cheapest to buy and run water softener

[cypher007]

wondering what would be the cheapest water softener to buy and run?

 

[Neil K]

Can I add to that question please? Can anyone recommend the most effective water softener to fit inline on the cold water main to a combi boiler.

 

[Ray Stafford]

Cheapest to buy?

or cheapest to run? Not the same thing.

Most effective? Different thing again.

In both cases, we need to know more about the hot water system, and how many people are living in the house - and anything else which might affect water usage.

 

[Neil K]

Not necessarily cheapest to buy. Cheapest to run as in, is there a good one that can be fitted inline and and checked and serviced periodically (something like the way a magna clean can) for a three bedroom house, one bathroom, family with 2 teenagers.

 

[Roger Welton]

The only guaranteed way of having soft water (other than moving to a soft water area!) is a salt fed ion exchange water softener.

In my experience all the in-line ones are of very limited effectiveness.

 

[Neil K]

Mainly to protect the heat exchanger in a combi that's why.

 

[Ray Stafford]

Mainly to protect the heat exchanger in a combi that's why.

I think you may be talking about a scale inhibitor rather than a water softener? The former is a device which leaves the limescale in the water, but attempts to prevent it from sticking to the surfaces of the appliance.

They are much cheaper than true water softeners. My recommendation in this type of product for your application would be a Hydropath HS38.

However, it is intended solely to protect appliances from harmful scale build up, and DOES NOT SOFTEN THE WATER.

 

[Neil K]

That's what I meant. Apologies for the wrong terminology Ray! Thanks very much

 

[PhoenixServices]

In answer to cyphers question. I fit Monarch softners and find them very good, seem to be a reasonable price and not had any complaints about reliability or running costs. 7 year warranty too if I remember right.

Hope that helps.

 

[cypher007]

Cheapest to buy?

or cheapest to run? Not the same thing.

Most effective? Different thing again.

In both cases, we need to know more about the hot water system, and how many people are living in the house - and anything else which might affect water usage.

its for a 4 bed house with one bathroom, maybe shower room later. 3 people, one who is mad and uses water like its unlimited. we had water bills about 5 years ago approaching £600 a year, when my son was a baby. he has eczema and my missus would rinse his clothes like crazy, still does.

were having a 250l stainless tank fitted soon, with 2 immersions and boiler coil. I plan to run the hot water in the summer off the solar pv system using a home made pv diverter kit I bought.

what I don't want to happen is for it to all scale up within a year. we live in a "very hard" water area, according to anglian water. I did consider polyphosphate dosing, but this seems almost as expensive to run as a salt softener.


so ideas please. friend of mine swears by his kinetico, tho he seems to use buckets of salt. something a web site I found seemed to suggest. im not bothered about the non electric thing, as I don't suppose they use much anyway. id rather have a proportional salt/water usage system as were on a meter.

 

[Frelon]

Go for a twin cylinder Kinetico or one from the Harvey stable, it will serve you well for the foreseeable future. Buy cheap and you buy twice!

I have had water softeners for 40 years, wouldn't be without one.

Tried the cheaper electric timer one set to regenerate every two days at 2 in the morning. Always woke me up when regenerating, always forgot to reset the clock after a power cut! Still regenerates every two days whether you need it, or not - even on holidays!

The twin cylinder model is meter controlled and only regenerates after a certain volume of soft water has been used. Automatically switches to the second cylinder when regenerating so no gaps in soft water supply. On the other hand the electric timer models are normally on by-pass when regenerating so hard water will be supplied during this period.

You should consider the purchase as a long term investment and worthy of paying a little more for peace of mind.

Enjoy the soft water!

 

[cypher007]

Go for a twin cylinder Kinetico or one from the Harvey stable, it will serve you well for the foreseeable future. Buy cheap and you buy twice!

I have had water softeners for 40 years, wouldn't be without one.

Tried the cheaper electric timer one set to regenerate every two days at 2 in the morning. Always woke me up when regenerating, always forgot to reset the clock after a power cut! Still regenerates every two days whether you need it, or not - even on holidays!

The twin cylinder model is meter controlled and only regenerates after a certain volume of soft water has been used. Automatically switches to the second cylinder when regenerating so no gaps in soft water supply. On the other hand the electric timer models are normally on by-pass when regenerating so hard water will be supplied during this period.

You should consider the purchase as a long term investment and worthy of paying a little more for peace of mind.

Enjoy the soft water!

was consering a kinetico but then read this:

Best water softener systems | Best softener | Compare specifications

is it BS?

 

[Frelon]

I have never seen a Water Softener sales company run statistics on competitive products like this, I think it is bad form and not the done thing, but then I am old fashioned!! They say, "We are an independent water softener specialist". No they are not independent, they sell only the cheaper lesser known water softeners that have not been established long.

