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Message
Water softener and drinking water
Posted on 5/9/19 at 4:27 pm
Posted on 5/9/19 at 4:27 pm
Setting up a water filtration/softening system now, and I have come to the point where I need to decide whether or not to get an RO unit under the sink, or not. I already have a regular dual filter GE setup, but I don't think it would filter out the salts coming from the softener. I am looking for the normal nutrients that come with decent water, but my water now dries out my mouth pretty quickly. Definitely getting a softener though.
For those with softeners, do you find that your water tastes any bit salty? Do you have an RO unit for drinking water?
FWIW, I am going with a Fleck 5600 Econominder softening unit
For those with softeners, do you find that your water tastes any bit salty? Do you have an RO unit for drinking water?
FWIW, I am going with a Fleck 5600 Econominder softening unit
1
Posted on 5/9/19 at 5:21 pm to Hammertime
quote:
For those with softeners, do you find that your water tastes any bit salty? Do you have an RO unit for drinking water?
No and no.
RO is nice, though. Instead I have a high end water filter on my drinking water that gets all the chemicals out. costs around $50/yr.
Posted on 5/9/19 at 5:31 pm to notsince98
I'm gonna run a sediment filter and two carbon filters before the softener
Posted on 5/9/19 at 5:59 pm to Hammertime
I have a dual 20” filter setup before my fleck 5600. No RO system needed in our situation. It’s been a great addition to our house. Tastes great and no more hard water issues.
You can get your water tested by either buying a strip kit for a general analysis or you can bring a gallon of water to a local pool company and tell them you are interested in getting a pool and you want a water analysis.(may be frowned upon but you will get a detailed report).
From there you can adjust your settings on your Fleck.
You can get your water tested by either buying a strip kit for a general analysis or you can bring a gallon of water to a local pool company and tell them you are interested in getting a pool and you want a water analysis.(may be frowned upon but you will get a detailed report).
From there you can adjust your settings on your Fleck.
Posted on 5/9/19 at 6:31 pm to BG333
I've tested it several times, and total chlorine averages 3.5ppm, and hardness was something like 350-400ppm. All other numbers are fine.
Once a month, the parish heavily doses the water supply around here, and my whole house smells like a pool after a shower. They haven't done it in a couple of months though, so I haven't been able to test that level. No doubt it is above legal chlorine levels for municipal water
Once a month, the parish heavily doses the water supply around here, and my whole house smells like a pool after a shower. They haven't done it in a couple of months though, so I haven't been able to test that level. No doubt it is above legal chlorine levels for municipal water
Posted on 5/10/19 at 7:46 am to BG333
quote:
No RO system needed in our situation.
That sorta depends on why someone wants an RO system.
If you want pure water, filters and water softener aren't going to get you there.
What kind of 20" filters are you using? Most whole home filters are sediment only and don't actually remove the hazardous chemicals from the water. I keep looking for some but have had no luck yet.
Posted on 5/10/19 at 8:11 am to notsince98
Dual 4.5x20" Pentek CRFC20-BB, which are specifically designed for chloramine removal. My only problems are chloramines and hard water. No sediment, but I was just using that as a protectant, and because it's cheap.
Will use a Flomax FM-BB-10-5 for sediment in front of the whole system, and it's a 4.5x10" filter. After that stuff, I was going with the Fleck 5600 32,000gr softener
Will use a Flomax FM-BB-10-5 for sediment in front of the whole system, and it's a 4.5x10" filter. After that stuff, I was going with the Fleck 5600 32,000gr softener
This post was edited on 5/10/19 at 8:24 am
Posted on 5/10/19 at 8:24 am to Hammertime
quote:
I've tested it several times, and total chlorine averages 3.5ppm, and hardness was something like 350-400ppm.
I’m curious, is this your water hardness before or after passing through the softener?
Posted on 5/10/19 at 8:25 am to CrawDude
No softener now. Those are my stats after running the cold water for a few minutes, and taking samples out of the shower spout. In Metairie off of Bonnabel.
I can drink a full 24oz glass of water from the faucet, and my mouth will be as dry as after running. Water from the regular sink noticeably smells like pool water. Even the slow GE filter I have removes some of it, and gets it to non-smelly levels
I can drink a full 24oz glass of water from the faucet, and my mouth will be as dry as after running. Water from the regular sink noticeably smells like pool water. Even the slow GE filter I have removes some of it, and gets it to non-smelly levels
This post was edited on 5/10/19 at 8:33 am
Posted on 5/10/19 at 8:59 am to Hammertime
Understood. I know little about water softeners per se, water hardness is not an issue in BR, but have some knowledge of water chemistry.
