts Per Million (PPM)

Mulitply GPG by 17.1 to get PPM's.


Rule of thumb around here is that if the water hardness is over 3.5 GPG (60 ppm), a softner is going to make a difference.  
Over 10.5 GPG (180 ppm) it's pretty much mandatory if you want your pipes and water heater to last.

Our water is about 250 ppm, which is pretty good for spa use, but not good for washing machines, dishwasher, water heater, etc.....

You can get a water test kit if you don't want to have a sales guy visit you.

And you can plumb so that your outside water isn't soft.
Some people don't like to drink or cook with soft water so they have the cold spigot in the kitchen left unsoftened too.