Replies

1. 
   RichBeckman | Jan 12, 2003 06:25pm | #1

   Just to get the ball rolling (don't take anything I say as being authoritative in any way, because it isnt')....

   I would put the pressure tank first and the hot water heater last. I'm not sure about the order of the UV and the softener. Off the top of my head I would think the UV and any other filters would go before the softener. One good reason for this is that it is true that you don't want to make ice with softened water, but you would like it to be clean.

   So I'm saying...

   pressure tank

   I would probably put a whole house filter here

   UV system

   tee off for water to ice maker, also cold water at kitchen sink (you don't want to cook with softened water, either)

   softener

   hot water heater

   Rich Beckman

   Another day, another tool.

1. 
   TLRice | Jan 12, 2003 07:00pm | #2

   This is the order I put my water system in:

   sand (cyclone) filter

   sediment, whole house filter

   pressure tank, pressure switch

   softener

   everything else (outside water and unsoftened supplies branch before the softener)

   I have no UV purifier.

   I put the filters upstream of the pressure tank/switch so that as the pressure drop across the filter increases, the supply to the house does not. Since I have a sand filter that I blowdown every other week, the whole house filter seldom loads up, but I check it once a month.

   I use soft water for ice and to cook with. The notion that you should not because it has salt in it is idiotic and unless there is something seriously wrong with your softener, just plain wrong.

1. 
   fredsmart48 | Jan 13, 2003 02:12am | #3

   soften water pulls lead out of solder joints,  That is the reason you should not use the hole house soft water.  that is why most homes don't soften the drinking and cooking watter. 

1. 
   mitch | Jan 13, 2003 05:55am | #4

   thanks for the suggestions, i've been wondering the same thing.  btw, i thought that one shouldn't use soft water for drinking, cooking or ice just because it tastes like s**t.

   m

1. 
   WayneL5 | Jan 14, 2003 01:00am | #5

   If it's a new home then, of course, lead is not a concern.

   Softeners work by replacing cacium and magnesium in the water with sodium.   If your water is very hard, the amount of sodium added can alter the taste.  The water tastes "flat", kind of like water that has been boiled, or like everything tastes after sucking on a throat lozenge, with a slight salty taste.   Most people don't like the taste.

   With very hard water the amount of sodium can exceed the recommended limits for people on "severely sodium restricted" diets.  So that can be a problem for a few individuals with a medical condition.  However, most people not eat much more sodium with their food than they would get from water.

   People will differ in opinions, but mine would be to soften all the hot water in the house, and all the cold water (laundry, dishwashing, and so forth) except the kitchen and bathroom faucets (for taste) and the outdoor spigots (save money).  Shower's a toss up.  Sometimes if the water is too soft it feels slimy, giving you the feeling that you can't rinse soap off.  One way to tone back the softening in the shower is to soften only the hot.

2. 
   TLRice | Jan 16, 2003 04:30pm | #6

   Fred,

   I have never heard that claim before. Modern solder has no lead in it, but older homes would certainly have leaded solder. Any source for this info? I'm not disputing it, but would like to verify from the source if possible.