It did come with a loop we put a new softener in when we moved in a few years ago. I think our sink is still soft because we have an RO on the kitchen sink? I’ll test the hose water though that would be pretty definitive I would hope
Calcium hardness super high - planning to drain this weekend but will be on-going issue
- Thread starter JenniferMarie90
- Start date
- Feb 6, 2015
- 7,813
- Pool Size
- 12300
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
The RO doesn't soften the water.
Some builders plumb hard water to the cold water side of the kitchen sink, others don't.
Some builders plumb hard water to the cold water side of the kitchen sink, others don't.
I’ll test the hose water as soon as I get home and let y’all know. I hope it’s soft ugh.
Sorry yes i know the RO doesnt soften but the you're not supposed to drink softened water thats why we have an RO. Or at least thats what i've been told by others in the valley.
Ok bad news, hose is not softened like I was told. Hose is 275 CH. I did try and test my pool water again and really swirl the reagents and I'm at about 775 CH, not 1300 like I originally thought. I plugged this into Pool Math and its telling me to drain 44% of the pool, but if I'm just going to refill with 275 CH does that defeat the purpose and by the end of the season it'll be back up to 775 again...
Editing to add it never got to blue, the reaction, but a bluish purple. where as before without really swirling it was still very red.
Editing to add it never got to blue, the reaction, but a bluish purple. where as before without really swirling it was still very red.
- May 3, 2014
- 62,698
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Once you are near or above 800 ppm CH, drain it completely. You will do this again in about 16-18 months.
You were close. Next time use the Fading Endpoint process described in the Testing article in Pool School.
If I am able to run a hose from the softener to the pool to refill, would I still have to the drain the whole thing or would half be sufficient in your opinion?
Edit to add husband is considering plumbing a water softener outside to the auto fill. Is that possible? It would be its own softener but it would be outside.
- May 3, 2014
- 62,698
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
Your water softener would not keep up adding 10K gallons of water to your pool.
But if you could add pure softened water, you would do about 2/3rds of your pool volume. Or ~10K gallons.
But if you could add pure softened water, you would do about 2/3rds of your pool volume. Or ~10K gallons.
Ok sorry these are dumb questions but if the softener doesn't keep up, how does everyone fill their pool with soften water? Or do I drain half, fill it with the hose water at 250 ppm and plumb the autofill to its own softener?
- May 3, 2014
- 62,698
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
You should not fill the pool with soft water. You fill with tap water, then use the soft water to make up for the water lost due to evaporation.
Ok awesome thank you. Do you have your autofill plumbed to your house softener? Or does it have its own?
- May 3, 2014
- 62,698
- Pool Size
- 6000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-40
I installed a RV water softener for our pool. I would have preferred to put in a conventional one, but at the pool equipment pad I had no place to put the effluent when the softener regenerates.
We do not have a whole house softener.
We do not have a whole house softener.
- Apr 10, 2018
- 6,331
- Pool Size
- 18375
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
I’m not sure I can plumb the auto fill to to it though it’s on the total opposite side of the house so I’m considering it’s own little softener. Is it as easy as just installing upstream of the auto fill? Anything else to consider?
- Apr 10, 2018
- 6,331
- Pool Size
- 18375
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- CircuPool RJ-45 Plus
Portable RV softeners require manual "regeneration," which is just a fancy word for flushing. Here's a video that shows the process:
How often depends on the size (area) of you pool, rate of evaporation, the CH of your fill water and the size of the unit. For water with a CH of 257, (15 grains), the manufacturer claims a capacity of about just over 1,000 gallons for the Portable Double Standard model. The larger Park Model would provide nearly double the capacity. Having similar CH content and climate, @mknauss can give you idea of how often he needs to flush his Portable Double model.
The unit utilize standard hose connection for plumbing. You would need to find a place in the fill line to place the unit.
Here is my install...back up in the thread to read more:
RV water softener for auto-fill line
Any do's/don'ts for plumbing rv water softener in water fill line? I want it easy to remove as I think they all require manual regeneration.
www.troublefreepool.com
@kul installed a unit recently and may share his/her experience.
