Water softener

Hello all,

I have received quotes from various water softener companies. They seem to really emphasise the yearly maintenance.

Would anyone recommend these over a competent local plumber?

I'm not a fan of tying something like a water softener unit to a company.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

ozmo

Interested also in what you find - I would like to buy outright and have a system installed - don't mind the very odd callout - but don't want to subscribe to a subscription service for the softener.

NIMAN

I bought one about 5 or so years ago, and had it serviced twice, and that was really just changing filters in the RO water system.

To be honest, I don't think if you want to have them come and check it out, then you have to. Once it's bought, you own it, you can just run with it without them visiting. At least that's how I read it.

shane b

They all tend to emphasise the annual service, same with your boiler. I have a softener as our water comes from a well and get it serviced about every 3 years. I would get a water softener company to service it rather than a plumber as many plumbers may not know much about the units.

ozmo

Thanks - can you tell me what one it was - and advice on size we would need - they seem to come in 10 l and 15 liters etc.

For a house with 4-5 people. Was hoping to get one in for a grand or so - no more.

aah yes

Absolutely, don't buy a water softener that a company wants you to service every year, that is a ridiculous waste of money, unless they want to check it out every year for you for free. Like if they are servicing water filter cartridges, then even options of every 1 or 2 years for those, or DIY to your schedule, but warranty would become an issue log term for ongoing cover depending past the first year.

The best branded, sized, specified, plumbed and commissioned water softeners will last the test of time for 50 to 100 years for sure, but they do not need that annual hassle of service or even check ups. You monitor it for working and softening by having no scale around the house, you should normally get a small test kit to check it, so you don't have to worry and pay someone to call out all the time.

Now like anything, there is wear and tear over time, mileage like a car ! The rule of thumb is 1,000,000 litres or 5 to 10 years on a correctly specified water softener. A good company will fully service it for what the cost of changing water filters are, and extend the warranty for many years more after.

With a good brand and ideal sized water softener service is based on the water hardness and number of users, so rule of thumb Small Beast to the East, Dublin etc. is half the water hardness of the rural West, Big is Best.

Dublin water softeners are half the size as water can be half the hardness less than 200 mg/L as the rural West with 400 mg/L except Galway City which is below 200 mg/L. So Dublin softeners, 2 people apartment, wee skinny mini 8 litre softener for sure. Dublin big house a 14 to 22 litre midi size will suffice. Galway City same as Dublin, but Galway rural is the high capacity range of water softeners from 22L to 28L all metered digital so sizing not an issue for house size but a 10x44 or 28L unit is best if you can get it, for longest longevity, 50 to 100 years, no issue.

ozmo

Thanks all- I went with Celtic. Price was ok.

And softener working fine. I get the salt from woodies fairly handy.

wex96

Hi, stupid question here. Do you drunk water from softener or just wash with it?? Was told it's not drinking water 🤦

aah yes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120542678#Comment_120542678

No problem for either, except toddlers in their first year of life. Softeners are meant for the "working" domestic water of the house, cleaning, bathing, showering, toilets etc., they don't remove chlorine fully, or aim to, instead there are a range of mini drinking water filter systems instead that deal with the drinking potability of water, removing chlorine, bacteria, taste, odour, colour, etc., all the things a water softener is not meant to deal with.

ozmo

We left the kitchen tap unconnected to the water softener. We have a cartridge water filter off that kitchen tap for drinking water.

aah yes

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120543344#Comment_120543344

from mains municipal water should be ok 👍️

kml2856

Hi there,just wondering how your Celtic water softener is working out. Trying to decide who to go with ourselves,in drogheda and water is terrible.

windowcills

Lol, i got one 5 years ago and didnt know it could be serviced

mother in law fitted one in 1998 and its never been serviced

Jesper

Hi All,

Kilkenny here and the water is 50% lime :)

Can someone give me a guide to how much the system costs and how much space under the sink is required? The house we moved into has a reverse osmosis system for the drinking water under the sink and takes up roughly half the space.

Never used it to be honest but the past owner was a dietician and excellent by all accounts so I must look into it.

ozmo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121222513#Comment_121222513

I think it was about 750 and took under an hour or so for them to fit - They call every year to ask to service it, but I havnt taken them up on this as its working fine still. Uses a bag of salt every couple months (about 15 euros). It takes up half width of a sink yes.

For drinking + tea etc - we have just a single canister filter - not as fancy as the one you have already installed - you would best get all new filters for it at the very least if you havnt used it in a long time. Maybe look at if it needs to be sterlised - Try amazon - I found them cheapest by far.

mangledbadgers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120542647#Comment_120542647

@ozmo any issues with CWS since, I'm not interested in annual services either or the RO tap, just need a water softener. Is there filters with that yolk that you need to change periodically or just adding salt? Thanks

ozmo

Just works - got a few calls from CW asking to service it - but Ive asked them to take me off their mailing list and havnt got a call now in a while.

Unit is fine - just fill with Woodies salt - if it looses power - it does forget the time, no battery backup - but that only results in it then doing its cleaning cycle not just after midnight when I like - until I reset the clock on it - no biggie.