[Moderator David@stives]

I need a bit of help with  the softener filter on my ionics system, it says it needs back washing, do i still need to do this in a soft water area my tds is 80,

 if so what salt do i have to use, do you fill the glass container to the top ?

I have read the manual but it doesnt mention about soft water.

And do you really have to do it everytime you use a tank full of water ?

[*strawman69]

buy another system mate that one will cost you a fortune to maintain. And you have to do a backwash every 1000ltrs

[gsw]

you need to fill the glass container with salt and then connect the red hoses to the water softener. to flush the salt through it and regenerate the filter.

make sure you let the salt totally clear and then flush with the clear water for the last 30 secs. otherwise the salt content will enter the ro and blow the membrane (from experience!!)

although personally why you need to use it with a tds reading that low is beyond me, mine leaves the mains at 370 so i make sure my salt is backwashed before every fill.

did ionics advise you that you would need this ?

or did you get the great customer service that all there customers get once the money has changed hands!!!


anything else i can help with just shout.

greg

[gsw]

make sure you change the di filter they supply for a di vessel and then buy bagged resin, this will save you and arm and aleg going forward, the only other variable after that is the carbon filter and they only need changing every 300k litres through so not that expensive, the salt cannister will last for a good few years if regenerated every fill.

greg

[Moderator David@stives]

greg

I bought it second hand, so dont know much about it.

Where do you get the salt from and do you fill to the top.

My guess is with a low tds reading, do i really need to backwash at all ?

When do you know when the carbon needs changing  ?  is it just a matter of 300'000 litres or is there another sign/test ?

[gsw]

i buy the salt from a farm shop, in 25 l bags it is dishwasher regeneration salt granules not tablets, works out about £25.00  for four bags (100l) that will last me about three to four months.


i think the only way to check the carbon filter is the water through on the water meter, what is the reading (black numbers not red) and you are only assuming the previous owner maaintained properly.

my advice for £60-£70 change it anyway and be safe, unless you know the previous owner.

how old is the system?

greg

[Moderator David@stives]

The reading is on 300'000 now it is probably 5 years old ?

What are the consequences of the carbon filter being too old .

The di vessil is still blue so at least that is a recent change.

[Moderator David@stives]

Next question , now i know how to regenerate the water softener .

What is the the othe considerations with maintenance  ?

[Moderator David@stives]

on my system it goes softener the carbon the di is this the right way as i have seen some carbon before softener.

[Andrew McCann]

Dave.

Don't bother with the softener with your TDS. It's there to take calcium out in hard water areas.

I would by-pass it altogether if you can. You have absolutely no need for it.

The carbon filter is there to take chlorine out of the water because it attacks RO membranes. To be on the safe side I would replace it with a new one.

Hope this helps

Andrew

[Chris Galloway]

Dave.

Don't bother with the softener with your TDS. It's there to take calcium out in hard water areas.

I would by-pass it altogether if you can. You have absolutely no need for it.

The carbon filter is there to take chlorine out of the water because it attacks RO membranes. To be on the safe side I would replace it with a new one.

Hope this helps

Andrew

You can still keep it, Using the RO will extend the life of the DI filters and save money in the long run.

You will still get waste from the RO, so because the waste wont be such a high TDS (compared to hard water areas), you can regenerate it back into the RO thus saving water too.

[Andrew McCann]

Dave.

Don't bother with the softener with your TDS. It's there to take calcium out in hard water areas.

I would by-pass it altogether if you can. You have absolutely no need for it.

The carbon filter is there to take chlorine out of the water because it attacks RO membranes. To be on the safe side I would replace it with a new one.

Hope this helps

Andrew

You can still keep it, Using the RO will extend the life of the DI filters and save money in the long run.

You will still get waste from the RO, so because the waste wont be such a high TDS (compared to hard water areas), you can regenerate it back into the RO thus saving water too.

Yes keep the RO but just don't bother with the softener. It isn't needed with a TDS as low as Dave's

Andrew

[Moderator David@stives]

Thanks guys does the softener look like light brown resin, i am just wonering in case some one has substituted it with resin, it looks very similar to di resin

[Steve Lowe]

Hi Dave

Yes it is brown

Steve

[gsw]

yes the softner is brown , should have a sticker on the left hand side saying its the softner, the carbon one is dark almost black, definitely change your di cartridge for a vessel which is much more economical.

i was going through a DI cartridge every 4- 6 weeks @ about £70 +vat +delivery, now i use one bag of resin every 10 months @ £70 a bag.

you will also need to flush the membrane weekly, can talk you through this if you get stuck

greg

[Ian Rochester]

Spoke to Steve Peel from Ionics last week, apparently a lot of people are now fitting magnets in line instead of a water softener, they do the same thing, ie break down the limescale in the water. 

Require no maintenance and no back-flushing, anyone using this method?

[Chris Galloway]

Spoke to Steve Peel from Ionics last week, apparently a lot of people are now fitting magnets in line instead of a water softener, they do the same thing, ie break down the limescale in the water. 

Require no maintenance and no back-flushing, anyone using this method?

You can buy those devices that do the same thing.. stick em at the water feed from the street just as the  pipes enter your house, then ANY water you use in your home will be treated!

So you save your washing machine, shower, kettle etc too!

[alanwilson]

dave - bin the softener, prefilter, carbon and di.

replace the Ionics prefilter and carbon housings with 20inch pentek 3g housings and filters.  They perform much better than the ionics.  replace the di with a standard composite vessel.

get it all at gapswater.

[Moderator David@stives]

I have got it all up and running now , i back flushed the softener.  also i sent pure water through the ro,s for 30 mins with the waste open full.

At the moment the water coming out of the Ro's  one of them reads "1"  and the other reads "8" dont know why ones higher than the other but it will do for a start.

So all in all i am pleased with the RO's was worried they might be broke.

The total reading in the tank is "4" so the di vessil shouldnt be a problem,

How do you guage your 60/40 ratio on your pure to waste , is that right the pure should be 60 and the waste 40

[Moderator David@stives]

Its getting better

After the ro's I am getting a big fat  " Zero"  from one,and    "three"  from the other, maybe they will both go to zero.