Stevert
join:2001-10-23
Algonquin, IL
 ·AT&T Midwest
| reply to jmdomini
Re: Sycamore Illinois and Water Hardness
Buy the biggest one with "demand regeneration" that you can afford.
When you get in the house, have a sample of the water tested. Sears will do it for free, probably most other places that sell softeners will as well. Let run for a while before you collect the sample so you don't get what's been standing in the plumbing.
Then set your softener for 1 or 2 grains higher than the water tests.
The softener "knows" it's capacity, and keeps track of water usage. It multiplies grains per gallon (that you set) times number of gallons used (which it measures) and regenerates at the time you set (like 1 AM) BEFORE it hits it's capacity.
Buying the bigger one simply means you'll have more days between regeneration cycles.
P.S. I've had Sears softeners for years, but when I needed o-rings for the bypass valve Sears didn't stock them any more! They recommended generic ones which they were happy to sell me. But the darn valve leaked anyway. Ended up replacing the Sears softener with a Morton I got on sale at Menards.
HTH,
Stevert |
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jester121
Premium
join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL
 ·surpasshosting
 ·ViaTalk
| said by Stevert  :Buying the bigger one simply means you'll have more days between regeneration cycles. This is a true statement, but keep in mind you don't want your softener sitting for 6 weeks between cycles -- every 2-3 weeks is recommended, or you can get a salt dam or other problems.
The beige tub ones (Sears/HD type) are okay, but they don't last (especially in super hard water). Fleck makes the "guts" of the best softeners out there, there's 2 separate containers (one for the softening, one for the brine) and they're very solid, well built, and widely supported in terms of service. |
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