Kenmore (Sears) Water Softener Cleaner -- How often?
"L. Dwynn Lafleur" wrote
I have a Kenmore "Super Capacity Genius +" water softener that is
almost 7
years old and (knock on wood!) still seems to be working fine. Its
raw
water input has a hardness of 10 grains per gallon and a clear water
iron
content of about 2 ppm. Our water usage rate probably averages about
150-200 gal/day.
The owner's manual states that, in order to keep the iron from
shortening
the life of the resin bed, Kenmore Water Softener Cleaner should be
used.
This chemical is a white powder that comes in the 20-oz plastic jar
and is
used as a solution of 10 oz in a gallon of water. Sears sells the
stuff in
its store, of course, but its price seems to increase every year.
My question concerns the frequency with which this cleaner should be
used.
Sears provides three different answers, depending on where you look:
(1)
The water softener owner's manual states that the cleaner should be
used "at
least every 6 months." (2) Sears' Web site states that it should be
used
"several times a year." (3) The label on the bottle containing the
cleaner
says it should be used "monthly."
To be on the safe side, I have been using the cleaner almost every
month
over the lifetime of the softener, and I have therefore spent almost
as much
on cleaner as I did on the water softener itself. Given its
increasing
price of the cleaner and the fact that Sears only stands to gain from
over-prescribing it, I wonder if it is really necessary to use it as
often
as I have. Does anyone have any experience and/or advice in this
matter?
Dwynn
There is no right or wrong answer, so cut it back to every 2nd or 3rd
month.
Gary
Quality Water Associates
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