I already asked some questions about our gas supplier in another thread—thanks again for the feedback.
Now we are facing the decision: "Water softener system—yes or no?"
Our house is about 10 years old (just bought it). Unfortunately, we have very hard water here (around 23). You can already see it on the faucets (where the water comes out), and of course, this isn’t ideal for cleaning or for the pipes either.
We were advised to install a water softener system (we had the idea before, too). However, the local utility company advises against it, and I have also read that these systems can be prone to bacterial growth if they are not properly maintained. Also, chemicals are said to be added to the water (I initially thought it worked through a special salt). Maintenance and service costs also seem quite high, on top of the initial purchase price.
How have you dealt with this? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages?
At the moment, I am leaning toward not installing one.
Now we are facing the decision: "Water softener system—yes or no?"
Our house is about 10 years old (just bought it). Unfortunately, we have very hard water here (around 23). You can already see it on the faucets (where the water comes out), and of course, this isn’t ideal for cleaning or for the pipes either.
We were advised to install a water softener system (we had the idea before, too). However, the local utility company advises against it, and I have also read that these systems can be prone to bacterial growth if they are not properly maintained. Also, chemicals are said to be added to the water (I initially thought it worked through a special salt). Maintenance and service costs also seem quite high, on top of the initial purchase price.
How have you dealt with this? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages?
At the moment, I am leaning toward not installing one.
S
Strahleman19 Jul 2021 22:51We are currently looking for a water softener system. At the moment, I’m quite torn. There are the well-known major manufacturers like Grünbeck or Judo, and then there are the “component-based” systems from Aqmos and others. The latter are generally simpler and consume more salt during regeneration, but they cost only about half as much. The components themselves are often identical in both types of systems. In many cases, the individual parts are even DVGW certified, but the complete system is not.
Has anyone had the chance to test both types? We don’t need any smart Wi-Fi features or anything like that; a simple, user-friendly system that does its job is enough. However, we also don’t want a cheap model that breaks down after a year.
Has anyone had the chance to test both types? We don’t need any smart Wi-Fi features or anything like that; a simple, user-friendly system that does its job is enough. However, we also don’t want a cheap model that breaks down after a year.
Strahleman schrieb:
We are currently looking for a water softening system. At the moment, I’m really torn. There are the well-known major manufacturers like Grünbeck or Judo, and then there are the "component systems" from Aqmos and others. The latter are simpler and use more salt during regeneration but cost only about half as much. The components themselves are often identical across these systems. In many cases, individual parts are even certified by DVGW, but the entire system is not.
Has anyone had the chance to test both types? We don’t need any smart Wi-Fi stuff or similar features, just a simple, easy-to-use system that does its job. But we also don’t want a cheap product that breaks down after a year. I always wanted a system from Grünbeck or similar... in the end, I went with a no-name product. So far, it does what it’s supposed to do—I just check the salt occasionally, and that’s it.
V
vorkalmatador20 Jul 2021 09:07Hello,
we are currently having a semi-detached house built by a developer in the northern part of Berlin. Unfortunately, the water supply there is very hard, so installing a water softening system definitely makes sense.
Unfortunately, the construction is now already at an advanced stage (doors and windows are installed, and electrical wiring will be done this week), so it might be a bit late to have the developer include the installation of such a system?
Can a system like this also be easily retrofitted after moving in, or do any preparations for the installation need to be made beforehand?
Best regards
we are currently having a semi-detached house built by a developer in the northern part of Berlin. Unfortunately, the water supply there is very hard, so installing a water softening system definitely makes sense.
Unfortunately, the construction is now already at an advanced stage (doors and windows are installed, and electrical wiring will be done this week), so it might be a bit late to have the developer include the installation of such a system?
Can a system like this also be easily retrofitted after moving in, or do any preparations for the installation need to be made beforehand?
Best regards
H
hampshire20 Jul 2021 09:17vorkalmatador schrieb:
Is it possible to retrofit something like this without any issues after moving in, or do any preparations need to be made for the installation?The device must be installed at a point in the pipework before the outlets and taps that will receive the softened water. You should determine this location during the planning stage. The pipe must be accessible, and you will need a drain pipe since the devices have a regeneration flush, an electrical outlet, and sufficient maintenance access space for the unit and storage of some salt. Tip: I would divert the garden water supply before the device to save on operating costs.
A brief note about my experience. We had water hardness of 21 for over 20 years, and in the electric water heater (220 liters) there was a handful of scale every 5 years. Even though the temperature was set below 60°C (140°F), the heating element always reached the same high temperature (around 90°C (194°F)?), which is definitely the most unfavorable condition, but it did not affect the lifespan. For the past year, the water utility has implemented a decalcification process (rapid decarbonation) to reduce hardness to 12°, with taste remaining unchanged depending on sensitivity, and fewer water spots. If hardness drops too low, the pH value also decreases, which can damage existing galvanized pipes. With new construction using plastic (coated) pipes, this is certainly not a problem.
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