I am in need of a water softener but I don’t know what size is right. Here’s the breakdown of my water:
I want to get one that uses salt. Any comments appreciated.
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Replies
standard water softener capacity is 32,000 grains per day (smaller to much larger capacity units are available). calculate need by using 100 gal/day/per person x grains per gallon and leave a 20% unused residual this should tell you what size you require. Then you have a choice, 1st is a program timed unit that regenerates itself on a predetermined basis, i.e. daily, every other day, etc. or a metered demand unit that meters water usage and regenerates only when needed. Iron is a killer of water softeners. anything greater than 1 ppm will coat the resin beads and slowly kill the unit.... the resin bed is quite expensive by the way.
The other option is to get a unit with dual resin tanks. Then overall capacity can be smaller, and you don't have to worry about programming.
1mg/liter = 1 ppm
So...... .75ppm iron in your water
Each ppm of iron = 4 grains hardess
Your iron content = 3 grains equivalency
18 grains base hardess in your water
18+3 = 21 grains total
100 gallons per day per person = 2100 grains hardness per day to remove
32,000 grain capacity softener / 2100 = regeneration every 15.2 days (on average).....with one person in household.
Two people in household = regeneration every 7.6 days (on average)
This would be if you install a metered head...which I would highly recommend. That way you don't ever run out of soft water and you also don't waste salt by regenerating when you don't have to. Most of the metered heads are defaulted to regenerate automatically every two weeks if true uasage regeneration hasn't been required in that time span. But if you have more than one person in the household, it'll be regenerating within that two weeks anyway. If only one person, you still might trigger it within the two weeks. Hard to say for sure. Depends how many long hot showers you like to take and how much laundry you do. If only one person in household and no foreseeable "others" to join you, you could consider a 24,000 grain unit....if you're worried about the possibility of wasting a little salt now and then.
With that little iron in the water you shouldn't have a problem so long as the iron is ferrous iron and not ferric iron (not likley since the city is not chlorinating). Just buy a softener with ferrous iron handling capability and toss in a little Iron Out along with your salt or buy Iron Out or similar already in the pellets. I use the "sprinkle some" on the salt method here. Put in ten pounds of salt, sprinkle a little on (1/2 cup or so). Add another ten pounds salt.....etc. That way it feeds into the brew every time the machine cycles and cleans out any residual iron that may still be clinging to the media.
Knowledge is power, but only if applied in a timely fashion.
Edited 2/18/2005 9:12 pm ET by GOLDHILLER
Edited 2/18/2005 9:15 pm ET by GOLDHILLER