water softner help in chosing and is this true

George_Bray

I also doubt the scare stories about softened water affecting aluminium or anything else. The threat from hard water is likely to be far worse.

Matt_Filterman

Hi fishpond09.

I don't think anybody is ignoring your question regarding the block salt.. it just looks like no-one knows the answer!.. sorry.

Matt

moonrakerz

westi wrote: »

Is there anyone out there, who has a softener and has actually had trouble with their boiler which is directly as a result of the soft water?? If you should decide to reply, it would be interesting to know how long your particular boiler / softener combination has existed.

I have had softeners in 3 different houses, since the 70s. All the water in the house was softened, bar the kitchen tap - but I would now say that even this is unnecessary - but it is pointless softening a line to an outside tap !!

I have NEVER had any problems with C/H boilers or water heaters using artificially softened water. In my last house, the boiler was in its 21st year when I moved out - and still going strong. I did have the oil tank replaced after 16 years but I don't think you can blame the softener for that.

I, like others, cannot see any reason why boiler manufacturers would say not to use softened water

Matt_Filterman

Hi westi.

It might not have been very scientific but no one has posted any reports of problems with softened water and boilers/ water heaters.
Call me cynical if you want but it could be argued that boiler manufacturers have a vested interest in their heat exchangers becoming damaged by lime-scale as it gives them the opportunity of selling more spare parts..
Thanks for your input too moonrakerz.

Matt

dfarry

Matt_Filterman wrote: »

Call me cynical if you want but it could be argued that boiler manufacturers have a vested interest in their heat exchangers becoming damaged by lime-scale as it gives them the opportunity of selling more spare parts..

Yeah I'd say this is most likely the case.... do the same manufacturers ban the installation of their boilers in soft water area's such as Cornwall... I doubt it.

Doc_N

dfarry wrote: »

Yeah I'd say this is most likely the case.... do the same manufacturers ban the installation of their boilers in soft water area's such as Cornwall... I doubt it.

No, but their argument has always been that water coming from a softener has a corrosive effect on certain metals. This could possibly include copper, because when I first installed a softener, back in 1984, the advice from the manufacturer (Permutit) was that with softened water it was even more essential to ensure that the heating system contained a corrosion inhibitor.

It was, as I recall, to do with the increased alkalinity of the water because of the sodium ions originating in the salt.

Whether this makes sense, I have no idea, but I wasn't about to take any chances with it, so I just made sure the Fernox was kept topped up.

dfarry

Possibly... although (and I am no physicist)... in a sealed heating system where all air should be purged the likelihood of oxidisation is limited so think the corrosion of softer water would be less.

Also Fernox would only cover the sealed heating side, not the open (to an extent) secondary domestic hot water system. If corrosion is a problem in the heating system then you could fill that with unsoftened water I guess.

moonrakerz

Doc_N wrote: »

It was, as I recall, to do with the increased alkalinity of the water because of the sodium ions originating in the salt.

This my well be the original "scare" story; rather like leaving a drinking water supply on "hard". However it is now generally accepted (apart from for babies milk - perhaps !) that the additional sodium ions added by the softening process have a negligible effect.

longwalks1

Hi people

Am after a good water softner for a 3 bed maisonette, theres 3 adults living there in Hertfordshire in a very hard water area, I'm on a water meter (use between 16 and 20 units a month I think - does this sound right?) and have a Worcester Bosch combi boiler Junior 28i.

Can anyone recommend a good, reasonably priced one? And roughly how much salt will i need per month/year and at what cost? Also, where do i buy the salt?

Quite desperate as the hard water has ruined my black granite Blanco sink and black floor tiles in the bathroom :mad:

Help!!

Thanks in advance

Doc_N

Doc_N wrote: »

I'd go along with that. My Ecowater Sensatronic 518 has been going strong without any servicing at all for nearly 14 years.

Excellent machines, but a replacement Ecowater ESM15 would cost around £1100. If I were looking to replace it, though, I'd go for the Tapworks AD15 is basically the same model for less than £700. Likewise the AD11 (about £500) equates to the ESM11, and the Ultra 9 to the ESM9.

Tapworks and Ecowater are effectively one and the same, with the same address etc - the only real difference looks to be the much higher prices for the Ecowater models. I've no axe to grind at all (unlike some here) but if you want a good reliable softener with a good reputation it might be worth looking at the Ecowater models - then buying the Tapworks equivalent to get a lower price.

britishboy wrote: »

Hi people

Am after a good water softner for a 3 bed maisonette, theres 3 adults living there in Hertfordshire in a very hard water area, I'm on a water meter (use between 16 and 20 units a month I think - does this sound right?) and have a Worcester Bosch combi boiler Junior 28i.

Can anyone recommend a good, reasonably priced one? And roughly how much salt will i need per month/year and at what cost? Also, where do i buy the salt?

Quite desperate as the hard water has ruined my black granite Blanco sink and black floor tiles in the bathroom :mad:

Help!!

Thanks in advance

I'd go for the Tapworks AD11 (see above).