Water softener and septic tank

arm3000gt

HI

I am just about to move into a house with a septic tank in a hard water area. The hot water cylinder will need replacing due to limescale build up so I've been looking into ways of keeping any new cylinder free of scale. I have been looking into water softeners but there seems to be some conflicting information. The water softener companies say that is fine to discharge the regeneration water (brine) into a septic tank system. Other results seem to suggest it is a bad idea and detrimental to the system.

Does anyone have real world experience in using a water softener with a septic tank?

An alternative that I have read about suggested creating a separate soak away purely for the water softener regeneration discharge. Has anyone done this? I'd imagine over time this soak away area would become very salty and devoid of life.

The alternative is just carry on without and plan on replacing cylinder etc when needed.

Thanks

Section106

arm3000gt wrote: »

I am just about to move into a house with a septic tank in a hard water area. The hot water cylinder will need replacing due to limescale build up so I've been looking into ways of keeping any new cylinder free of scale. I have been looking into water softeners but there seems to be some conflicting information. The water softener companies say that is fine to discharge the regeneration water (brine) into a septic tank system. Other results seem to suggest it is a bad idea and detrimental to the system.

Does anyone have real world experience in using a water softener with a septic tank?

An alternative that I have read about suggested creating a separate soak away purely for the water softener regeneration discharge. Has anyone done this? I'd imagine over time this soak away area would become very salty and devoid of life.

The alternative is just carry on without and plan on replacing cylinder etc when needed.

Do you know for a fact the hot water cylinder needs replacing? The amount of hardness in water varies depending on the supply source, so it is not automatic that a house in a 'hard water' area will have a level of hardenss which will be a problem. I live in a moderately hard area and when I recently replaced my immersion heater I cleaned the cylinder out as well. After about 15 years use, the cylinder contained only about two cup fulls of limescale.

My parents live in a very hard water area. They have a softener (regenerating every other night) and a septic tank. They have never had a problem with the softener discharge affecting the septic tank.

Although some sites claim the softener will be producing huge amounts of 'chemical' input into the septic tank, that needs to be viewed against the vast amounts of 'chemical' produced by washing machines and domestic/personal hygiene products.

One site in particular (near the top of google search results) warns of the dangers to your septic tank and says you should discharge the water softener to the surface water drainage system instead. Since that could result in pollution of watercourses (and possibly a fine) the advice of sites like that should be treated with extreme caution.

arm3000gt

Don't know for a fact yet but it was highlighted in the survey that the cylinder was 'calcified'. It has been in place for circa 27 years, so there is a fair chance there will have been a fair amount of build up. Official figures are 366ppm so while not sky high, still high enough. I won't know for sure until I move in but just mulling over options. And bracing myself for unexpected costs.
I am however fed up of scrubbing limescale off every surface that water touches in my current home. Anything that helps reduce this is a bonus in my book and would consider a softener on this basis alone, never mind protection of heating system.
There does seem to be a bit of conflicting information hence the question. Some say no problem some say very bad. A quick search has given me it takes about 240 grams of salt to softener approx. 500ltrs of water. Just don't want to get one installed then end up with a very smelly problem down the line.

J_B

arm3000gt wrote: »

Don't know for a fact yet but it was highlighted in the survey that the cylinder was 'calcified'.

How would a surveyor know that a sealed cylinder was 'calcified'?

arm3000gt

Poor hot water flow maybe? Owner said something? Experience of properties in the same area with 20+ year old hot water tanks? No idea and didn't ask to be honest. Will be buying the house regardless.
Was just curious about water softener discharge into septic tanks and potential issues.

Section106

arm3000gt wrote: »

Poor hot water flow maybe? Owner said something? Experience of properties in the same area with 20+ year old hot water tanks? No idea and didn't ask to be honest. Will be buying the house regardless.
Was just curious about water softener discharge into septic tanks and potential issues.

Just to add to my previous post, softened water usually means less soap/shampoo/washing powder etc is required, thereby reducing the chemical/detergent loading on the septic tank.

arm3000gt

Section106 wrote: »

Just to add to my previous post, softened water usually means less soap/shampoo/washing powder etc is required, thereby reducing the chemical/detergent loading on the septic tank.

That is one of the benefits I'm hoping for. Go through a fair amount of limescale remover, toilet cleaner, vinegar etc in current home just keeping things from going crusty.

arm3000gt

I've done a bit more reading and depending on model salt quantities in the waste water can vary quite a bit. They range from about 11-35 grams per litre average over the regeneration cycle. Saline solution is 9 grams per litre, seawater 35. So on that basis the lower level one would probably 'better'.

SamanthaNichols1

I used Abundant Flow and it was very easy to install if you have some reasonable plumbing skills and some time. The directions were very clear and easy to follow. I chose this dual tank system for a cottage on a private well so we would never be stuck with unsoftened water at a place that can vary widely with water demands depending on the headcount on any given weekend. No leaks on startup and has cycled flawlessly several times since I installed it. The quality of the components seems very good to excellent. Glad I made this purchase. I considered Kinetico (at a much higher total cost) but got nervous with all the reviews I read about spotty post-installation service and very high costs for replacement parts. So glad I went with Fleck.

Mickey666

I have septic tanks and water softeners.  Septic tanks should really be for foul drainage only and should not be connected to surface water drainage, to avoid ‘flooding’ them.  My water softeners are connected into the surface water drainage, which in my case empties into a very large pond and ultimately a river.  The abundant pond flora and fauna would suggest that’s it’s healthy enough, though I guess it depends on the size of the pond and the ultimate dilution factor.

greatcrested

Off topic, but as the property is subject to a sale, you must take into account the new (2020) rules regarding off mains sewage disposal.