Water softener recommendations

[2005jettatdi]

We have a house bought in June 2022 that is plumbed for a water softener in the garage. Our water comes from city wells and is pretty hard, rated 12-18 gpg for calcium and magnesium. Our water also has arsenic, chromium, radium, fluoride, nitrates, uranium, copper and lithium (per the latest water test results from the city). We do not drink our tap water.

Does anyone have any recommendations for the best water softener/filter solutions for our home? Price matters, but something that works well matters more.

 

[DriveHard]

I have installed a softner in 5 of the homes I have owned. The Morten system saver at Menards has been the best I have tried. It is cost effective, and works well.

If you need a filter
https://www.menards.com/main/plumbi...stem/mhy/p-1501761041799-c-8682.htm?exp=false

If just a softner
https://www.menards.com/main/plumbi.../m340012/p-1444429575835-c-8682.htm?exp=false

 

[hrv]

Enting

 

[doitmyself]

Water softeners are made of components: Resin tank, timer valve, and brine tank. The better brands use timer valves made by Clack, Fleck, and Autotrol. These are valve brands, not softener brands. The pros generally dislike the cabinet style DriveHard describes above , one reason being that the timer valve resides inside the brine tank (salt/electronics) and the components tend to be proprietary. I stay away from softener brands with proprietary timer valves and other components (Kinetico, Culigan, etc.)- you can only get parts through that brand vs. much easier serviceable components I listed above.

Beyond that, I recommend spending a LOT of time at the Terry Love plumbing forum softener threads. There are experts there, both pro and homeowner, that can walk you through the decision process.

The only correct approach to this is to get a good water analysis done, then ask/follow the advice of the experts at Terry Love. I know the ins and outs of softeners very well (components, sizing, installation, etc.), but have no experience dealing with the serious contaminants you list in your OP.

Good luck! This is an excellent water softener 101 primer: Download The eBook That Will Make You An Instant Softener Expert

 

[burbguy82]

I would recommending Lancaster Water....... https://lancasterwatergroup.com/water-treatment/residential-water-treatment/........

Let them do the test, and also provide them with your current test. They will provide you info on the unit(s) you will require. It is important to go by the manufacture recommendation, that way it is their court.

This is a professional unit, not from a box store. I have had a unit for 10 years with not issue.

They do not sell units directly, but can get through local supply house.

Are you going to install yourself?

 

[hrv]

I would recommending Lancaster Water....... https://lancasterwatergroup.com/water-treatment/residential-water-treatment/........

Let them do the test, and also provide them with your current test. They will provide you info on the unit(s) you will require. It is important to go by the manufacture recommendation, that way it is their court.

This is a professional unit, not from a box store. I have had a unit for 10 years with not issue.

They do not sell units directly, but can get through local supply house.

Are you going to install yourself?

I have seen a lot of issues with the box store Mortons..

 

[KrisZ]

I would also recommend you stay away from the "cabinet" style softeners, unless you have a limited space issue. These use proprietary components and are harder to fix/service.

Also, what is the size of the house and how many people are in the household? Unlike HVAC, it's better to oversize a water softener, than undersize it. A water softener that regenerates very often wastes a lot of salt and water.

 

[Bud_One]

Kinetico systems are very good , but not cheap.
We had one installed in our last home and it was great.

 

[Snagglefoot]

No suggestion, but make sure the controller does not have to be re-set every time a power bump occurs. Mine requires a touch on one of the buttons to get it going again after a power outage.

 

[Cujet]

Despite the claims, there is no magic to softeners. The resin does the work, and there are two types of resin, Cation the common resin, and Anion for tannin reduction and removal of other organics, fluorides etc. Both can be used in the same tank, generally mostly Cationic resin with 20% Anion, for a more complete removal of contaminates. This is what I do, as a DIY type person.

Online "discount water softener" retailers will be the cheapest way to go.

Also, while the digital timers can have advantages, some of which measure water use, to regenerate at the proper time, the salt use savings is relatively minimal, as it is fairly easy for a homeowner to note how many days of use before the water gets hard, then pick a regenerate schedule that is a day or two before that happens. Which is pretty much what the digital units do.

So in the end, I like the long term simplicity of a drama-free, mechanical Fleck 5600 timer that will easily last 25 years.

As a general rule, the larger the tank, the better the overall experience. Fewer cycles, better flow, more dwell time for the water in the resin beads, etc.

