"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
I don't have a water softener, but my GF's house does. Her water tastes
mildly salty (and makes awful tea), and it's next to impossible to
de-slime
my hands after washing. They feel sticky, even after a minute of rinsing
in
hot water. I'm convinced there's too much chemical being added to the
water.
Are these two clues enough to believe the system's out of whack and needs
tweaking?

My softener had a kit that came with it to test the water. Test untreated
water then the kit would tell you what level to set the softener. My water
was pretty hard and I did not like the setting by the kit so I backed it off
to about 2/3 of what was recommended.

I should not be drinking soft water according to my doctor. Even changing
the system to potassium from rock salt is not recommended by my MD. I do
have high blood pressure.

Find the control panel and back off the numbers 2-3 at a time until the
taste goes away. Explain to her your trying to save her a buck or two. Less
chemical more times between recharge, and less salt needed.

For me I would not forget the ice maker either. My last home I just ran a
separate untreated line to the refrigerator.

Try washing some of your clothes some time, WITHOUT any soap in the
beginning.
You might be shocked at the soap left in your clothes. I was