Rainsoft maintenance - how often, and cost?

An Acid Neutralizer contains sacrificial media that needs to be refreshed/re bed every 12 months or so.
I have some that are serviced every 6 months and some every 18 months, but most are serviced every
12 months - it all depends on your water and usage.

I will need to know exactly what other filters you have before I can spell out suggested maintenance.

Note: ALL water treatment equipment requires some kind of periodic maintenance/service.

Sorry to hear you got ripped off, mrobbins.

Replacing acid neutralizing mineral is like draining your car's gas tank before each refill. It's senseless.

Paying someone to do simple maintenance like changing filter cartridges is expensive but, if you bought equipment that has proprietary parts you are usually required to buy the parts from probably only one dealer. If they then won't sell you the parts for you to do it yourself, you must pay their price for service including them bringing the parts with them. Many to most national brand companies are proprietary, independent and online dealers are not.

No control valve requires annual service. If you have one that does, you're better off replacing it wit ha higher quality control valve. I suggest a Clack WS-1.

Not that Clack Crap again!

You are the only one talking about control valves. You would be better off staying on topic.

Rip off brand dealers like you are the only ones suggesting annual service on a control valve.

Why is that, your Ecowater control valves (previously it was Rainsoft) are the cheap Kenmore rotary disc type but.... annual service to do what, replace parts or blow off the dust from the person's wallet?

You say the Fleck 2510 is the best valve, the Clack WS-1 uses the same piston, seals and spacers design that has been highly improved, and you say it's less quality but you also say you've never seen one!

I've sold just under 900 Clack valves and have had less than 20 problems with that number of control valves sold to DIYers.

I've sold the Fleck 7000 and stopped due to the high number of problems and how they operate and the difficulty in repiaring them. They also have a special Fleck tool; the 2510 has 3 special tools to be able to replace the piston's seals and spacers. The Clack needs only a pair of Channel Lock type pliers.

I see you say that the old Rainsoft has a special tool....

Put the crack pipe down and step away from your computer.

You are the only one talking about, mentioning, suggesting or otherwise bringing up annual service on a control valve.

Annual or your "periodic" maintenance, if that's not done on the control valve, you rip off guys must be doing maintenance on the media tank; like they need maintenance. I suppose you take a dusting rag with you. I suppose you wipe off the plumbing too.

Still puffing on that rock?

I can see why someone selling Rainsoft and then Ecowater stuff would say annual or periodic service is needed.

The ignorance is strong in this one.

any useful information?
Guys,
can you stop fighting and getting off-topic?
I am about to have RainSoft installed at my house for $5K and don't want any surprises. Could you help with a friendly advice, please?

Re: any useful information?


My friendly advise is that you cancel the deal ASAP - don't let them install the system!!

I saw other postings about Rainsoft being "bad", however, I haven't seen anyone do a comparison and present a valid competitor. Most complaints were related to a bad cusomer service or a sales person and I seem to be getting good representation in central NJ, where I live.

Look at ECOwater and Kinetico, also consider a local independent H20 specialist that sells, installs and services what they sell.

RainSoft equipment is sub-par at best.

there is no local EcoWater specialist. I only found 1 rep for EcoWater, and that's far away in the Northern Jersey. Support is a big issue for me.

Just spoke to the only EcoWater dealer we have in NJ - they quoted me about the same price, BUT without any whole hose filtration, just softener, and with one RO - point of use system. It means that all of my water would not even be filtered. It's not what I want though.

The softener is a whole house filter... what other filter did RainSoft offer and what issues do you have with your water?

QRS is an additional carbon filter tank included with Rainsoft whole house system.
Issues...chlorin, traces of nitrates, TDS 126, hardness 4-5

The ERR 3500 has GAC in it so you don't need an extra filter or the maintenance that comes with it.

Re: any useful information?

I've just re-read this entire thread that you are hijacking as your own... I see a lot of important info for YOU, a to be Rain Soft customer to the tune of 5K!!! Oh, sorry, you were probably talking to h20man. :wink:

If it has not been over three business days since you signed the contract, you need to lock your doors and not allow them to install it and fill out and mail in the cancellation notice by certified mail with return receipt request; then call them and tell them you are not going to allow installation and you are canceling the order. And any financing agreement.

An RO will take care of nitrate and removing chlorine on a POE basis can cause problems. If you want nitrates removed on a whole house basis, you need an anion, nitrate specific, resin in a softener configuration; it regens with softener salt. They are expensive, and IMO you don't need one unless the nitrate goes over like 5 ppm; the EPA limit is 10 ppm.

The only way to reduce TDS, and yours is already below average, is with an RO or distiller and you are allowed up to 500 ppm and TDS is not a health concern even if you had 2000 ppm.

With a low hardness and TDS, you probably have low pH acidic water. That eats metal and adds them to yur water and can lead to pin hole leaks in plumbing tubing.

So to me you need much more info and to become educated about softeners etc. before you buy anything to improve your water quality.