water softner help in chosing and is this true

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  • And so we need a replacement water softener; and my diy-man recommends a mechanical unit (non-electric), we're considering the Kinetico 2020 or Harvey S3 or TwinTec (anything similar). Looking for competitive prices and decent user experience. Any help appreciated
  • Micky2
    Micky2 Posts: 13 Forumite
    Im sure others will have differing views on the subject but... Twin machines are more expensive for no extra gain, I have had a single cylinder softener for about 20 years, having now moved home I bought a new updated model, gone the 240 volts and in with a 12 volt supply, much better.. a thin cable to run.
    I could have gone for a 10ltr unit but chose a 15ltr only because it held more salt and would give me longer between regenerations, it is controlled by ltrs used so no unnecessary regenerations, I also have full flow valves and 22mm pipework due to my heating system. If your happy going for the twin cylinder then go for it, but your spending money for no reason and more parts mean more to go wrong. But its down to peace of mind and what your happy with although the will be a few hundred £ more.

    Lots has been said on here about the valves ,, and it looks like .. Auto troll .. Fleck or Clack is the way to go .. some others seem to have recurring problems .. though I cant comment as have never had a problem with my old model and I only fitted the new one last Sunday 7-8-2011.

    Good luck and happy hunting.
  • moonrakerz
    moonrakerz Posts: 8,650
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    VjTheDj wrote: »
    I didn't fill any salt for a few weeks recently so now it's busted - water overflowing! So people do please keep the salt levels refilled.


    Putting no salt in it won't "bust" it, it just regenerates with fresh water instead of brine - or to put it another way - it doesn't regenerate !
    Micky2 wrote: »
    Im sure others will have differing views on the subject but... Twin machines are more expensive for no extra gain,

    No "differing" view ! I am 101% in agreement with you - twin cylinder machines are a waste of money.............(this will start an argument again !!)
  • Doc_N
    Doc_N Posts: 8,267
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    Hi Doc N.
    I've been in the industry 16 years and it is my considered opinion that if you have a good quality water softener it will be far more cost effective not to have it serviced and just call someone out if it ever goes wrong.. having said that your salt consumption looks a little high unless you live in an area where the hardness is above 500 ppm (as Ca CO3) i.e. Swindon and Hartlepool (unless they've changed their water supply in the last eight years) ..
    Regards Matt

    Just as a follow-up to your helpful post, my supply's at 480ppm and an average of 360 litres a day goes through the softener.

    Would you say, then that a 25K bag of salt a month is higher than it should be?
  • Hi Doc N
    It sounds about right.. If you have a timed 10 litre machine you might be able to set the regeneration to every three days and get up to six weeks from a bag of salt.. If you have a volume controlled unit try and experiment by lowering the hardness setting by 10-20 ppm.. you might get the same result without compromising on water softness.
    Matt
  • Doc_N
    Doc_N Posts: 8,267
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    Hi Doc N
    It sounds about right.. If you have a timed 10 litre machine you might be able to set the regeneration to every three days and get up to six weeks from a bag of salt.. If you have a volume controlled unit try and experiment by lowering the hardness setting by 10-20 ppm.. you might get the same result without compromising on water softness.
    Matt

    Thanks for the advice - much appreciated. I was concerned that I might need new resin. :)
  • I had a Kinetico 2020 for 10 years in my last house and loved it and never had a single problem (apart from it cost me £1,100 in 1999). Now we have bought a second hand 2020 off eBay for £250, paid a plumber £80 to fit it and then a local Kinetico engineer £99 to fit it properly but I am loving it all over again. Wouldn't buy anything else.
  • £250 to £350 is the type of money these things should cost!.. I have no problem at all with Kinetico, Harveys, etc.. good machines but someone somewhere is making an absolute fortune..
  • planemad
    planemad Posts: 569
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    I installed a Monarch Midi in my house 6 4 months ago.
    More than happy with it - even better that I can get the salt tabs from work for free.
  • Doc_N
    Doc_N Posts: 8,267
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    £250 to £350 is the type of money these things should cost!.. I have no problem at all with Kinetico, Harveys, etc.. good machines but someone somewhere is making an absolute fortune..

    Absolutely. They've always been stupidly expensive for what is after all a pretty simple piece of equipment. I'm guessing the dealers are probably on a 100% mark-up, or thereabouts, but even so £1000 or so is a daft amount of money to have to pay for a decent one.

    I suppose part of the problem is that they're sold in small numbers. Pressure washers and breadmakers used to be much the same until advertising made the sales take off, and the prices plummet. I paid £199.99 for a Panasonic breadmaker in the late 80s (about £500 in today's terms) and look at the price now.

    It's always puzzled me that none of the major suppliers ever do any 'serious' advertising, rather than just bits and pieces here and there. Water softeners have always struck me as something that could be sold in vast numbers if only the public became more aware of what they do, the advantages they bring, and the problems they prevent.
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