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Water softener solutions

  • 13-09-2023 10:12AM
    #1
    A2533
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28 ✭


    Hi Folks,

    I'm buying a new build in Laois that is using an Air to Water heating system.

    Laois has very hard water. My parents home uses a salt tank based out in the shed to soften the water. It was installed about 15 years ago.

    Is this still the done thing, or are there other solutions available?

    I know nothing about Air to Water heating systems, but I imagine hard water would have a long term negative effect on it?

    If anyone is in the know about softeners, the best solutions etc and their rough guideline costs that would be fantastic!


    Thanks in advance.



Comments

  • #2
    Kazooie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 729 ✭✭✭Kazooie


    It's really a must have I would say these days if building in a hard water area. Here in Galway it's the same so we put one in when building our house. It's not so much for the under floor pipes driven of your a2w unit as that takes a fill of water during installation and that's it no more water enters the system unless you flush it and refill. So limescale is not much a concern there it's really your domestic water system (taps showers washing machine kettles etc..). Up there with one of my favourite things in the house. The showers are so clean in this house, none of that powdery limescale on all surfaces in previous houses. All our water entering the house goes through the softener and then we have a filter purifier under the sink for drinking water. Used to buy kettles every few months as they would be banjaxed with limescale. Have the same kettle looking brand new since we moved in here 2.5 years ago. We have a clack system and including the drinking filter it was ~1.5k. That was a few years ago though so more than likely gone up. Only downside is that the price of the salt bags have doubled since we put it in.



  • #3
    the_amazing_raisin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,107 ✭✭✭✭the_amazing_raisin


    So the water which is running around the radiators and heat pump should have an inhibitor in it which prevents limescale building up

    I believe the heating pipes are also coated with something now which slows down limescale buildup

    This also probably contributes to the water in the heating system being non potable. Don't drain your heating system when you're thirsty 😉

    The main components you'd get the benefit of a water softener would be your hot water cylinder, taps, showers and appliances (washing machine, dishwasher and kettle or coffee machines)

    Salt based softeners are still a thing. A lot of the newer ones use a metering system to save salt and could be installed pretty easily

    You aren't supposed to drink softened water, there could be residual salt left in it, but it's fine for showering, brushing teeth and cleaning dishes (although most dishwashers have their own built in softener, so make sure you take this into account)

    There's electronic softeners which don't actually remove the minerals, they use some chemistry magic to change the composition so they can't be deposited as limescale. How well they work seems to be a bit of a hot topic, the sales blurb says they're the best thing since sliced bread but there's a lot of people out there calling them a scam. So make sure you do plenty of research before buying one

    A third and slightly more radical option might be to get your water from somewhere else. You could install a rainwater harvesting tank and a system that allows it to pump water into your attic tank

    Now what you can use it for is a bit of a debatable topic. Generally, untreated rainwater is fine for flushing toilets and doing laundry, but isn't suitable for drinking (which also excludes showering or brushing teeth)

    You can install treatment systems to clean up the rainwater more, or just brush your teeth at the kitchen sink and plumb the dishwasher into the mains.

    As for showering, don't shower when you're thirsty. Honestly I think the issue with showers and baths is more focused on kids, who have no problems trying to gulp down a whole bathtub of water 🙄

    "The internet never fails to misremember" - Sebastian Ruiz, aka Frost



  • #4
    A2533
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28 ✭A2533


    Brilliant, thank you so much folks!



  • #5
    youtheman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,376 ✭✭✭youtheman


    I would also recommend the Clack metered water softener. I had an older non metered type, and I changed it (myself) for the Clack type. I am now using fare less salt as it measures the volume of water going through the system and only backwashes when it needs to do so. I also think the controller is much easier to operate and understand.



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