If you have a sewer cleanout near the fill line, you could install a conventional softener that perform automatic regeneration. When the regen process occurs, the effluent needs to run into the sewer cleanout. I'm on a septic system so this was not an option for me. This unit was recommended on the forum recently.
Hate to keep beating the same drum, but I would do all I could to get your fill line plumbed to your softener. You'll need to decide what's best for you and your husband in the long run.
We're here to help if you decide to go with the portable solution.
kul
Bronze Supporter
- Oct 1, 2021
- 1,434
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
This is the one I purchased. I do top offs from my hose bib and this one was very easy to set up. I currently am using my regular fill water to increase my CH to about 250/300 and then will resume using this softener. When I tested the water coming from the softener the pH was 8.2, TA 120, and CH was measuring at 0 using the TFP 100 test kit.
On The Go OTG4-VM-DBLSOFT... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085Q2LBJV?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
This is the same softener that @mknauss has had success with. @Rancho Cost-a-Lotta also turned me on to a water meter to add to my set up so I could track gallons and know when it’s time to regenerate. I haven’t used it yet, but plan to once I’m using the softener more regularly.
On The Go OTG4-VM-DBLSOFT... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085Q2LBJV?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
This is the same softener that @mknauss has had success with. @Rancho Cost-a-Lotta also turned me on to a water meter to add to my set up so I could track gallons and know when it’s time to regenerate. I haven’t used it yet, but plan to once I’m using the softener more regularly.
Wow this is awesome, guys, thanks so much! It'll be cheaper than draining every year. Is it hard to "regenerated" yourself?
Let me see if I can draw a picture and post to you guys to see if its even possible...I'll try to do that tonight!Portable RV softeners require manual "regeneration," which is just a fancy word for flushing. Here's a video that shows the process:
How often depends on the size (area) of you pool, rate of evaporation, the CH of your fill water and the size of the unit. For water with a CH of 257, (15 grains), the manufacturer claims a capacity of about just over 1,000 gallons for the Portable Double Standard model. The larger Park Model would provide nearly double the capacity. Having similar CH content and climate, @mknauss can give you idea of how often he needs to flush his Portable Double model.
The unit utilize standard hose connection for plumbing. You would need to find a place in the fill line to place the unit.
Here is my install...back up in the thread to read more:
RV water softener for auto-fill line
Any do's/don'ts for plumbing rv water softener in water fill line? I want it easy to remove as I think they all require manual regeneration.
@kul installed a unit recently and may share his/her experience.
If you have a sewer cleanout near the fill line, you could install a conventional softener that perform automatic regeneration. When the regen process occurs, the effluent needs to run into the sewer cleanout. I'm on a septic system so this was not an option for me. This unit was recommended on the forum recently.
Hate to keep beating the same drum, but I would do all I could to get your fill line plumbed to your softener. You'll need to decide what's best for you and your husband in the long run.
We're here to help if you decide to go with the portable solution.
Ok that was easier than I thought lol ok the red dot is where my water soften is, in my garage. The blue dot is where the autofill line piping is. This is an old pic obviously because the grass is now a pool lol
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kul
Bronze Supporter
- Oct 1, 2021
- 1,434
- Pool Size
- 15000
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pentair Intellichlor IC-60
I haven’t reached a point to regenerate but the directions (if I can find them again - were seemingly easy). I plan to confirm the process when it’s time with the helpful @mknauss and @Rancho Cost-a-Lotta. I just noticed the video of regeneration posted above. I’ll go ahead and bookmark that!
I also, at the recommendation of this forum, hooked up my auto fill of my new pool to my whole house softener. I estimate that in the hottest months here in St George, (similar climate to Las Vegas), evaporative losses may be around 80 gallons per day, or slightly more than one person’s average daily water usage.
Evaporative losses are greatly reduced when the auto cover is closed.
My softener can provide approximately 800 gallons softened water per regeneration cycle, so the unit will regenerate a bit more frequently during the summer months, but it will definitely keep up with demand, especially as there are only 2 in our household (plus, of course, occasional guests)
Evaporative losses are greatly reduced when the auto cover is closed.
My softener can provide approximately 800 gallons softened water per regeneration cycle, so the unit will regenerate a bit more frequently during the summer months, but it will definitely keep up with demand, especially as there are only 2 in our household (plus, of course, occasional guests)