baker wrote:

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in
news:2Gv9d.1636$tc.187@trndny02:



wrote in message
. ..


I live in an area that gets Lake Michigan water and conventional
wisdom typically says the water's pretty 'good' and a softener is
unnecessary.

When I visit my suburban mom and drink her softened water, or take a
shower, I cannot stand it. It tastes funny, I feel slimy and my hair
doesn't seem clean.

That said, I'm becoming a bit of a laundry fanatic and wonder if I'm
crazy to start looking for a small softener that would sit directly
in front of my washer and laundry tub and handle that water only?

~Hera


It can be done. You need a small capacity softener plumbed into the
line that feeds the washer. Not seeing your plumbing, I can't say how
difficult or simple it is. The softener must have access to a drain.
While it can do the laundry only, splitting the plumbing behind walls
(if it is) can be difficult.

As for the slimy feeling and hair, they are cleaner than ever; honest.
You feel slippery because you don't have the mineral residue on your
body.



That may be so, but I had a whole house softener for over five years and
was really glad when we moved. I never got used to the feeling. It
would be great having it for the washing machine and dishwasher, however.



Agreed. It wasn't my idea to have it installed. I am on well water and
when I had the house built 20 years ago, the well water from over 300'
down was odorless, colorless and tasteless (no sulphur smell like others
who live a few blocks from me). Everyone who drank water from our well
commented on how great it was. My visiting relatives used to bring empty
gallon water bottles to take it home. After about 5 years in the house,
my wife decided to have a softener installed for washing, and after
hearing (from the Culligan salesman) how pipes can become clogged with
mineral deposits, she ordered one. When the installer came , I watched
while he installed it. Before he cut the copper pipe for installation,
he said he would show me the mineral deposits in the copper pipe. Well,
he showed me, and the inside of the pipe was clean as a whistle, which
even surprised him. I jokingly told him to forget the installation cause
it looked like we didn't need it.
The feed line from the well pump, and now the softener, joined up with
the pipes that fed the rest of the house. The first line it connected to
was a pipe that ran from the front of the house to the rear, it was the
supply for the front and rear outside sill cocks. From another T in that
sill cock line, the rest of the house was connected. This means that the
sill cocks always get softened water. Because my wife says that softened
water is not good for the plants (but OK for us??), we had to bypass the
softener whenever we wanted water for the grass or plants. My wife still
missed the pure well water, so at the same time, she would fill gallon
water bottles with the unsoftened water for drinking purposes, and I
would have 20 or so water bottles stored in the garage. Finally, about 2
years ago, I ran a 3/8" non-rigid plastic tube directly from the well
pipe before the softener to a small drinking faucet that I installed on
the back of the kitchen sink, so now she has pure well water for
drinking, and I have more room for other junk in the garage. I am still
contemplating doing something about those sill cock pipes that still get
softened water.
The only good thing about the slimy feel after taking a shower, is that
if you don't feel slimy, you know the softener needs salt. :-)