Water Softener

[someonelse]

Moving into new house and the previous owner removed the water softener. I've worked out which pipes are softened water and which bypass the softener,so just need to buy/fit a softener.

There are clear pipe fittings to divert the relevat water thrugh rh softener as per the photos, but what the **** is the white pipe? It doesnot appear to electric,so what is it...?

 

[LeeJC]

The white pipe is a drain for the filter charge water. The massively sodium laden (could've said Saline, but couldn't remember the word at the time) stuff that is flushed through the cartridges to recharge them periodically.

 

[oldbuffer]

Or it could be the overflow.

 

[Tetrarch]

That is definitely a discharge pipe. looking at those fittings that looks identical to the kit that was supplied with my Harvey's water softener, even the pipe looks like exactly the same gauge. I'd trace it through if I were you as you will need to know where it empties.

I'd recommend Harvey's - I had a Kinetico before and was happy with that. I've had the Harvey's for just under a year now and it's performing perfectly

Regards

Tet

P.S. They are dead easy to fit

 

[someonelse]

Yes previous ower had harvey's. He showed me where to connect and turn on the diverted water (and torn off the direct flow which he left running after reoval) but never mentioned the discharege pipe.

Do all softeners have/need this? If I decide to go with a different make? I'm still reading up and comparing.

 

[SFK]

All salt based water softeners have a discharge pipe.

They work by:
- having a pressurised tank that is full of volcanic rock.
- your incoming hard water passes over the volcanic rock and then leaves as soft water to go into your house.
- the 'hard' part of your water, 'calcium carbonate', is removed by it sticking to the surface of the volcanic rock making the water 'soft'.
- the volcanic rock gets layers of calcium carbonate on it making it less effective to remove the calcium carbonate.
- The water softener also has a tank of brine, 'salty water'.
- At programmed intervals the water softer turns off the water that leaves the water softener into your house, and opens a value from the water softener into the discharge pipe.
- The water softer then adds the brine to the incoming water and washes this brine over the volcanic rock and out into the discharge pipe and out to a drain.
- The salty water washes the calcium carbonate off the volcanic rock to restore it and make it effective again.
.- This can take 30min so uses a lot of incoming water that goes out to the drain.
- At the end of the cleaning cycle the water softer stops using the brine, stops the incoming water, closes the value from the water softener into the discharge pipe. and re-opens the valve from the water softener into your house.
- and the incoming water once again passes over the newly cleaned volcanic rock on its way into your house.

Good water softeners check to see how much water you are using and do this wash process only when need (expect every 3-7 or so days) and normally at night.

ps I have found that buying salt in bulk (250kg for more than 2 years) is cheapest from a local salt bulk supplier
eg: http://www.clarksaltsupplies.co.uk/

SFK

 

[LeeJC]

I've got a Minimax 3 which is a Harvey by any other name, and I'd recommend it. I live in the Huntingdonshire area and the water is pretty hard, it was ruining showers/taps fairly rapidly but I've had this fitted probably about 4 years now and it's doing a great job. Looks like you've already got a pre-softened pick off which is good for babies/infants/people with sodium level issues.
It's got 2 of that type of plastic off run pipes, one is for the brine (That's the WORD!!!) and the other is the overflow.
Uses a twin tower system so even when it's recharging, your supply isn't cut, and it's meant to be smart metered on it's recharge interval as detailed above by the amount of water softened.

I'd recommend it, but it's not the cheapest, although it might be competitive over whole life costs.

 

[someonelse]

Great explanations and getting me closer totaking action!

 

[SFK]

FYI
I get through about 10 x 25kg bags of salt every 2 years (approx). No idea if this is a lot or not.

I am rather shocked to see that price of a 25kg bag of salt has gone from £8.40 per bag to £15.48 per bag (inc VAT, inc Delivery for 10bags) over the last 2 years (April 2022 to April 2023) !