After my recent nightmare with huge chunks of whitish material being washed out of my hot water tank, and the anode rod being worn down to a pencil, I'm in the market for a water softening system. Camping World has a couple models and I'll probably just get the smaller one for my smaller trailer.I had a WaterPur filter on my TT, and it's supposedly good at filtering out chlorine and other impurities, but apparently it doesn't do so good filtering out calcium, magnesium, and other minerals. Is this correct?I'm also assuming that the soft water devices don't filter out chlorine, like it does the minerals. Is this also correct?If both of these are correct, then I'm considering leaving the replacement WaterPur carbon filter out of the system for a few days, just to let chlorinated water go through the plumbing for awhile to ensure sterile lines.Any problems with this line of reasoning? Please let me know.I had no idea how much know-how would be involved with owning an RV, but I'm learning all the time.

Your anode rod did exactly what it was suppose to do ... deteriorate! The white particles are the residue from the rod. It's designed to do that. You do need to flush out your water heater every now and then for this very reason.About water softeners. We have one at the house and although we are on a well, and do not have chlorine, all it does is, basically, add salt and somehow soften the water. It does nothing for iron (which we have strong iron in our home water.Actually, the city chlorine is good for your water system. It helps to keep your system sanitized, and you don't have to do anything. Because we are on a well, if we go camping and have advantage of using chlorinated water, we fill the fresh water, run it through the lines and let it self-sanatize everything for us. When we lived it town, we didn't have to worry about that, because we kept city (chlorinated) water in the tank all the time.Another thing about water softeners. Although they do help remove some chemicals, the salt that is replaced is not good for drinking. That's why in homes, usually the kitchen faucet cold water is never hooked up through the water softener, but straight from the water source, be it city or a well.

I had an On-the-Go softener, but, it lowered the ph of the water enough to where it ate the drain out of my shower. It was a hassle to use, so I just use any old water that's available. I don't seem to have unusual hard-water scale on anything.A search of 'soft water' will give you more ideas.

DutchmenSport wrote:Your anode rod did exactly what it was suppose to do ... deteriorate! The white particles are the residue from the rod. It's designed to do that. You do need to flush out your water heater every now and then for this very reason.Yeah, I know. I'm pretty sure that the rate that the anode deteriorates is faster when the water is 'harder'. I'm hoping that the soft water device will at lest slow down the process. Is this correct?DutchmenSport wrote:Another thing about water softeners. Although they do help remove some chemicals, the salt that is replaced is not good for drinking. That's why in homes, usually the kitchen faucet cold water is never hooked up through the water softener, but straight from the water source, be it city or a well.The salt that is used to 'regenerate' the water softener replaces the minerals in the water? I don't think I really understand what's going on here.And how about the carbon 'WaterPur' filter? If this removes chlorine, I'm betting it will remove sodium chloride (salt) also.

Rmack1 wrote:The salt that is used to 'regenerate' the water softener replaces the minerals in the water? I don't think I really understand what's going on here.The best, quickest and most accurate answer will be to google 'soft water'.

The RV portable water softeners (On-The-Go & FloPur are two brands) are filled with a resin. The resin collects calcium/magnesium. When resin is coated you clean the resin with a brine solution. Then the brine is rinsed away. (Open top,pour in box of table salt, let sit for 15-20 mins, gently rinse for 15 mins. Regen done)In a large home system the added sodium content is minimal. There is 5 times more salt in a glass of milk than in a glass of softened water.PH of water is only slightly raised by softening because sodium is alkaline.Normal PH for drinking water.......6.5 to 8.5.Softening only raises PH by .2 to .3 unitsMilk has a PH of 6.2We have used our portable for 7 yrs whenever in areas of hard water.Keeps the WH from scaling up, keeps the faucets from scaling up, keeps the toilet bowl and inlet valve from scaling up. Great suds in shower and sink.We drink it, bath in it, wash with it. The only thing we don't do is make coffee with it. I would as I drink coffee black but GF likes 'cream' (non-dairy kind) and it doesn't mix. It just clumps.

