Hey guys, help me with water softners.

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  • flightsimmer

    Master
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    6   0   0
    Dec 27, 2008
    3,943
    149
    S.E. Indy
    I have just installed a new water heater and I'm considering a water softner.
    I have looked at the top 10? Including Culligan to get an idea of what I need. I'm on Indpls, city water line and I believe that all I need is a softner to take out mineral deposits like those that clogged my old water heater.

    Can anyone tell me from experience the best route to go? P.S. I have a somewhat limited space to work with.
     

    EvilElmo

    Expert
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    8   0   0
    Feb 11, 2009
    1,235
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    Dearborn Co.
    I'm by no means an expert but I'll pass on the advice given to me by the guy who installed mine - pay attention to the fittings. Brass to brass is fine, nylon to nylon is fine, but brass to nylon it just going to cause you problems in the long run.
     

    Tactically Fat

    Grandmaster
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    22   0   0
    Oct 8, 2014
    8,270
    113
    Indiana
    I can't help you with much on the "what to buy" route... But take a sample of your water with you to some place and have it tested for hardness.

    Indy water will probably be rather hard out of the tap. I know my Greenwood water is like 20-22 GPG / hardness. GPG = Grains Per Gallon.

    I haven't had my softened water tested, but I'm sure it's probably still somewhat hard.

    As far as devices: Get an on-demand softener. No reason to get one that recharges every day. Get one that'll only recharge when it needs it.
     

    WebSnyper

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    56   0   0
    Jul 3, 2010
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    127.0.0.1
    Take some water and have it tested at Aqua Systems and then talk to them about the results. Do not tell them if you have a softener or not and whose it is before getting it tested. (I recently did this and I have an Aqua Systems softener --- mine is about 12 going on 13 years old and I just wanted to see if it was still performing. My water was still soft and all was good.) I also had an Aqua Systems softener in my previous house and have had good experience with them.
     

    schmart

    Sharpshooter
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    4   0   0
    Nov 10, 2014
    559
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    Lafayette
    I personally don't care for Culligan as I think it over softens the water and makes it taste funny. I can tell in the first sip that someone has a Culligan system.
    A decade ago, shortly after moving into my house, I installed an inexpensive Morton branded softener. It still works fine, but I've started noticing that the hardness is creeping up. Likely the resin is getting clogged and I'll have to replace it. In the previous house, I had a water boss softener, again with no problems.

    There are softeners for every budget, some more hi-tech than others, but they all function in basically the same way in that the incoming water is pushed through a bed of resin coated plastic beads that absorb the calcium through an ion exchange, hence they add sodium to the water. (You can avoid the sodium by using potassium chloride instead of standard salt.) During the regeneration cycle, the beads are flushed with a concentrated brine solution, which strips the calcium off the resin and puts the sodium back. The calcium is then flushed down the drain.

    Softeners are sized in total grains of hardness to remove. You can calculate how many gallons of water the softener will treat by dividing the total grains by the incomming hardness (Google says Indy water is 12-20 grains, so a 30000 grain softener would treat 1500 gallons). It will then regenerate, consuming a fixed amount of salt.

    You don't necessarily want to go crazy and purchase the largest unit possible as the softeners do need to regenerate on a regular basis (i.e. <10 days). If you purchase a large softener for a small household, it will regen every 10 days, using the same salt amount, and therefore cause you to use more salt than if you had a smaller softener. Conversely, if you install a small softener, but use lots of water, it may need to regen every day.

    Softeners do have different salt efficiencies. I go through about 400 lbs of salt/year. I've got friends w/ apparently inefficient softeners, and they seem to use almost 2000 lb/year. The difference in salt cost can pay the difference in upgrading to a more efficient system.

    In my opinion, you will get a more cost effective system by purchasing a quality softener yourself and hiring an independent plumber to install it, instead of going to a dealer of a specific brand.

    --Rick
     

    Scuba591

    Expert
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    16   0   0
    Jan 22, 2013
    936
    43
    Noblesville
    I've been happy with WaterBoss. Compact design with great customer service. I agree, as has been said, get your water tested and do the calculations for hardness removed with each unit you are considering.
     

