Member Since: 08 Nov 2005
Location: Oldbury, WM
Posts: 10353
Water softener / hard water
Folks
The water at my daughters house is really hard, with limescale corrosion on new taps fitted less than a year ago already very bad.
Have any of you fitted any sort of in-line water softener or limescale remover with success, what’s the best one to look at
Cheers
AlVolvo XC90 B5 Plus Dark
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19th Jun 2023 4:17 pm
Gary_P
Member Since: 03 May 2016
Location: Kent
Posts: 1668
We have very good results with a kinetic water softener.
Plumbed in can be bypassed for filling heating system etc.
Previously had terrible issues with limescale which decayed the inside of an expensive shower valve.
The kinetico has twin resin tanks which means there is never a time during regeneration when the softener is not softening water. Needs no power supply as meters the flow itself and knows when it needs to regenerate ( can be manually triggered too).
Very happy with it, having had it about 15 years. Cost us,around £1,000
back then, so not at the budget end of the scale but with it in my view. We have quite hard water here, and get through a twin pack of salt blocks every two months or so ( there's normally only the two of us, but at home most of the day).
We are in Kent, by the way.
CheersGary
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19th Jun 2023 5:40 pm
Andrew Pepper
Member Since: 05 May 2011
Location: Camberley
Posts: 17
I fully endorse Gary P's post - we've had a Kinetic one for nearly 40 years and it's still going strong. I cannot remember the cost, but I do remember I plumbed it in myself. Nothing gets furred up with limescale.
The advantages of the Kinetic are that as well as not requiring electricity it doesn't waste salt - it only regenerates when needed (based on flow), not on a time schedule which the electric ones do.
I put in a bypass to a separate tap in the kitchen for drinking water.
We live in Surrey.Andrew
19th Jun 2023 6:50 pm
rrhool
Member Since: 28 Aug 2014
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 4522
Me too. I've got a Harveys kinetic water softener, Kinetico is the other top brand. Harveys and Kinetico are the same machine. Having a water softener after so many years of limescale covering everything is a revelation. Clean shower, clean shower glass, clean taps and basins.
I'm not convinced any of the 'magic' inline scale removers actually work. get the real thing once, and forget it. Richard
D3 SE 2007. Triumph 2.5Pi 1973. Ferguson TEA20 1948.
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19th Jun 2023 7:21 pm
al cope
Member Since: 08 Nov 2005
Location: Oldbury, WM
Posts: 10353
Ok, sounds like that’s what I need to be looking at then.
Might be more than she can afford but have to start somewhere
Thanks
AlVolvo XC90 B5 Plus Dark
Gone - MY18 D5 HSE - Corris on 22's with Black Pack
Now gone - MY16 D4 SE Tech, Loire Blue, Almond Leather, Privacy, plus some other goodies.
Old - MY12 D4 SDV6 XS Auto - Ipanema Sand with Almond Leather - Plus other niceties, and D4.com sticker
Older - D3 TDV6 XS Auto - Lugano Teal with Almond Leather, 20" Stormers, Shiny Tailpipes, DVD/TV - and obligatory D3 sticker
Ancient - D3 TDV6 S - Tonga with Ebony, 20" Stormers, satnav & DVD
19th Jun 2023 7:29 pm
Brian Considine
Member Since: 05 Dec 2022
Location: Nr Margate
Posts: 280
Short of installing conditioning equipment, regular use of Mr Muscle Shower Spray on all sanitary ware will help to stop limescale build up.
19th Jun 2023 7:48 pm
Gary_P
Member Since: 03 May 2016
Location: Kent
Posts: 1668
al cope wrote:
Ok, sounds like that’s what I need to be looking at then.
Might be more than she can afford but have to start somewhere
Thanks
Al
The flip side of up front expense is that it will only cost about £40-£50 a year to run. Much less than some.
It's not just taps/ chromeware that stays looking better, it's ceramic/ sanitary ware too. Basins, toilet pans etc all stay looking a lot better , needing less cleaning.
As has been stated you need non softened plumbing to your cold drinking water tap. You can drink softened water . It's salt content is minimal ( no more than milk), as the salt is only used to flush the resin softening tanks through, so it's only a tiny amount of residue that finds its way into the softened water.
Understand to the issue regarding cost. There are cheaper machines around, but not heard many good reports on those.Gary
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19th Jun 2023 8:48 pm
dantheman
Member Since: 12 Mar 2010
Location: Essex
Posts: 1738
Have a look at monarch as a slightly cheaper alternative. Know of a couple of people with them and also fitted one for my mum and she has been very happy with it. Takes the salt tablets. She's not fussed that it doesn't have twin tanks as its only her on her own.Today is the oldest you've been and the youngest you'll ever be again.
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