Re: Guidelines for choosing water softener
jasolution wrote:Aside from the control valve and unit sizing, what other factors could the average consumer use to evaluate water softener X vs Y?
The short answer is NONE.
Correct sizing is critical and actually the control valve is the most important part of a softener; it's where all the moving parts are. So IMO, buying a softener with the highest qualty control valve says your softener should give you longer service free operation than one with a lesser quality control.
jasolution wrote:I originally purchased the RainSoft unit because, well, the sales pitch sounded good and I didn't do much research prior to purchasing. Overall, I've been pleased with the performance. But who knows, I may have been just as pleased with a unit that costs 1/2 as much.
Softeners are supposed to remove hardness, iron and manganese if any. Basically you could say they all work the same with slight differences but.... they all use resin or Zeolite to do that and then regenerate the resin with sodium chloride (salt) or potassium chloride (salt substitute, which is not as efficient).
jasolution wrote:Questions I have:
- Are all resins created equal?
- Which resin material should I be looking for? Is it dependent on my water condition?
Basically yes, there are few and slight differences except with SST-60; it has a solid core bead. You would use SST-60 or fine mesh although it has a much higher pressure loss, if you had say 3 ppm of iron or more.
jasolution wrote:- What type of characteristics determine the unit's longevity?
The control valve.
jasolution wrote:- What characteristics make unit X vs Y operate more cost effectively?
The control valve, and the resin if your water dictates other than regular resin be used.
jasolution wrote:- Which brands are most consumer/DIY friendly from a repair standpoint?
The Clack WS-1 was designed to be the easiest and fastest to repair with nothing more than a pair of channel lock pliers. Anyone with the desire to repair one can replace all the 4 parts and have their water back on in less than 30 minutes. That's with never having done it before and reading the instructions as they do it.
jasolution wrote:- What other important factors should the consumer consider?
First they must have published pricing. Any dealer that doesn't should be dismissed immediately.
Then the dealer's actual reputation, not just printed or copy/pasted "testimonials" with no means for the consumer to contact any of them and finally, the dealer's willingness to help even if there is no buck to be made; you might say as I've been doing on the internet since Jan 1997. :wink:
jasolution wrote:Thanks,
Jason
Anytime, just ask.
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