Serious Hard Water, Solutions?

[Delta]

So the water here is ridiculously hard, the washing machine is permanently stained and we just had to scrape and clean the tank on the new toilet after a couple months. Was talking to the neighbor last night and he said their was a water softener in the crawlspace, it was probably in bypass, but should be there. There are parts of the old system there, but the brine tank has long been gone. So we're back to square one. I will note this is a rental, the single well serves the duplex (two tenants) with a small bladder tank. 1gpm max is the output that I've been able to get out of it. Is their any solutions to the hard water without buying an expensive water softener? It's not a "life or death" item I expect the landlord to buy, I'm really just tired of ruining our whites.

 

[Jetronic]

I'm in the same situation. Haven't found a solution, besides using rainwater for washing/toilet flushing.

 

[RedOakRanch]

Out here in CA my water is 10x harder than what's considered hard and a soft water system and RO for drinking is pretty much mandatory. I tried the regular tap for a few years and my washer and dishwasher rusted out putting rust stains on clothes and dishes. I rent the soft water system and they change out the cylinders since brine is banned by my sewer company. It cost about $75/month with RO.

 

[SLATRON]

Reverse Osmosis.

 

[Warstud]

You sure theres no brine tank? Alot of them now are all one unit. The mineral tank is inside the brine tank and you literally surround the mineral tank with salt.

 

[SHOZ]

If it's old and had been treating such hard water the resin is probably shot and needs replaced anyway.

 

[Delta]

Originally Posted By: Warstud
You sure theres no brine tank? Alot of them now are all one unit. The mineral tank is inside the brine tank and you literally surround the mineral tank with salt.


From what I could tell the plumbing bypasses it, it's not like anything I've seen but once, it doesn't even have a control unit on it. Weither it never had one or has been removed who knows. We actually had the same setup 3 houses down several years ago. I don't remember the water being that bad. Not sure if our well is deeper/shorter or even in the same stream system.

 

[SHOZ]

Maybe just a resin tank rental exchange setup? We had one at home on just the hot water that they would come and change once a month when I was a child.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Have a water softener installed. That's what you do for hard water. Duh

 

[Brybo86]

We have one of these setups at our cabin in wisconsin.

Called the "Iron Curtain" ... water tastes great without all the extra salt and slippery feeling. The pic has a salt bin in it, ours doesn't.

If more filtration is need for higher GPM flow then more tanks can be added.

In the first tank the water is mixed with oxygen which causes the iron to unbind from the water then in the second tank the iron is filtered out. Our backflushes into the sump pit after a set amount of gallon have been filtered.

It is very low maintenance and there are no chemicals to add or buy.
my 2c

 

[BRZED]

The least costly option is probably a zeolite water filtraton ststem.Hydrated silicates are good at removing impurities, including calcium and magnesium.

 

[AZjeff]

Yikes! Odds are good he's not going to install that monster in a RENTAL HOUSE.

I've been looking at these electronic water softeners. Just don't have a good place to get to the pipes in this house, everything is under the slab or in walls or I'd give it a try.

http://www.amazon.com/Clearwave-CW-125-E...+water+softener

 

[Delta]

Originally Posted By: HosteenJorje
Have a water softener installed. That's what you do for hard water. Duh


Oh, definitely so, but not being ours, there's no way I'm spending big bucks to overhaul the system since the pump/expansion tank is ill matched as well. Was looking at some alternatives.

I thought about a reverse osmosis system for under the sink for drinking water, but that still leaves the laundry and bath facilities. I might leave well enough alone, who knows.

Brybro, how much did that set-up set you back? Once we do find a house we can agree on buying I'm most likely going to have to overhaul the system.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: HosteenJorje
Have a water softener installed. That's what you do for hard water. Duh


You can rent them also I think from the expensive guys (Culligan). So maybe pass some of the cost onto the next guy.

 

[Brybo86]

it was around $3000 a few years ago. I believe they do rent to own as well.

I would also recommend getting water officially tested before going down any route.

Then you can get products to address your specific issues.

I have also read that there is a small bypass vlave in the tall filter tanks that can potentially get clogged and stuck open.

Maybe that is the problem where you are.

put up some pics of your current setup

 

[Al]

Originally Posted By: SLATRON
Reverse Osmosis.

Honestly that's like trying to kill an ant with a sledgehammer. Really too expensive. Price them out..you'll see.

 

[Delta]

Originally Posted By: Brybo86
it was around $3000 a few years ago. I believe they do rent to own as well.

I would also recommend getting water officially tested before going down any route.

Then you can g

I have also read that there is a small bypass vlave in the tall filter tanks that can potentially get clogged and stuck open.

Maybe that is the problem where you are.

put up some pics of your current setup


I should of got some pictures yesterday. I'll be out of town till mext weekend, but I will go back under there to do some investigation and snap pics. I need to repair a hose bibb line anyways.

 

[sleddriver]

Pictures?
WM "permanently stained" with what? Iron?
Does your neighbor's system work?
If your handy, you can buy & install your own system rather than getting it retail. Much less expensive that way. And you can take it with you as well.

 

[Delta]

Me and my neighbor share the same well and bladder tank. We both have stained washing machines etc. It's a brown rusty stain. I'll have pictures when I get back home Saturday. I am very handy when it comes to pluming and the like. I guess I could buy/rent a system and take it with me.

 

[SHOZ]

Rust will kill a water softener. You need an iron removal setup too.