water softner help in chosing and is this true

joe_t

hi matt,
thanks for the reply.
yes, you are right this thread has really been helpful.
i hate to buy anything i know nothing at all about.
with the help here i feel i got the machine i needed for a price i was prepared to pay, and was at least able to ask questions to make sure i got what i was being advised to get.
thanks everyone who has contributed.
joe.......

WoodyMax

Sorry everyone, but I wondered if some kind soul would help me out. We have just moved into a house that has a water softener already installed, a single tank Permutit 8.25M. I just have no idea what I should be doing with it. There was no paperwork left. I have opened the lid and can see little balls of salt at the bottom (the water level seems quite low). I have been reading this thread and understand the regeneration is when the salt is put in. Can someone give me some basic advice on how to use this or what I should be doing. I am not at all technical I'm afraid. Thanks in advance.

Matt_Filterman

Hi WoodyMax.
The softener sounds to be working fine.. the low water level in the brine tank and signs of salt tablets sitting at the bottom suggests that topping up with softener salt granules or tablets is all you probably need to do.. Fill the brine tank right up to near the top with salt (don't add any water to the brine tank, this is done automatically by the machine) and then monitor the salt level over the next few days and weeks.. the salt level should go down and the water coming out of the taps should adopt a silky smooth feeling to it. 25 KG bags of salt should be available at plumbers merchants/ DIY shops etc.. cost should be around £8 to £10 per bag.
Any more questions just post them here on the forum and someone should be able to help..
Matt

Doc_N

This was a very good machine, WoodyMax - had another model in the same range myself some years back, and only got rid of it because I was able to get a particularly good deal on a replacement with a better metering system.

There's a white dial on the front which tells you, as I recall, what stage it's reached in the regeneration process, and I have a feeling that the M at the end of the model number means it has a meter - I could be wrong on that, though. As Matt says, take the lid off and fill it with softener salt, switch on, and see how it goes. There are adjustments that can be made, but no need to worry about that at this stage.

moonrakerz

I've been a very satisfied Permutit user for years now. They are "cheap & cheerful" - but they do the job for a fraction of the price of some of the "designer" machines.

Might be worth you getting one of these so that you can set the machine up to your family's water usage:

http://nextday.diy.com/app/c/test-kits/Water+Treatment/Test+Kits;jsessionid=N6xhN2nT7xNF6Lnb8vJdxKDCrg7H5n4Vf9wXKj3fKpG2DnNYTVZS!-2010503527

You may find this of interest if you haven't had a softener before:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/improvement/interior/1275126

One other thing:

You may find that people who have twin cylinder softeners may "look down their nose at you" as you only have one cylinder ! Ignore them, they have been seduced by the old sales patter that a twin cylinder machine will ALWAYS give you a soft water supply.
This is true, but your machine will regenerate in the middle of the night - so the "worst" that will happen is you might get 2 gallons of hard water in the cistern of your loo ! A lot of twin cylinder machines, apart from the much higher purchase price, use expensive block salt as well.

Doc_N

moonrakerz wrote: »

I've been a very satisfied Permutit user for years now. They are "cheap & cheerful" - but they do the job for a fraction of the price of some of the "designer" machines.

Might be worth adding, though, that the 8.25 was one of the last of the 'proper' Permutits - before the name was acquired by someone else just to use as a label (like Bush, Grundig etc). The old Permutits were very solidly built machines and frequently ran for 30+ years.

WoodyMax

Thank you all so much for your replies. I will go away, have a read and get back to you. Thanks again!

mariacleal

Hi am thinking of putting a water softener in but have lots of questions, any help would be greatly received.
1. does an electric softener use much electricity?
2. Does anybody know anything about Tapworks AD11
3. Do softeners regenerate every day / night
thanks

maria

moonrakerz

1. Slightly more than none !
2. Don't know this machine.
3. Depends on the type. Metered ones do it when they have supplied a set amount of softened water. Manual ones do it when you tell it to - you tell it which days and it does it at 2 in the morning !

I would suggest you read ALL of the threads on this site regarding water softeners before you get your money out.
Water softeners have taken over from double glazing as a happy hunting ground for sharks.

It is VERY difficult to get impartial advice on this subject, whoever you speak to has a vested interest. This usually involves selling you one at twice the price of another model - which will do the job just as well. Blatant lies are told about how much salt a particular model will use.

The second link in my post just above would be a good place to start.
Good luck - keep a TIGHT hold of your wallet !

Doc_N

mariacleal wrote: »

Hi am thinking of putting a water softener in but have lots of questions, any help would be greatly received.
1. does an electric softener use much electricity?
2. Does anybody know anything about Tapworks AD11
3. Do softeners regenerate every day / night
thanks

maria

See moonrakerz's post above.

I'd add only that there are several references to the AD11 in this thread. I'd seriously consider one, but I'm only saying that on the basis that it's probably more or less identical to the much more expensive Ecowater ESM11. You'd need to check that out, though. I'd want to see both of them side by side to be sure.