Looking at your recommended systems I see the cation exchange would be good for our household. I cannot identify the product that uses this type of process. Please advise which product is a cation exchange. I am ready to get a new water filter/softner. Thanks
Answer: A water softener uses the process of cation exchange. The water softening process is accomplished by a chemical cation exchange that replaces the calcium and magnesium in your water with a equivalent number of sodium or potassium ions. During the softening process, water passes through the resin bed, and the magnesium and calcium are removed. A given sized resin bed has a fixed capacity to remove hardness before it needs to be regenerated to full capacity in order to continue provide softened water (for example, one cubic foot of resin has the ability to remove 32,000 grains of hardness from your water). When the resin bed is nearing exhaustion, the control valve washes the resin bed, and draws salt containing solution from the brine tank through the resin. As the salt contacts the resin bed, the process of ion exchange occurs, and the magnesium and calcium (hardness) that was collected in the bed during operation is washed to drain. After a final rinse to remove the excess salt, the resin bed is again ready to provide softened water.
Selecting the correct capacity and model water softener depends on number of people in your home (to determine daily flow rate) and pipe diameter (to determine which valve size), and water quality information (hardness, iron, pH etc.). We will be pleased to recommend one for you if you can provide us with this information. If you have this information, please let us know, and we will recommend the correct sized softener for your application. If water analysis information is not available, you might want to send us a sample for analysis. If you decide to send our lab a water sample for our free analysis (information on how to do this is under the Services menue on any of our sites), we will recommend the best unit for your application when the analysis is complete.
You should always select a unit that matches your inlet water supply pipe diameter to maximize flow and minimize pressure drop. In most cases this is either 3/4 or 1 inch. The supply pipe diameter is the one that comes into your home. In the case of municipal water supply, this is the diameter of the pipe immediately after the water meter. If you are on a well, the pipe is the one immediately after your pressure tank (also called an expansion or bladder tank). Do not consider the larger 1″ size if your pipe is 3/4″ in diameter – only costs more and provides you with no real benefit, however, if you have 1″ or 1 1/4″ pipe – get a 1″ or 1 1/4 inch system.
Any of our Autotrol or Fleck water softener systems would be a good choice. We recommend that you install a “metered” system for most efficient operation. The metered systems actually measure the water consumption in your home and regenerate only when necessary. Our most popular metered system with 3/4″ connections is the Autotrol 255/460i (CAI Model WS1SM). If you will install the softener on 1″ water supply piping, we would suggest an Autotrol “Performa” 268/460i unit (CAI model WS3SM-HC). The Autotrol Logix control is also a popular seller featured in our WS1LM and WS3LM-HC models.
Regarding a filter, you can use an inline cartridge filter installed prior to your water softener to remove the sediment and/or odor.
A good choice for a sediment only filter would be an Ametek 20″ filter housing with 3/4″ connections. The filter housing should be equipped with a 5-micron sediment filter cartridge. The filter housing, filter cartridges, mounting bracket and filter wrench can all be purchased online for $101.00 delivered. If you have 1” piping, the same equipment with a larger housing and sediment carts is available for $155.00 delivered.
To remove any off-odor or taste in your water, you can instead use a radial flow carbon (RFC) cartridge in place of our standard sediment cartridge. The RFC cartridge will filter sediment down to 7 microns, and also provide improved taste and odor control. RFC filter cartridges, mounting bracket and filter wrench would be priced at $182.00 delivered. In one inch, this equipment is priced at $228.00 delivered.
You can view and purchase our water softeners and cartridge filters online at http://www.caitechnologies.com – enter the Water Treatment Systems area, and click on the “Metered Water Softeners” or “Cartridge Water Filters” drop-down under the Online Store section. You can also visit our sister site at http://www.ewateronline.net.
Warranty is 5 years on the water softener and neutralizer valve/control – 5 years on the brine tank and components – 10 years on the resin tank. We offer free lifetime technical support for the original purchaser – we handle any warranty issues for you. You can also download a copy of the manual for the water softener and neutralizer, as well as installation instructions from our site.
Hope this answers your question!