Water Softener Recommendations

redlough

I have rented a holiday property and it has a water softener. I know nothing about these devices but the water is fantastic so I was looking to install into my own home. I think the one installed is a USTM WS-25-C-1650 based on manual I found beside it. No idea if good/bad etc but it works.

Just wondering what is the best or recommended models available? brands?

Also quick question for people who have installed, do you just use standard tablets in dish washer? I know you don't need the salt but do you buy something different?

SVI40

From what I read, Clack seem to be the best. I did have a different brand installed back in 2013, and was never really happy with it. It then leaked the resin, and I had to drain the tanks to get the crap out of them.

Replaced it with a Clack, and it seems way better, plus uses 1/2 the salt the previous one did.

redlough

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120453757#Comment_120453757

Thanks, I had heard of Clack....

Do you drink the water or put a reverse Osmosis tap in?

SVI40

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120453829#Comment_120453829

I drink the water. The salt content is miniscule.

Seve OB

Going to jump on this thread as we are considering a water softener. I've wanted one for years but Mrs didn't see the point. It was only when we upgraded our bathrooms recently and the plumber mentioned that we had bad limescale and pointed out all the splashes on the lovely new shower doors etc to the Mrs was I able to convince her that we need to do it.

So there looks like lots of options, I've never heard of Clack.. will google but any links appreciated. been looking at euro water solutions and see they are at ideal homes on weekend so might pop along and check them out.

We can filter the whole house, but need to keep kitchen sink feed separate? we can just filter the mains water if we want? This would mean limescale still in the kettle and Fridge (well we haven't got it yet but plan a fridge with built in Ice & Water dispenser.)

or is there some sort of reverse osmosis unit that will mean every tap is drinkable, or is that just the special kitchen sink tap they give you? most of them taps i've seen in past look very flimsy.

would consider a unit with the boiling tap also. no need for fizzy drinking water.

we are based in Dublin 15, not sure what it compares like other places but our water leaves an awful lot of limescale build up in kettle so would be same everywhere else. I recall growing up in Shankill and Greystones and never seen any limescale build up though it might be changed there now

RidleyJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120495388#Comment_120495388

Sorry to jump on this, have similar issues so I have contacted Irish Water, they sent this link and said it would confirm what the water is like in my area: www.water.ie/water-quality/hard-water/

My result is hard water 219.

I went to Ideal Home a few years back and loads of companies at it but just got confusing as to what they are actually offering.

I had a good call today with one person, he was planning on installing outside the house in a unit. This would soften the water in the entire house. The water is drinkable but seemingly especially for tea it has a slight taste. I was thinking of buying a 5 way system(link below) from this crowd but they said it would need to be reverse to remove the sodium. Gave this link on it to explain. www.safewater.org/fact-sheets-1/2017/1/23/ultrafiltrationnanoandro

From the chat today you would only have one tap for the reverse osmosis which would be at the main kitchen tap, this would be drinking water etc. I agree they normally have a small flimsy tap but a few are selling 3-way taps now to replace the existing kitchen tap.

I see EWT do a boiling tap etc . The other option is Quooker but that is way outside my budget so haven't looked in detail, my friend has the Quooker and he regrets not getting the water softener first and says for the fizzy water just buy a sodastream :-)

I haven't the unit yet and never tasted the water so a huge unknown to what the water tastes like and what it is like for tea etc

niftysales.ie/collections/modern-tank-less-reverse-osmosis/products/5-stage-ultra-filtration-system

Sorry I can't post links

RidleyJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120495388#Comment_120495388

Also, most companies seem to offer a "free" inline water filter. Based on my research this is the same filter I have installed on a Beko american fridge for water/ice. Which I think all of those units have once you have the plumbed water

youtheman

A filter is a 'mechanical screen' and will only remove solids that are bigger than the filter mesh size. It will not remove hardness as this is 'dissolved' into the water stream. So you really need a softener, with a non-softened connection to the sink tap (so that the food you prepare does not have salt in it, however small that quantity will be). Alternatively fit a RO unit to remove the salt that is dissolved in the water as spart of the softening process.

Seve OB

I went for the Euro Water system and upgraded the water filter to the Reverse Osmosis unit.

to be honest I think I knew more than the lad at the stand in the RDS.

hoping to get installed in about 4-5 weeks

was nearly going to upgrade the filter tap to a decent 3 or possibly 4 way unit but decided it would be something we would hold off till we upgraded the whole kitchen

RidleyJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120519355#Comment_120519355

I contacted them. the system they had on offer was too small for my house. They meant to come back to me but I missed the call.

I had the same last time I went to ideal home, loads of stalls offering them but information was limited and none could tell you exactly what the offer of the day was.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120518798#Comment_120518798

From my reading salt is not in the water. It is sodium that is created in the water due to the softening. The sodium is small particles so you need a RO to remove.

Hard water flows through the softener unit, which is packed with resin beads. These resin beads are coated with sodium ions. In a process called ion exchange, calcium and magnesium minerals are removed from hard water by clinging to those resin beads while the sodium ions are then released into the water and through your home.

In softened water, the sodium level increases. Sodium is not the same as salt (sodium chloride).

Seve OB

Euro water were the only softener option at the show. There were a few other filter options but nobody else for softening.

the only deal on offer was €50 off the list price and 2 free bags of salt. Total cost was €1,049. I only paid €100 deposit. They are supposed call this week to arrange installation.

And yes, salt! You put salt into the softening unit.

I think yer man was wrong because he was telling me that the pipe will go through the softener and the water flowing from our regular kitchen tap afterwards will have gone through it, but won’t have gone through the filter / Reverse Osmosis. I was of the understanding that regular cold kitchen tap water would and should be mains water.

he also told me I should use that water for the kettle afterwards and not the RO filtered water, his words were never use filtered water in the kettle!

so I would be boiling salted water??? Or if in my opinion he is wrong and the regular cold tap will be mains supply……. I can’t use the filtered water so my kettle will still be fucked with limesale??????

I guess I’ll find out when they come to install

RidleyJones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120521355#Comment_120521355

The salt in the unit is used in the brine tank but doesn't touch the water is my understanding. The process of softening creates sodium which is what you need the RO to take out