NOT pool related, but household water testing

[joseywales]

I couldn't find where else to put this topic.

We had a household water softener installed, due to hard water. Appliances and faucets getting a lot of white residue, etc. So, we went with a salt-based softener.

A couple months later, we decide that the taste of salt is too strong. Obviously we can use bottled water to drink, however I contacted the installer to see if maybe we could just dial back the softener a bit. Bypassing water to the faucet doesn't help because the faucet will corrode.

Anyway, they cam out to test the water and here is what they found:

Result Recommended
Hardness 0 0-4.00
TDS 505 500ppm
Iron .85 .300

They tested other results, but these were the only ones out of compliance.

So, hardness is 0, makes sense. But if recommended is as high as 4, how high can I go without causing white dishes, corrosion, etc.? Maybe I can dial back the softener, not taste as much salt, and still save appliances?

 

[Mike_W]

Our area has very hard water and we installed a softener too. Most household water softeners do not put salt into your drinking water if they are working correctly. As part of it's regeneration process, the water softener bypasses the resin tank (the resin tank is like a filter), the salt water is used to clean the resin tank (like a back flush), then the salt water is rinsed out and then finally the water softener connects the resin tank back to the tap. Salty taste usually indicates an problem. There is more at the sites below.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_does_your_water_taste_like_salt_with_a_water_softener

http://www.ehow.com/how_7157071_tro...roubleshooting-water-softener-salt-taste.html

If the salt taste is obvious and objectionable, you should to talk to the installer or manufacturer for their thoughts
Best of luck.
Mike

 

[joseywales]

Correct, but the filters will not treat TSD, which also has salt as part of its makeup. The TSD was 338 pre softener, not it's 505, so 5 ppm above recommended. I'm wondering if that's the issue. The dealer is supposed to call the test center, and I'll get involved as well. Should be interesting.

 

[Patrick_B]

Correct, but the filters will not treat TSD, which also has salt as part of its makeup. The TSD was 338 pre softener, not it's 505, so 5 ppm above recommended. I'm wondering if that's the issue. The dealer is supposed to call the test center, and I'll get involved as well. Should be interesting.

TDS is a measurement of Total Dissolved Solids. Softeners increase this reading after exchanging hardness ions for salt ions. Salt ions are very conductive, more so than calcium and magnesium which makes up hardness. More conductance means more TDS. However, a 5 PPM difference could be explained by meter calibration and is not something considered out of spec enough to worry with. Nor is it going to cause a difference you can taste. Actually, 5 PPM TDS in the 500 range is nothing. Josey is right, filters will not remove TDS, but an R.O. unit would. You should have one of them installed under your sink for drinking water. It will not taste bad at all as these units remove just about everything contributing to TDS.

If you are curious, they are speaking in Grains when they tell you 0-4. One grain is about 17.1 PPM Total Hardness. Hardness is generally comprised of about 95% Calcium and Magnesium. Other components such as silica contribute to hardness and TDS as well, but they are almost always in very tiny percentages. Point here is you can use your TF-100 or Taylor CH part of your kit to monitor your softener and have a very good idea of how it is performing. Just convert the PPM to grains with the ratio above and it will be more than close enough to speak in grains to your softener/water treatment company.

 

[joseywales]

Correct, but the filters will not treat TSD, which also has salt as part of its makeup. The TSD was 338 pre softener, not it's 505, so 5 ppm above recommended. I'm wondering if that's the issue. The dealer is supposed to call the test center, and I'll get involved as well. Should be interesting.

TDS is a measurement of Total Dissolved Solids. Softeners increase this reading after exchanging hardness ions for salt ions. Salt ions are very conductive, more so than calcium and magnesium which makes up hardness. More conductance means more TDS. However, a 5 PPM difference could be explained by meter calibration and is not something considered out of spec enough to worry with. Nor is it going to cause a difference you can taste. Actually, 5 PPM TDS in the 500 range is nothing. Josey is right, filters will not remove TDS, but an R.O. unit would. You should have one of them installed under your sink for drinking water. It will not taste bad at all as these units remove just about everything contributing to TDS.

If you are curious, they are speaking in Grains when they tell you 0-4. One grain is about 17.1 PPM Total Hardness. Hardness is generally comprised of about 95% Calcium and Magnesium. Other components such as silica contribute to hardness and TDS as well, but they are almost always in very tiny percentages. Point here is you can use your TF-100 or Taylor CH part of your kit to monitor your softener and have a very good idea of how it is performing. Just convert the PPM to grains with the ratio above and it will be more than close enough to speak in grains to your softener/water treatment company.

Brusho, thanks a lot for the info. I had read up on TDS. What is an RO?

 

[Patrick_B]

It is a Reverse Osmosis unit. The "under the sink' type will take pretty bad water down to very, very low hardness...like to 0.0 and TDS to 40 or less. Most of these will make about 5-8 Gallons Per Day. Industrial units can squeeze out hundreds and hundreds of GPM water that is so pure you shouldn't drink it. And no, I am not kidding about that.