 

[KrisZ]

Even the "electronic" controls have mechanical valves and seals that can fail. Here is a Clack valve that developed a leak.
They can all fail, but having a valve set that is commonly used, makes obtaining the parts and fixing much easier. I think this one cost me around $70 in parts to fix. So very economical instead of getting a whole new valve or even worse, a new softener.

 

[burbguy82]

This can be due to the lack of a pre filter into the main unit head. Like most things, all about the installation.

 

[JohnnyG]

Agree with all of the above. In my expierience, a cabinet softner worked well for me with a rebuild of the valve after 15 years. Timer stayed fine. This was an older Sears Kenmore 75, which handled my 25 gpg water just fine. We did NOT drink the softened water, and never had it tested for other contaminants, such as those you list.
What I did was to install a Reverse Osmosis system in the basement and run a separate line to the refrigerator "in the door" water/Ice.
This was when it was discovered that there were high nitrate levels in our city water. I used softened water to feed the RO system.

RO systems use a good bit of water when regenerating, but that was a minimal cost for me.
They also require annual filter changes.
If you don't have the ability to run an RO system to your fridge, another alternative is the undersink kits with the separate drinking water spout that installs next to the kitchen faucet.
Softeners won't remove most of the contaminants you list, and won't remove nitrates either.

AND, drain your hot water tank often.

 

[tmorris1]

Despite the claims, there is no magic to softeners. The resin does the work, and there are two types of resin, Cation the common resin, and Anion for tannin reduction and removal of other organics, fluorides etc. Both can be used in the same tank, generally mostly Cationic resin with 20% Anion, for a more complete removal of contaminates. This is what I do, as a DIY type person.

Online "discount water softener" retailers will be the cheapest way to go.

Also, while the digital timers can have advantages, some of which measure water use, to regenerate at the proper time, the salt use savings is relatively minimal, as it is fairly easy for a homeowner to note how many days of use before the water gets hard, then pick a regenerate schedule that is a day or two before that happens. Which is pretty much what the digital units do.

So in the end, I like the long term simplicity of a drama-free, mechanical Fleck 5600 timer that will easily last 25 years.

As a general rule, the larger the tank, the better the overall experience. Fewer cycles, better flow, more dwell time for the water in the resin beads, etc.

I second this recommendation. I have a softener that I bought from Mills Fleet Farm that uses this valve. It has been running for almost 20 years. I have rebuilt the valve once with parts available on Amazon cheap. Even though they are mechanical they can still monitor water use with a mechanical meter so it helps same salt and doesn't recharge when you are on vacation not using water, etc.

 

[SHOZ]

I've had a few over the years and component wise they are all the same. Newer ones meter the water use and use that for recharge times. But the basics are all the same.

Make sure you under stand how they work, the cycles they go through and how to activate and advance the timer through the cycles so you can observe.

Biggest issue I have is the orifice valve clogging as it is a very narrow channel that is used to create the vacuum to suck up the salt brine. There are also fine screens that need to be cleaned usually on the input and over the orifice valve.

And of course the cleaning they need. That depends on your water. Mine has a lot of iron. What is used in the 'cleaning' type salts is usually citric acid. I use one cup of pure citric acid a month dissolved in a quart of water and added directly to the brine water (not the salt) then do a recharge that night,

 

[tbm5690]

I have a Hellenbrand Promate...no issues and does a good job.

 

[2005jettatdi]

I would also recommend you stay away from the "cabinet" style softeners, unless you have a limited space issue. These use proprietary components and are harder to fix/service.

Also, what is the size of the house and how many people are in the household? Unlike HVAC, it's better to oversize a water softener, than undersize it. A water softener that regenerates very often wastes a lot of salt and water.

The house size is 1,769, which does not matter, household is 3 people. Monthly water use averages around 5,000 gallons. The way the house is plumbed, all outside water will also go through the water softener.

I appreciate all the answers.

 

[Aichiguy]

I bought a Whirlpool from Fleet Farm. It worked every bit as well as our Culligan for the 6-7 years we lived in that house so I repeated the process in our new house and it's working well too. I added a $200 RO system for drinking and we're set up for under $900.

 

[SHOZ]

You don't want to use soft water on plants.

 

[I<3oil]

We just had a North Star softener installed about 2 months ago...it was a cabinet-style. It's been good so far.