    Rookie

    Grandmaster
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    14   0   0
    Sep 22, 2008
    18,155
    113
    Kokomo
    I rent one from Culligan. Years ago, I bought one from Culligan, and one week after the warranty was up, it took a ****. Now, I'm one my third rental unit (in seven years), and I don't have to worry about warranties. My situation is a little different since I have huge amounts of iron in my water, but I'll never buy another even if I was on city water.
     

    jkaetz

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    3   0   0
    Jan 20, 2009
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    Indianapolis
    I have used a couple inexpensive whirlpool ones from the local home improvement stores. When the current one dies I will be replacing it with a Kinetico system. The inexpensive ones seem to do the job but the water hardness level seems to fluctuate as it goes from regeneration to regeneration. The Kenetico system my Dad has is always ready to go (no downtime for regeneration) and seems more consistent in its softening ability.
     

    femurphy77

    Grandmaster
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    30   0   0
    Mar 5, 2009
    20,268
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    S.E. of disorder
    I've had two Aqua system units and two Morton's in different houses, never had a lick of trouble with any of them. We're currently on a Morton and it makes a yuge difference, YUGE!
     

    ATOMonkey

    Grandmaster
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    0   0   0
    Jun 15, 2010
    7,635
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    Plainfield
    We have a Kinetico. It was an expensive install, but that was 10 years ago and I have had zero issues. Comes with a lifetime warranty. Cry once...
     

    Butch627

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    24   0   0
    Jan 3, 2012
    1,698
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    NWI
    I am probably on my 3rd or 4th over 30 some years. In modern times I did a ton or research and decided on a water boss. I got about 12 years out of it and then did hours more research at all the price points. I concluded that I was happy to not spend much on another water boss and see how long it lasts than spend 5 times more and hope that newer technology doesn't eclipse it, that the company stays in business and supports it, and that it will not become a hassle warranty or not.
     

    Jeepster48439

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    13   0   0
    Jan 12, 2012
    1,902
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    Marion County
    I have used Water Boss in two homes. One was on a well and the other is on Indy water. Both have served me well. I like the compact size, especially since I am in a 1000SF condo and can't afford to waste a square inch of space. In Indy it is just my wife and myself, I probably use about 350 pounds of salt/year.
     

    10mmMarc

    Marksman
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    7   0   0
    Jan 16, 2015
    228
    18
    Greenwood
    I've had two Aqua system units and two Morton's in different houses, never had a lick of trouble with any of them. We're currently on a Morton and it makes a yuge difference, YUGE!

    I have an Aqua Systems unit , they have great customer service if there ever is a problem, I had to swap out the control head once and that was 20 years ago.
     

    allthumbs

    Plinker
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    1   0   0
    Mar 30, 2019
    61
    8
    NW, IN
    I never had a water softener for the first 50 years of my life, after I got one and it went out, I HAD to get a new one, couldn't live without it. I don't know if one brand is better than another but here is a tip on your water heater. Every year, (6 months is better) shut the water supply to the tank off and completely drain your tank, (hook a garden hose to it) it will flush the sediment out of the bottom and prolong its life. I replaced mine with a stainless steel tank and still do that but I have well water.
     

    4651feeder

    Expert
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    3   0   0
    Oct 21, 2016
    1,186
    63
    East of NWI
    Over the years have had Culligan, Water Boss, and now a Fleck 5600 Timed Mechanical that was purchased on ebay after talking to the guy who happened to live in LaPorte Co @ the time. This performs just as well as any previously owned for $ubstantially less. All water softeners no matter the brand will require periodic maintenance in time regardless whatever the salesman may tell you to justify paying more.
     

    GLOCKMAN23C

    Resident Dumbass II
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    22   0   0
    Feb 8, 2009
    38,118
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    S.E. Indy
    I have a Whirlpool softener, put in about 12 years ago. I'm on a well with copious amounts of rust and lime. I flush it monthly with Iron Out and don't have any issues.
     
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