Questions about plumbing systems, minerals vrs chlorine

18 Replies

C_Schomer
Explorer
Mar 27, 2014
The sodium in softened water IS considerable if the raw water is really hard. You get 37.5 mg sodium/qt for every 5 gr hardness water. That means my softened water is 960 mg sodium/gal and I drink up to 3 gal/day in the summer but I don't drink a drop of the softened water. Hot water can't hold the amount of minerals as cold water so anywhere water is heated the minerals precipitate out. Hence, the white scale in the bottom of WHs, scaled condenser tubes on chillers, etc. Filters are good. Reduce the particulate/reduce the conductivity/reduce electrolysis. I've cured nasty electrolysis problems with filters. I use a 1 mic whole house filter. 5 mic is only entry level. Activated carbon is great for smell and taste but you can eventually have bug problems cuz it removes chlorine. A softener exchanges (relatively) favorable ions for unfavorable ions. Sodium is more soluble than calcium. Potassium chloride is great to regen a softener! The Denver zoo uses it by the truck loads. K is good for everything. Too bad KCL got so expensive. Craig
down_home
Explorer II
Mar 27, 2014
There's volumes on filters around here.
If there is a lot of calcium etc in the water, that means a lot, of it, is suspended and not just dissolved. A good charcoal filter with silver, or ceramic with charcoal center and so on will get most of the suspended and even gather some of the dissolved. Silver in the charcoal will get a lot, of nasties. The blue 10 inx2.5in filter at CW is a good one. They will take out the chlorine, which is usually excessive and makes the water terrible on it's own accord. It also eats at metal plumbing. The big 10x4 in whole house filter housing will handle a number of different spec filters. We run one of them as primary to get sediments and then another or the blue one from cW, whatever the name is or the ceramic. Slows down flow some but the tank is full of filtered water and if need be turn the pump on. We had wonderful well water at our last home. I held it up a glass of it to light and could see calcium flakes. Filter took it out and toned down a lot. Water good enough to make whiskey. We frequently took water to Mama's Neighbors. Friends would take water home with them.
the good filters will get rust, sulfur, lead and so on. Lot of different ones out there on the net.
We add back some chlorine, sold at CW and elsewhere and it is night and day better than stuff in municipal systems, too keep water, in the tank, in good shape.
Rmack1
Explorer
Mar 27, 2014
ernie1 wrote:
Chlorine in water will form a compound called trihalomethane which is carcinogenic.

Thanks.
Rmack1
Explorer
Mar 27, 2014
Okie1 wrote:
Why are you wanting to lessen the amount of chlorine???

Can't be good for your health. The purer the water, the better.

Yeah, I know it helps keep bacterial contamination down, which is why I run some through occasionally, but don't drink it.
ernie1
Explorer II
Mar 27, 2014
Chlorine in water will form a compound called trihalomethane which is carcinogenic.
Clay_L
Explorer
Mar 27, 2014
Rmack1 wrote:
Thanks for all the info, everyone.

After awhile, I'm going to be filtering the water from a water softener with a 'WaterPur' water filter. This is suppose to greatly lessen the amount of chorine in the water. Would it do the same thing for sodium?

If the filter cartridge is a charcoal type it will remove chlorine. It won't remove sodium.
Okie1
Explorer
Mar 27, 2014
Why are you wanting to lessen the amount of chlorine???

Rmack1 wrote:
Thanks for all the info, everyone.

After awhile, I'm going to be filtering the water from a water softener with a 'WaterPur' water filter. This is suppose to greatly lessen the amount of chorine in the water. Would it do the same thing for sodium?
Rmack1
Explorer
Mar 26, 2014
Old-Biscuit wrote:

'Soft water removes calcium & magnesium.
RV Anode rods are either Aluminum (MFG) or Magnesium (aftermarket--option)

Magnesium dissolves at a faster rate than Aluminum regardless of water source.

If WH (Suburban) has an anode rod it should be checked routinely whether Aluminum or Magnesium.

I gather that the rate of deterioration of the anode rod is more rapid the harder the water is, right?

Once a year is the standard advice I've heard to service the whole water heater. If your going to check, and maybe replace the anode rod, you might as well do it all, right?

This would also depend on how often you used your plumbing, I would assume.

I've also heard that draining the system helps.
Rmack1
Explorer
Mar 26, 2014
Thanks for all the info, everyone.

After awhile, I'm going to be filtering the water from a water softener with a 'WaterPur' water filter. This is suppose to greatly lessen the amount of chorine in the water. Would it do the same thing for sodium?
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Mar 26, 2014
wa8yxm wrote:
One thing you might find.... As I recall "Soft" water is de-mineralized.. The Anode rod.. Well that is a mineral (Zinc most likely) and thus soft water will eat it fairly fast. So if you go soft, check the anode often.

'Soft water removes calcium & magnesium.
RV Anode rods are either Aluminum (MFG) or Magnesium (aftermarket--option)

Magnesium dissolves at a faster rate than Aluminum regardless of water source.

If WH (Suburban) has an anode rod it should be checked routinely whether Aluminum or Magnesium.