Of course your softener when removing Ca and Mg hardness, will substitute either Na or K in the water (depending on the composition of the salt in the softener) to maintain electrical neutrality. Because you have a high water hardness (400-500 is pretty high), the somewhat saltiness taste or mouth dryness might be a result of now high levels of Na or K in your now “soft water” (just speculation on my part).
To remove the now high levels of Na or K would require a de-ionizing filttation unit under your sink (Na and/or K ions will be replaced by H ions) or a RO system. A paper filter or activated carbon filtration system will not remove dissolved mineral ions from the water.
Is the GE filter an activated carbon type filter? If so it will remove chlorinated compounds (chlorine or chloramines) which you said you are experiencing a reduction in that, but it won’t remove dissolved mineral ions, which might be source of the “saltiness” you are tasting.
Hope this little primer on water chemistry helps, assuming you didn’t already know it.
ETA: I should have said “a softener” as opposed to “your softener” as you said you didn’t have one yet.
Of course your softener when removing Ca and Mg hardness, will substitute either Na or K in the water (depending on the composition of the salt in the softener) to maintain electrical neutrality. Because you have a high water hardness (400-500 is pretty high), the somewhat saltiness taste or mouth dryness might be a result of now high levels of Na or K in your now “soft water” (just speculation on my part).
To remove the now high levels of Na or K would require a de-ionizing filttation unit under your sink (Na and/or K ions will be replaced by H ions) or a RO system. A paper filter or activated carbon filtration system will not remove dissolved mineral ions from the water.
Is the GE filter an activated carbon type filter? If so it will remove chlorinated compounds (chlorine or chloramines) which you said you are experiencing a reduction in that, but it won’t remove dissolved mineral ions, which might be source of the “saltiness” you are tasting.
Hope this little primer on water chemistry helps, assuming you didn’t already know it.
ETA: I should have said “a softener” as opposed to “your softener” as you said you didn’t have one yet.
This post was edited on 5/10/19 at 3:44 pm
Posted on 5/10/19 at 9:12 am to CrawDude
Current sink filter is a carbon filter, and supposedly does 1.1gpm, so it's slow enough to neutralize some of the chloramines. Showers are the big problem for us. Our skin is constantly dry, and my beard always required a heavy dose of oil or it'll flake like a mf'er
Posted on 5/10/19 at 9:52 am to Hammertime
Seems like the New Orleans domestic water supply is only a step behind Flint Michigan in water issues, based on the daily news articles. 
Seems like the water softener will take care of your shower and non- drinking water uses, but you’ll need to decide on some other de-ionizing system for drinking water if you desire to remove additional minerals. A quick look suggest that GE dual filter unit won’t do that other than removing chlorinated and organic compounds. I’m sure other posters will provide good suggestions/recommendation on systems you should consider.
Seems like the water softener will take care of your shower and non- drinking water uses, but you’ll need to decide on some other de-ionizing system for drinking water if you desire to remove additional minerals. A quick look suggest that GE dual filter unit won’t do that other than removing chlorinated and organic compounds. I’m sure other posters will provide good suggestions/recommendation on systems you should consider.
Posted on 5/10/19 at 10:43 am to Hammertime
quote:
Dual 4.5x20" Pentek CRFC20-BB, which are specifically designed for chloramine removal. My only problems are chloramines and hard water. No sediment, but I was just using that as a protectant, and because it's cheap.
I need to find something on the level of a burkey filter for the whole home.
We get our water from the rivers in this area. So in addition to chloramines, chlormides, bromines, bromides, fluoride, etc. We have the agriculture runoff like atrazine, glyphosate, etc. which are all endocrine disruptors. Very unnerving when your house has 3 small children in it.
Posted on 5/10/19 at 11:36 am to notsince98
I just emailed the guys at purewaterproducts.com, and gave them my test results and requirements (high flow at the shower w/minimal pressure loss). They came up with a plan, and said I could have an RO system if I wanted.
They sell big tanked chloramine units, but said the ones with the Big Blue filters would work fine under my requirements
They sell big tanked chloramine units, but said the ones with the Big Blue filters would work fine under my requirements
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