Water Softeners

[AKRUEBBE]

After 2 1/2 months of traveling and stopping at 6 different camp grounds, we noticed that the majority of them have hard to extremely hard water. One place would leave a spot on your skin when the water dried! Any owners have first hand experience with a RV water softener and can recommend a brand?

[Joan617]

We have this...


https://www.portablewatersoftener.co...U=OTG4-StdSoft


...and like it very much. We had a water softener at the stix and brix so Joan wanted one for the road. It's about the size of a scuba tank. It comes with a jar of test strips for checking output for hardness. Every few months when it tests hard, you dump a pound of table salt in it and back-flush it.


At our current RV park, the water is hard and sulphurous. This does a good job and is easy set up and transport.


Angus

[Marine71-76]

We actually have this one:

https://www.portablewatersoftener.co...U=OTG4-DBLSOFT

On our unit, there is a spot for the 3rd propane tank for the generator but wait, Jayco put in a gas cell. So we asked the dealer to run the water line to the water softener and back through the unit. No longer sits outside. Absolutely love it.

[Joan617]

Originally Posted by Marine71-76

We actually have this one:

https://www.portablewatersoftener.co...U=OTG4-DBLSOFT

On our unit, there is a spot for the 3rd propane tank for the generator but wait, Jayco put in a gas cell. So we asked the dealer to run the water line to the water softener and back through the unit. No longer sits outside. Absolutely love it.

Very clever! Ours sits outside next to the spigot and is not a problem but your solution is elegant.

[AKRUEBBE]

Thanks guys!

[Mopar_Earl]

I have and use the on the go softener. We have the double standard model. Works great. I spent months researching them and picked that unit. I have a softener at home and fill my tank with it. Use the softener when we have hooks, which isn't often.
Yep, rare to have naturally soft water anywhere in the country.


Earl

[Rustic Eagle]

Been using the Flow-Pur water softener for a couple years now, great product.

https://www.flowpur.com/html/rv-pro10000.html

Bob

[oldmanAZ]

I'm cheap...
We've used the Pentek WS-10 cartridge. It fits a standard, 10" filter housing. The flow rate is low (0.5gpm) so we only use it to fill our fresh water tank.

Pentek designs the filter to be a single use item, but users do 'recharge' them by soaking in salt water. I will be 'recharging' the filter on our trip starting early 2020, but haven't tried it yet so cannot say how well, or if, it will work.

So, if you want soft water and aren't full-timing and want to save $$, then give the Pentek WS-10 a try.

[AKRUEBBE]

Originally Posted by Rustic Eagle

Been using the Flow-Pur water softener for a couple years now, great product.

https://www.flowpur.com/html/rv-pro10000.html

Bob

Nice price!

[Marine71-76]

Originally Posted by Joan617

Very clever! Ours sits outside next to the spigot and is not a problem but your solution is elegant.

We never had a problem. I have heard of people having theirs tampered with. And it keeps it clean & one less thing I have to move when packing up.

[Joan617]

So posting to this thread has reminded me to check on water hardness. And so while we are not pregnant and the bunny lived, the test strip says that it's time to back-flush and salt rinse. The Brochure says twenty days but we find that we are good for a couple on months. Must depend on local water but we thought that this area was harsh. So, again, it works well...


-Angus

[AKRUEBBE]

Originally Posted by Joan617

So posting to this thread has reminded me to check on water hardness. And so while we are not pregnant and the bunny lived, the test strip says that it's time to back-flush and salt rinse. The Brochure says twenty days but we find that we are good for a couple on months. Must depend on local water but we thought that this area was harsh. So, again, it works well...


-Angus

Angus, do you check with the test strips at the water softener or one of the indoor faucets? Just installed mine today. Also do you back flush every time you regenerate it?

[Joan617]

Originally Posted by AKRUEBBE

Angus, do you check with the test strips at the water softener or one of the indoor faucets? Just installed mine today. Also do you back flush every time you regenerate it?

We check the water with the test strips at a faucet in the RV since that is where we wash from.


I'm finding that we can go a month or so (or longer) between regeneration. It might vary with where you park. You can also tell when you shower that the water on your skin is not as slick. That's when we know to use the test strips.


In that case, we would back-flush every other regeneration. I missed the back-flush the first time but when we did it before the second regeneration, the improvement was remarkable.


You can then use less soap in your washing machine and dishwasher, as well as less coffee grounds in your brew, if that is your thing.


BTW, the water filter wrench that came with your Pinnacle, while not a perfect fit, will serve to let you coax off the Water softener lid when you regenerate with the salt.



Good luck



Angus

[AKRUEBBE]

Originally Posted by Joan617

We check the water with the test strips at a faucet in the RV since that is where we wash from.I'm finding that we can go a month or so (or longer) between regeneration. It might vary with where you park. You can also tell when you shower that the water on your skin is not as slick. That's when we know to use the test strips.In that case, we would back-flush every other regeneration. I missed the back-flush the first time but when we did it before the second regeneration, the improvement was remarkable.You can then use less soap in your washing machine and dishwasher, as well as less coffee grounds in your brew, if that is your thing.
BTW, the water filter wrench that came with your Pinnacle, while not a perfect fit, will serve to let you coax off the Water softener lid when you regenerate with the salt.Good luckAngus

Thanks Angus, from a water softener newbie

[Marine71-76]

Originally Posted by Joan617

So posting to this thread has reminded me to check on water hardness. And so while we are not pregnant and the bunny lived, the test strip says that it's time to back-flush and salt rinse. The Brochure says twenty days but we find that we are good for a couple on months. Must depend on local water but we thought that this area was harsh. So, again, it works well...


-Angus

Haha...needed the chuckle this morning. Since we don't camp for more than 2 weeks at a time, we usually have to regen once a season. EXCEPT with someone (not going to point any fingers) turns off the shower head at the head BUT forgets to turn off the water! Yep, filled up the holding tank (which had been emptied the day before) and the shower stall. We use Damp Rid throughout the trailer and had one hanging in the shower. Well, the roads were rough & the bag leaked all over the shower stall & the floor. Cleaned everything up and then used the shower head to rinse, rinse, rinse. Just forgot to turn off the water. What a mess. Oh well...lesson learned and water softener now ready to go again.

[Joan617]

Hah. Yeah we’ve lost a damp rid in the shower to a rough road as well. It IS a mess!!

[Butch C]

I just took delivery of an On The Go Double Standard softener and had some questions for any of the water softener experts out there. Do you place the softener before the pressure regulator of after it? Or does it matter? I normally put my adjustable regulator (set to 55 psi) at the spigot. Also the directions say to use 2-4 teaspoons of Super Iron Out with the salt when regeneration in extremely hard water conditions. Where do you buy Super Iron Out?

Also anyone looking to buy one the these units, Camping World online has them on sale for $249.79 and if you put in the code ENDOFSUMMER you get an additional 15% off making it $212.32 plus tax. Freight is free.

Thanks,
Butch C

[Joan617]

We have our water pressure regulator in front of the water softener right at the pedestal but I'm not sure that matters much with the water softener. They appear to be sturdy and robust with regular garden-hose fittings compared to the more delicate plumbing inside the RV.


You can buy Iron-out at Lowes, etc in the cleaning supplies isle or in plumbing, sometime both sections.


Angus

[Marine71-76]

We also have the regulator at the nozzle...well before the water softener. We actually have 2 (yes 2) water filters before the water softener. The one the unit came with and the camco hanging off the hose. Different contaminant catchers.

[AKRUEBBE]

I also put the pressure regulator at the source, then a canister filter, then the water softener and a whole house filter built in. Like Angus, being full time, the water softener is a must!