No salt water conditioner?

[Desert5er]

We have finally hit our breaking point with the hard water. My wife and I have discussed getting a water softener, but in researching them I now understand you need to run a backwash as part of the regeneration step, about once per month. My concern is that we winter in place and temps can get down in the teens and colder. I really don't want to be outside taking my system apart and backwashing when it's 12 degrees out, not to mention storing a 30 lb tank in my basement where space is already limited. Has anyone used a no salt conditioner to combat the scaling in their RV? We bought one of those electric, wrap-it-around-your-pipes devices and it was definitely not the solution. Any advice or alternatives you can suggestion would be much appreciated.

 

[PNWfireguy]

Haven't found one yet. I have just accepted backflushing & regeneration.

 

[Mikendebbie]

Our S&B is out in the sticks on an aerobic spray septic system. Our water is very hard (lime and calcium). I breifly looked for a salt based softener years ago, but I can’t backwash salt into my septic system because it would destroy my pumps, and probably all the grass in the spray field. Even if I had a gravity drain field septic system, I would not send salt water down the drain…and I certainly can’t flush it out on a section of the property.

I came to the conclusion that the only softener system that might work is a reverse osmosis system, but those are extremely expensive for whole house systems. They make small systems that will fit under a sink that is meant to soften the water at that sink. You would need 3 of those systems - one for the kitchen + one for the bathroom + one for the shower. Maybe you put the shower system in the basement. I will GUESS the cost of each system is $2000 or more. I know nothing about the monthly maintenance cost. I have seen some filtration system presented by RV YouTubers called Blu Systems, but I have not looked into those.

Please understand that for the most part I don’t know what I’m talking about!! I did not dig into reverse osmosis systems enough to know much more than I have described above. Hopefully someone in the forum can correct my mis-statements.

 

[Desert5er]

Thanks for the feedback. I came across these inline filters that claim to condition the water to minimize scaling. I can only imagine it's using polyphosphates to do it. I've come across more expensive, refillable units, but I suppose I'll try this less expensive version to see if it's enough for the water here before I get too carried away. Unless someone else chimes in to share their experience with this type of filter, I'll come back with updates in a month or two and let you know if they're any good.

 

[PNWfireguy]

I did a lot of research on this topic and I learned that TAC (template assisted crystallization) does not remove hard water minerals like Ca or Mg but rather prevents said minerals from attaching to other surfaces thus reducing scale buildup. Whereas the ion exchange method actually removes Ca, Mg and other elements by replacing them with Na or K. There is also the electromagnetic method which the OP mentioned as well as whole house RO. The latter not really being known as a water softener but achieves the same results. On the Go has some add-on products that hold salt tablets. A handy fella' could create some DIY plumbing to make the regen process less hands on so you aren't standing out in the 12 degree winter weather. If you are stationary the Kinetico dual tank will regen automatically, no power required. You might need to place an insulated enclosure around them in really cold weather.

 

[Desert5er]

Thanks for the info fireguy. The inline (TAC) filters are on their way, so I'm going to experiment a bit with them. I'm going to empty my hot water tank, purge the existing hard water from my lines, then descale all my plumbing fixtures to see how well they do. It's my ideal solution (if they work) since my wife doesn't like the feel of soft water. Fingers crossed. If they don't work, I'll have to dig in to the add-ons you mentioned for the On the Go softener.

 

[PNWfireguy]

Best of luck and hope that solution works well for you. Happy wife…happy life. Lets us know the results if you will.

 

[Bourbon County]

The first thing you need to determine is how hard your water actually is. A professional lab analysis costs about $100 and would be cost prohibitive and impractical if you're moving around a lot. these tests will show all impurities in your water in addition to overall hardness. If you're just concerned about hardness, I would recommend one of these:

Amazon.com

I have had my home water lab tested, and as far as the hardness level, found this test to be very accurate, and they will do many tests. Don't waste your money on the test strips.

At the low end of the hardness scale is 1.5 grains/gallon. The regeneration frequency on a salt type softener is based on total hardness of the water and the capacity of the softener measured in grains. Some of the RV type I've looked at have a 16,000 grain capacity which is excellent. The modern residential models calculate the regen based on gallons used factored with the grains per gallon that you enter in the controller, they're based on demand rather than time. The once per month the manufacturer recommends is likely an educated guess based on average water hardness and estimated usage.

If you want to be accurate on when regen is required, install a small meter in the water line ahead of the softener, and if you know the hardness level of the water and capacity of the softener, there are online calculators to determine frequency recommendations:

Water Softener Regeneration Calculator – Flix Water

flixwater.com

You could also just run another test to determine if your hardness level is creeping up. If you find a regen is needed during freezing weather, just wait until it warms up to do it. Your water won't cut off, you'll just be using hard water for a day or so.

The salt free models have some drawbacks mostly mentioned before on this thread, additionally they just don't work past a certain hardness level. I'm not sure if the filters you have ordered are this type, but I tried a "limeblaster" filter on my steam humidifier and was pretty disappointed with it's performance, but my water is extremely hard; 15 grains/gallon.

In addition to accurately calculating your regen cycles, you could pipe your system so that you're only softening the cold water entering the water heater. This would protect the water heater and provide soft water for showering, dish washing, laundry, etc. Who cares if you flush the toilet with hard water or the small amount of cold mixed into your shower is hard? It would also further extend the regen frequency. If you want to treat your drinking/cooking water and ice, install a small RO unit under the sink.

I highly recommend calling USWater Systems and talking about your issues. Their customer service is awesome and their expert advice is free, you don't have to buy from them. It would be a good idea to know your hardness level prior to the call.

You very likely can't soften your water effectively without having the tank in your basement. If your major concerns are the regeneration, you can take steps to control that to a great degree.