I just got finished replacing all my toilet and faucet valves with 1/4
turn ball valves. Several of the gate valves had failed. A few were
leaking, and one would not even turn anymore. They did not look
"ancient". I have extremely hard water where I live. Is there a type
of valve that will resist hard water damage more than others? Or is
replacing valves simply an unavoidable ritual to be performed each
decade?

On Jun 17, 6:08 pm, "
wrote:
I just got finished replacing all my toilet and faucet valves with 1/4
turn ball valves. Several of the gate valves had failed. A few were
leaking, and one would not even turn anymore. They did not look
"ancient". I have extremely hard water where I live. Is there a type
of valve that will resist hard water damage more than others? Or is
replacing valves simply an unavoidable ritual to be performed each
decade?

**** dude get a water softener already. Available at your local big
box, I have installed two with no prob. If you can replace your
toilet and faucet valves then a water softener is within your
abilities.

On Jun 17, 7:04 pm, Lawrence wrote:

**** dude get a water softener already. Available at your local big
box, I have installed two with no prob. If you can replace your
toilet and faucet valves then a water softener is within your
abilities.

From realtor I've heard of maintenance problems with water softeners,
and also problems with the salt it adds into the water, not only
health problems in terms of sodium intake but also accelerated
corrosion e.g. of water heaters. Just not sure if the cure isn't
worse than the disease of having to replace valves and flush the water
heater and such...

wrote:
On Jun 17, 7:04 pm, Lawrence wrote:
**** dude get a water softener already. Available at your local big
box, I have installed two with no prob. If you can replace your
toilet and faucet valves then a water softener is within your
abilities.

From realtor I've heard of maintenance problems with water softeners,
and also problems with the salt it adds into the water, not only
health problems in terms of sodium intake but also accelerated
corrosion e.g. of water heaters. Just not sure if the cure isn't
worse than the disease of having to replace valves and flush the water
heater and such...

I tend to agree...

On valves, we also have quite hard water but all that is really required
is the discipline to exercise them on occasion ime. That, of course, is
another resolution that, like the New Years' type, is easier to make
than keep...

--

wrote in message
From realtor I've heard of maintenance problems with water softeners,
and also problems with the salt it adds into the water, not only
health problems in terms of sodium intake but also accelerated
corrosion e.g. of water heaters. Just not sure if the cure isn't
worse than the disease of having to replace valves and flush the water
heater and such...

Your realtor is wrong. We use softeners for our boilers at work to prolong
their life, not because it shortens it. As for health problems, thee may be
trace amounts of sodium, but it is about the same as you get eating a slice
of bread. Far less than the fries you had at lunch.

On Jun 18, 12:43 pm, "
wrote:
On Jun 17, 7:04 pm, Lawrence wrote:

**** dude get a watersofteneralready. Available at your local big
box, I have installed two with no prob. If you can replace your
toilet and faucet valves then a watersofteneris within your
abilities.
From realtor I've heard of maintenance problems with water softeners,
and also problems with the salt it adds into the water, not only
health problems in terms of sodium intake but also accelerated
corrosion e.g. of water heaters. Just not sure if the cure isn't
worse than the disease of having to replace valves and flush the water
heater and such...

Wrong in most cases. You get 7.85 mg of added sodium (with the use of
softener salt) per roughly a quart of water per grain per gallon of
ion exchange. I.E. 20 gpg hard water would have 157 mg of sodium in a
quart of the softened water. A slice of white bread usually has
120-160 mg of sodium.

Water heaters and hard water do not do well. Electric elements coated
with hard water scale increases the cost to heat water and cause the
elements to fail prematurely. Gas and oil fired water heaters fail
very quickly and use a lot more fuel since they are full of hard water
scale.

Softened water does not harm water heaters as one or more heater web
sites etc. claim. Softening water does not reduce the TDS (total
dissolved solids) of the water, it slightly increases it, that makes
the water conduct electricity; the things dissolved into the water are
responsible for conductance. Softened water will have the same pH as
hard water, so the water is not aggressive or acidic either.

wrote:

....
From realtor I've heard of maintenance problems with water softeners,
and also problems with the salt it adds into the water, not only
health problems in terms of sodium intake but also accelerated
corrosion e.g. of water heaters. Just not sure if the cure isn't
worse than the disease of having to replace valves and flush the water
heater and such...


Sounds like the realtor was trying to sell a house that didn't have
(and probably needed) a water softener.

As other posters have mentioned, the amount of sodium is small.
But if your water is as hard as you mentioned, just for flavor,
you are probably not drinking the water. If you still want to
worry about sodium, you have the following options:
1) You can get potassium chloride (KCl) to recharge the softener with.
Now available at most HW stores. It is about twice the price
(per mole, not per pound). Claims to be better for plants also.
2) Some people plumb the kitchen cold water faucet to bypass the
the softener.

In any case, I have had a water softener for 19 years, and soft water
good. The pipes and fixtures downstream of the softener are much
cleaner and less corroded.

Also, you would like to have outdoor hose bibs that don't go through
the softener.

On Jun 18, 5:48?pm, M Q wrote:
wrote:

...

From realtor I've heard of maintenance problems with water softeners,
and also problems with the salt it adds into the water, not only
health problems in terms of sodium intake but also accelerated
corrosion e.g. of water heaters. Just not sure if the cure isn't
worse than the disease of having to replace valves and flush the water
heater and such...

Sounds like the realtor was trying to sell a house that didn't have
(and probably needed) a water softener.

As other posters have mentioned, the amount of sodium is small.
But if your water is as hard as you mentioned, just for flavor,
you are probably not drinking the water. If you still want to
worry about sodium, you have the following options:
1) You can get potassium chloride (KCl) to recharge the softener with.
Now available at most HW stores. It is about twice the price
(per mole, not per pound). Claims to be better for plants also.
2) Some people plumb the kitchen cold water faucet to bypass the
the softener.

In any case, I have had a water softener for 19 years, and soft water
good. The pipes and fixtures downstream of the softener are much
cleaner and less corroded.

Also, you would like to have outdoor hose bibs that don't go through
the softener.

my dad with high blood pressure has softener and osmosis purifier on
locations where water is used for drinking, kitchen and bath rooms.

frankly the shower always feels slimy...... i dont like that

On Jun 18, 4:48 pm, M Q wrote:

Sounds like the realtor was trying to sell a house that didn't have
(and probably needed) a water softener.

Actually, the house I was looking at did have a water softener.
That's where it came up in the conversation... I didn't buy that
house.

As other posters have mentioned, the amount of sodium is small.
But if your water is as hard as you mentioned, just for flavor,
you are probably not drinking the water.

The taste doesn't bother me that much. Having to shut off water and
replace valves, pipes, water lines and fixtures is what annoys me

If you still want to
worry about sodium, you have the following options:
1) You can get potassium chloride (KCl) to recharge the softener with.
Now available at most HW stores. It is about twice the price
(per mole, not per pound). Claims to be better for plants also.
2) Some people plumb the kitchen cold water faucet to bypass the
the softener.

In any case, I have had a water softener for 19 years, and soft water
good. The pipes and fixtures downstream of the softener are much
cleaner and less corroded.

Also, you would like to have outdoor hose bibs that don't go through
the softener.

Thanks, very informative!