Water Softeners

[JanetRose]

Does anyone know how long a water softener usually lasts before it has to be replaced?

How big a unit should I purchase?

Thanks.

 

[DVC-Don]

Well, we have a Culligan system that's been going since May 1992.

 

[tiggersmom2]

Does anyone know how long a water softener usually lasts before it has to be replaced?

They should last as long as necessary as long as you maintain them properly (change out the filter and salt)

How big a unit should I purchase?

It depends on how hard your water is and how many people is in the household. My water is VERY hard (25) and we have 4 people in the house so I opted for the heavy duty 40,000 gallon capacity.

 

[barkley]

for those with water softners-what value does having it preplumbed for a water softner (no softner actualy installed) add? i ask because when we bought our home the builder "oops'ed" and did all the plumbing and set up in the garage for one to be installed (we had'nt opted for it so we did'nt pay for it-but i think back 7 years ago it was well over a thousand dollar upgrade). i actualy prefer hard water so we've never installed the water softner but the hook ups sit there to this day untouched (and the majority of our neighbors have water softners) and we know it will be mentioned as an upgraded feature when we put our house on the market in a couple of months.

anyone got a ball park idea how much it costs to go in and do the plumbing, concrete etc. to add one to an existing home (we can kind of guage from this what value it adds to our home to have this preexisting).

 

[Dan Murphy]

You need to go to a site that sells them, like Culligan, to see the correct size for your water and useage. You need to know your water hardness in grains to do it correctly. Call your water company.

No idea on the plumbing question, though I doubt a lot. I assume the thousand $+ upgrade included the softner itself.

 

[tiggersmom2]

for those with water softners-what value does having it preplumbed for a water softner (no softner actualy installed) add? i ask because when we bought our home the builder "oops'ed" and did all the plumbing and set up in the garage for one to be installed (we had'nt opted for it so we did'nt pay for it-but i think back 7 years ago it was well over a thousand dollar upgrade). i actualy prefer hard water so we've never installed the water softner but the hook ups sit there to this day untouched (and the majority of our neighbors have water softners) and we know it will be mentioned as an upgraded feature when we put our house on the market in a couple of months.

anyone got a ball park idea how much it costs to go in and do the plumbing, concrete etc. to add one to an existing home (we can kind of guage from this what value it adds to our home to have this preexisting).

Barkley, my hubby installed ours. It was 500.00 for the softner but he spent atleast 400.00 on concrete, and all the supplies. We called a water technology company and they quoted us 1800 for an inferior softner. So if you do it yourself and get the BEST softner from Lowe's it will run about 900.00 for everything.

 

[golfgal]

EVERYONE has a water softener around here. Our water is horribly hard, don't know the number but we have friends that own a water softener dealership and our town always tops the list for the most sold/rented. Around here not having a water softener is a negative for selling a home.

The softeners around here last about5-10 years if you are lucky. Many people rent them because they don't last that long. Elsewhere they last longer.

I used to like hard water, until we got a softener and now I can't stand hard water. Our softener is only hooked up to the hot water line, which is common around here, so if you take a drink of water out of the tap, you don't get that salty taste. I use about 1/4 of what is recommended for laundry soap, dishwasher soap, etc. My hair is SO much easier to deal with in soft water.

 

[mickman1962]

Actually water softeners add very little salt to the water

Initial Hardness Sodium Added

1.0 grains per gallon 7.5 milligrams/quart

5.0 grains per gallon 37.5 milligrams/quart

10.0 grains per gallon 75.0 milligrams/quart

20.0 grains per gallon 150.0 milligrams/quart

40.0 grains per gallon 300.0 milligrams/quart

As a comparison, one slice of white bread has 161 milligrams of sodium; 3/4 cup of canned baked beans = 1130 milligrams; 1 tablespoon of catsup = 204 milligrams; 1 medium frankfurter = 610 milligrams; and 1 cup of whole milk = 127 milligrams. Even a common Alka Seltzer tablet contains 532 milligrams of sodium.
[size=-0]However, if you suffer from hypertension or are on a sodium restricted diet, you should consult your doctor about the proper water for drinking.

Since most people have a hardness between 10 and 20, a quart of water has less salt than a piece of white bread.
[/size]