Water Softener Yes/No

[Dune_Hauler]

I was looking into adding a water softener and was looking to see what others are using. I am looking for feedback as to hassle factor for recharge and storage. Is it more trouble than it is worth?

[Dune_Hauler]

Thank you all for the responses, I have it narrowed down to two units. I just need to figure out a simple backwash valve and drain.

[Clay_L]

J-Rooster wrote:

Clay L wrote:

wny_pat wrote:

dbbls wrote:
I was interested in one but I contacted the manufacture and told them I was on a restricted salt diet and they discouraged me from getting one.

I really wonder about this??? And I do admit I am far from a expert. With the Flow Pur Mark 8000 and other Flow Pur softeners, the salt is flushed out of the unit after it has regenerated the resin. The salt is not retained in the unit. The purpose of the salt is to clean the minerals off the resin. Just who advised you about this. Have you talked to the folks at Flow Pur, (330) 547-4423, about this?

Although the salt used to regenerate the unit is washed out, the ion exchange process captures salt that is returned to the water as hardness ions are captured. It's not really a lot of salt and you would have to be on a pretty restrictive diet for it to be a problem.

Clay, are you staying in Bouse again this year?

Yup - site 62 Coyote Ridge RV park. Come on by!!

[Chris_F]

ddbis, you are on a sodium-restricted diet. Table salt is sodium chloride, so it is one of the things that can affect your sodium intake. Nutrition labels list sodium levels so you can determine the contribution of other things that add to that intake. The lables don't list the chloride part of table salt because it is "just along for the ride".

When table salt or any other form of sodium chloride regenerates a softener, sodium knocks the hardness off the resin and replaces it. The chloride is rinsed to drain along with the hardness and excess sodium. When hard water flows through the resin, hardness is removed and replaced with sodium, not salt.

To estimate the increase in the sodium level (ppm) after softening, multiply the hardness level (grains per gallon) by 8. For example, if the hardness level is 20 gpg, the sodium level will increase by 160 ppm. If you consume the national average of about 1/2 gallon per day, that number doubles to 320 mg additional daily sodium intake. Keep in mind none of this includes the sodium already in the hard water.

As Clay noted, potassium chloride can be used in place of sodium chloride to regenerate a softener. However, the potassium level will increase by an amount equal to the hardness level times 13.9. Elevated potassium intake can be a problem for those with impaired kidney function.

[shanwick]

Go here for information on portable water softeners. On The Go Water Softener It's the website for On the Go, but has good information and most, if not all of it applies to the Flo-Pur softener as well. Camping world has them both on sale right now. They are both 8000 grain units, so they have the same capacity. The On The Go double model is attractive if you winter in Arizona due to really hard water there.

You can use potassium chloride instead of table salt if you're watching your salt intake. But, for the portable units you have to crush the pellets into something resembling table salt yourself to make it work.

[Bill_Satellite]

wny_pat wrote:

WayneLee wrote:


In cases where you need a salt-free water softner, they make them. Here is one salt-free solution Link, you can google more.

It also uses salt for regeneration!

Actually is says use table salt OR potassium chloride. If that's true for their unit, I suspect that would also be a workable option for any of the units that say to use salt. I wish I knew where I could find it. I would like to give it a try.

[ryanallie1]

Hi All.

Pretty simple question to answer. Once hyou have had "Soft water", you'll never like going back to "Hard Water " Again, Period.

Many years ago I installed Water Systems (Systems, not just Water Softner's. I made up my own Water Softners in an RV So for many mnay year I have hook-up Water 'Softners' way before they ever though of making anything small enough to even fit into an RV, and not even mention the weight of them, way bacK then.

If they are good enough for a "Stick & Brick House, then why not an RV. They sure do save on the plumbing.

Good Luck. Happy Travels. Dan & Jill & our two small "Yorkie Kids", who love to trave as much as we do.

[Boonedocks]

We wouldn't be without our softener. We use the Travelsoft which uses solar salt for regeneration.

We also use a two cartridge whole house filter system ahead of the softener with a sediment filter followed by a taste a odor filter as sold by the RV Water Filter Store.

And every single one of our water connections has a quick connect on it (except of course for the first connection to the hydrant)

[J-Rooster]

Clay L wrote:

wny_pat wrote:

dbbls wrote:
I was interested in one but I contacted the manufacture and told them I was on a restricted salt diet and they discouraged me from getting one.

I really wonder about this??? And I do admit I am far from a expert. With the Flow Pur Mark 8000 and other Flow Pur softeners, the salt is flushed out of the unit after it has regenerated the resin. The salt is not retained in the unit. The purpose of the salt is to clean the minerals off the resin. Just who advised you about this. Have you talked to the folks at Flow Pur, (330) 547-4423, about this?

Although the salt used to regenerate the unit is washed out, the ion exchange process captures salt that is returned to the water as hardness ions are captured. It's not really a lot of salt and you would have to be on a pretty restrictive diet for it to be a problem.

Clay, are you staying in Bouse again this year?

[Clay_L]

wny_pat wrote:

dbbls wrote:
I was interested in one but I contacted the manufacture and told them I was on a restricted salt diet and they discouraged me from getting one.

I really wonder about this??? And I do admit I am far from a expert. With the Flow Pur Mark 8000 and other Flow Pur softeners, the salt is flushed out of the unit after it has regenerated the resin. The salt is not retained in the unit. The purpose of the salt is to clean the minerals off the resin. Just who advised you about this. Have you talked to the folks at Flow Pur, (330) 547-4423, about this?

Although the salt used to regenerate the unit is washed out, the ion exchange process captures salt that is returned to the water as hardness ions are captured. It's not really a lot of salt and you would have to be on a pretty restrictive diet for it to be a problem.

[Clay_L]

I have the FloPur Mark 8000.
Cost is $220 and includes shipping if bought from the site above. Regeneration is done with a box of common table salt.
It is similar to others like the "On-The-Go" water softener which is one of the ones that Camping World sells I believe.

Both are 8000 grain units which means they will last longer without requiring regeneration. Some folks use "Water Sticks" but the biggest one of those I have seen is only 1500 grains.

In AZ where we spend most of the winter the water hardness is about 50 grains per gallon. That means that an 8000 grain unit will soften about 160 gallons before needing to be regenerated. Since we use about 13 gallons of water per day we have to regenerate every 12 days or so.

In our summer home in CO we have a water hardness of 20 GPG, there the softener will last about a month.

[Clay_L]

WayneLee wrote:
I have used one for years and love it.

In cases where you need a salt-free water softner, they make them. Here is one salt-free solution Link, you can google more.

The Waterstiks use the same resin as the other softeners and the other softeners can be regenerated with potassium chloride just like the Waterstiks if you are on a restricted salt diet.

[wny_pat1]

dbbls wrote:
I was interested in one but I contacted the manufacture and told them I was on a restricted salt diet and they discouraged me from getting one.

I really wonder about this??? And I do admit I am far from a expert. With the Flow Pur Mark 8000 and other Flow Pur softeners, the salt is flushed out of the unit after it has regenerated the resin. The salt is not retained in the unit. The purpose of the salt is to clean the minerals off the resin. Just who advised you about this. Have you talked to the folks at Flow Pur, (330) 547-4423, about this?

[wny_pat1]

WayneLee wrote:


In cases where you need a salt-free water softner, they make them. Here is one salt-free solution Link, you can google more.

It also uses salt for regeneration!

[ncrowley]

I have one and I love it. It uses table salt. To get around the sodium in the water, we have a Y after the filters and before the softener. We put water in a pitcher using the Y connection before the softener and use that water for coffee and cooking.