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Default Water softener using too much salt.

We just bought our new house and my wife and I have never used a water
softener before. I think there is something wrong. We buy approx 150
lbs of salt every other week. It is set to recharge 3 times a week.
It is only my wife and I, and it sucks our salt down after a few days.
There is barely any salt in the tank. i am not sure what to do, and we
really dont have any extra money to have a techincian come out. what
should i do? Please help!!

matt

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atyson
 
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Default Water softener using too much salt.

I'd suggest you go to your local Home Depot and explain your situation
to them first, before pulling in a technician. HDepot will better
understand your local water hardness levels in order to comment
specifically on your setup. I have a GE based softener for my home,
and I use potassium chloride, not actual salt. For our family of 4,
only have to re-fill it twice/year, and recharging is only once per
week. Our local HDepot set us all up after we bought our current home;
then all I needed was a plummer (suggested by HDepot) to install it
economically.

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Default Water softener using too much salt.

With a family of 5 we go through about 300lbs/year. The amount of salt
you use will depend on the unit size and recharge period. I'm guessing
that you have a large unit and the 3 day recharge is way too often for
just the two of you. Based on your current salt usage I would suggest a
period of 2 weeks is likely more than sufficient.

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nospambob
 
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Default Water softener using too much salt.

Isn't salt usage a function of water hardness? We cycle twice per
week with 8" of slat for the two of us. Amount suggested when a valve
was replaced.

On 21 Nov 2005 05:15:08 -0800, wrote:

With a family of 5 we go through about 300lbs/year. The amount of salt
you use will depend on the unit size and recharge period. I'm guessing
that you have a large unit and the 3 day recharge is way too often for
just the two of you. Based on your current salt usage I would suggest a
period of 2 weeks is likely more than sufficient.



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Gary Slusser
 
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Default Water softener using too much salt.

No one (here) can tell you IF your regeneration schedule is right or
wrong based on the volume of salt it uses or the time between
regenerations...

Demand/metered control valves regenerate when needed and based on the
size of softener you have, the type of resin you have in it and the ion
exchange required (raw water quality), the number of gallons between
regenerations, ETC.. Your softener may be working just fine, or maybe
not set up correctly. Is the water soft?

The capacity of a softener is dictated by the volume and type of resin
AND THEN the salt dose in lbs per regeneration. Thereby every softener
in the world has an adjustable salt dose. If you have a high efficiency
salt dose setting, and decide to use potassium chloride instead of
sodium chloride, you must increase the salt dose. Potassium is not as
efficient and sodium because cation resins are not made in the
potassium form, they are all sodium form. Depending on the salt
efficiency setting, you have to increase the salt dose as much as 30%.

Here's a link to explain all the above and more about correctly sizing
a softener and setting one up.
http://www.qualitywaterassociates.co...izingchart.htm

To learn more about the brands mentioned...
http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=174318

Gary
Quality Water Associates
www.qualitywaterassociates.com

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