Water Softner

[fx300]

I am building a home and I have the option to add a water softner to it. Are they worth adding to a house and worth having for aquarium use? I have not researched on them but will very soon. Thank you all who read this post.

Fabian
Brownsville

[mathias]

watersoftner for a aquarium is a big NO NO but if the water is hard out where you are building get one and make sure that its not connected to one of your outside *****ets and use that for your aquarium water...

[Polkster13]

Water softners usually are designed to only take the "hardness" out of the water. The water hardness can be from either dissolved magnesium or calcium. This removal process is done by a chemical reaction that takes place in the softner. That is why you have to replace the media after a while. A RO unit does a lot more. There is a Carbon filter that takes out all kinds of nastys and a sediment filter. Then the water passes through a membrane where the RO water is generated. The water that does not pass through the filter is called "waste water" but is actually very good water (Thanks Tim Marvin for the lessions on my new RO unit) that can be used to water plants, fill your pool or pond, drinking water, et cetera. The RO water is as clean as you can get and is then used in your makeup water for water changes and for evaporation control. An RO unit will remove most of the Clorine and Chlorimine and I don't believe a water softner will do that.

So if you are wanting the water softner so you don't have to get a RO unit for your aqurium water, then that would not be a good choice. However, if you want the water softner so your washing machine and dish washer will go a better job and your pipes and faucets will stay cleaner (from calcium deposits), then it might be worth the investment. Also, if the water goes through the water softner before the RO unit, I don't believe the RO unit will have to "work" as hard and you won't have to change your sediment filters out as much.

[GaryP]

Talk to the builder about upgrading to a softener/RO unit. Soft water is ok for most domestic uses except for your aqaurium.

Gary

[mathias]

I thought the chemical reaction in the water was bad for aquariums?

[GaryP]

All that happens is that the calcium and magnesium ions in the water are replaced with sodium ions. That can lead to an ionic imbalance I suppose. Unless you are running a DI with the softener you are still going to have the phosphates.

Gary

[fx300]

I am very sorry for not posting a response earlier my Internet was down and I was told (by Time Warner rep) I would not have it checked until Dec. 30th. I thought I was going to go insane! Thank God it worked this morning! Thank you all for your great info. I already have a RO/DI unit but I am thinking that getting a softener will help in the long run just as Polkster 13 wrote: However, if you want the water softener so your washing machine and dish washer will go a better job and your pipes and faucets will stay cleaner (from calcium deposits), then it might be worth the investment. I am a bit confused, how will I have my RO/DI unit filter water without it being passed through the softer?

[GaryP]

Fabian,

First, I wasn't aware that your water in the valley was as hard as it is up here in the SA/Austin area. There is a lot of marketing hype associated with water softeners. The practical side isn't as great as they are made out to be. Most people that have them are attracted to them from more of a personal preference standpoint than an economic basis. Some people like showering in soft water because the soap suds up better. The soap is still doing its job, whether there is suds or not. Personally, I grew up with hard water and don't really see the need for it. I think the biggest market for softeners is with people that are transplants to this area and don't like the "feel" of hard water. A lot of people are from areas where they use surface water or water from sandstone aquifers where the water is naturally soft.

It won't matter where you install it. You can either hook the RO up or downstream of the softener. It will take out the sodium from the softener just as easily as it would take out the calcium and magnesium from the tap water.

Softeners contain a special kind of clay called zeolite that exchanges the calcium and magnesium (hardness) for sodium ions. When you recharge your softener with salt all you are doing is flushing the calcium and magnesium out of the resin and replacing it with sodium once again.

calcium + magnesium (in water) + zeolite(sodium) ------>

zeolite (calcium-magnesium) + sodium (in water)

Soft water will let you use less soap for washing and does cut back on some scale deposits. You probably won't notice it in your pipes as much as you may in your faucets, shower heads, and your water heater. I know I have to clean my shower head in vinegar every few months. Usually scale forms wherever there is a temp. or pressure change, or both.

Hope that helps,
Gary

[fx300]

The main reason why I am interested in a softer is because my glasses tend to have this huge water spots all the time. I know that if I would dry them this would not occur but as you mentioned the spots are found on the faucets, all around the restroom, shower curtain, etc., and this to me looks as if we had not cleaned in a long time. I don't mind the water how it feels but I do mind how it looks once it dries up.

[Polkster13]

Sorry I was not more specific on the pipes and faucets. If you have a lot of calcium in your water it will leach out in your hot water heater and form deposits in the bottom that will cause it to be less efficient. It will also form deposits around your strainers on your sink faucets in a very short period of time. It can also build up deposits in your dish washer and washing machine making them less efficient as well as causing ugly water spots on dishes. There are people who put magnets on their pipes to keep the deposits from forming instead of using a water softner but I have never used one of these products myself.

[kaiser]

If You are building a new home I would put a water softener and a RO unit for drinking water and a RO/DI for the Aquarium. I had a rental Unit before I moved and I am missing it. Especially with the clean up.

[Ram_Puppy]

It was always my understanding that running softened water through an RO system was better than running hard water, i.e. your membrane lasts longer.

[GaryP]

My understanding of what makes a membrane last longer is to make sure yourt carbon filter remains able to remove the chlorine from the incoming water. I got this from a water treatment guy that is one of my customers.

On the other hand, even if it is spent, it would seem the organic carbon compounds captured in the activated carbon would react out with the chlorine. Tap water should only have about 0.5 ppm chlorine in it to start with.

Gary