As I said before you must consider this purchase as a long term (life) investment. Do not cut corners at this stage or you will regret it.

I have had my Kinetico for 20 years and it has given me excellent service. My last purchase of salt blocks was in January 2006 when I bought 20 packs of 2. I still have three packs left!! OK there are only two of us in the house now but I do not think "I wonder if I could do this cheaper?"
It is an accepted fact of (my life) that there is a cost associated with softened water - even if it was £200 per year it would be well worth it!!

My brother has a newer Kinetico (and says he hardly ever has to put salt in it), my sister has a Harveys and my daughter has an old (like mine) Kinetico. They are top of the range, not cheap (in your terms) but have excellent write ups.

Even your independent water softener specialist says on their web site:

Fact The average household will save enough money using softer water to cover the cost of the water softener in a few years.
When you buy a water softener consider the running cost after buying it. Do not buy a water softener because it is cheap now. This can be false economy.
The following statement is so true:
“The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” – John Ruskin

Over to you, please let us know what you bought!!

 

[cypher007]

I have never seen a Water Softener sales company run statistics on competitive products like this, I think it is bad form and not the done thing, but then I am old fashioned!! They say, "We are an independent water softener specialist". No they are not independent, they sell only the cheaper lesser known water softeners that have not been established long.

As I said before you must consider this purchase as a long term (life) investment. Do not cut corners at this stage or you will regret it.

I have had my Kinetico for 20 years and it has given me excellent service. My last purchase of salt blocks was in January 2006 when I bought 20 packs of 2. I still have three packs left!! OK there are only two of us in the house now but I do not think "I wonder if I could do this cheaper?"
It is an accepted fact of (my life) that there is a cost associated with softened water - even if it was £200 per year it would be well worth it!!

My brother has a newer Kinetico (and says he hardly ever has to put salt in it), my sister has a Harveys and my daughter has an old (like mine) Kinetico. They are top of the range, not cheap (in your terms) but have excellent write ups.

Even your independent water softener specialist says on their web site:

Fact The average household will save enough money using softer water to cover the cost of the water softener in a few years.
When you buy a water softener consider the running cost after buying it. Do not buy a water softener because it is cheap now. This can be false economy.
The following statement is so true:
“The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten” – John Ruskin

Over to you, please let us know what you bought!!

what model kinetico has your brother got? a friend of mine has one but seems to use a lot of salt, he bought it second hand. I was looking at tapworks proportional electronic ones, as they are only £438. but maybe I should follow my friend and look for a kinetico on ebay.

 

[Frelon]

My brother has a 2020 but mine is one of the older ones (HE) which was setup to use gravity fed water from the CW tank in the attic. Before we moved to France we had it changed so that it was an HF model (very easy for Kinetico specialists to change) to use mains fed water. No French house has a water storage tank in the attic!

I just looked at eBay and there are plenty of softeners there (be aware that a number of softeners come out of the Harvey's stable (Crown, TwinTec etc) and maybe less expensive. I see a new Crown for less than £800!

As I indicated earlier be wary of electric (time clock) softeners. Yes, I had one and it was constantly needing my attention. The twin tank softeners can be installed and forgotten, apart from adding salt blocks.

Do not be put off with some softener sales people saying that salt granules are less expensive than blocks. Yes salt granules are less expensive and, yes, I did use them at one time. But salt blocks, despite the added price, are so convenient. You can easily check (about once per month) to see how your blocks are doing in the softener, then add one as necessary. They are light to carry and the garnules tend to go all over the floor!! Mrs Frelon did not like that when I used to refill our older softener!!

Good luck!!

 

[cypher007]

My brother has a 2020 but mine is one of the older ones (HE) which was setup to use gravity fed water from the CW tank in the attic. Before we moved to France we had it changed so that it was an HF model (very easy for Kinetico specialists to change) to use mains fed water. No French house has a water storage tank in the attic!

I just looked at eBay and there are plenty of softeners there (be aware that a number of softeners come out of the Harvey's stable (Crown, TwinTec etc) and maybe less expensive. I see a new Crown for less than £800!

As I indicated earlier be wary of electric (time clock) softeners. Yes, I had one and it was constantly needing my attention. The twin tank softeners can be installed and forgotten, apart from adding salt blocks.

Do not be put off with some softener sales people saying that salt granules are less expensive than blocks. Yes salt granules are less expensive and, yes, I did use them at one time. But salt blocks, despite the added price, are so convenient. You can easily check (about once per month) to see how your blocks are doing in the softener, then add one as necessary. They are light to carry and the garnules tend to go all over the floor!! Mrs Frelon did not like that when I used to refill our older softener!!

Good luck!!

cheers think ill go kinetico 2020c secondhand.