I would like to read your thoughts on an RV water softener. What brand to buy, cost, and is it worth the effort to load and unload? Thanks for sharing your ideas and thoughts.....Tommy
rclvnv said
06:10 AM May 31, 2013
Hi, We fulltime and spend about 1/2 our time in the Southwest, where hard water is really a factor Before that we had a house in Las Vegas (very hard water). Bought it new. Pipes were occluded after five years. We bought a softener for our RV because of this. First one was OK, but found a larger one on E Bay for less money. Needs regeneration only once a month, then three pounds of table salt does the trick.
travelrv said
06:42 AM May 31, 2013
Richard,
Thank you for your response. Could you tell me the make, and how you haul and use it, or do you have it mounted? I am going into this thing blind, so any suggestions will be a great help. Have a great weekend...............................Tommy
bjoyce said
09:02 AM May 31, 2013
I have thought of buying this one, http://www.flowpur.com/html/rv_water_softener.html , since I have seen positive comments from RVers who like it. The downside is you have to do your own water testing and monitoring of the softener, so it works best if you sit in each camping spot a while.
-- Edited by bjoyce on Friday 31st of May 2013 09:06:12 AM
Terry and Jo said
02:04 PM May 31, 2013
Tommy,
If you haven't already done so, use the "Search" function up in the blue bar at the top of the forums and use "water softener" as the search phrase. There weren't a lot of threads related to them, but one of the few that was there had 33 responses.
Terry
Clay L said
04:23 PM May 31, 2013
bjoyce wrote:
I have thought of buying this one, http://www.flowpur.com/html/rv_water_softener.html , since I have seen positive comments from RVers who like it. The downside is you have to do your own water testing and monitoring of the softener, so it works best if you sit in each camping spot a while.
-- Edited by bjoyce on Friday 31st of May 2013 09:06:12 AM
That is the one I have been using for several years. For the last 7 or 8 years we have been spending winters in Bouse AZ where the water is at least 50 grains of hardness per gallon. I say at least because 50 gpg is as high as my test strips go.
The Mark 8000 is a 8000 gpg unit and in AZ I have to recharge it with a box of common table salt every ten days.
Here in our summer site in CO the water is 20 gpg (considered very hard) and I can go 30 days without recharging.
I have my whole house water filter and the softener set up with quick disconnects and one of the short intermediate hoses is about 3 ft long. I plug it into the softener quick connects so the water can't get out and put it in the trunk of the toad. Many people have enough room in a basement compartment for one.
adeline and ed said
04:51 PM May 31, 2013
I just installed the double on to go, and got it at rvwaterfilterstore. They supplied a fair price and a lot of FREE information. The only thing i don't like so far is coffee with water,might have to keep a jug of pretreated water
bjoyce said
05:18 PM May 31, 2013
adeline and ed wrote:
I just installed the double on to go, and got it at rvwaterfilterstore. They supplied a fair price and a lot of FREE information. The only thing i don't like so far is coffee with water,might have to keep a jug of pretreated water
Try a Brita type pitcher first, it might be all you need. Maybe borrow one for a couple pitcher fulls to see if it will work, paying for a filter. If not, you can add an RO system under the kitchen sink to have salt free drinking and cooking water.
rclvnv said
02:19 PM Jun 2, 2013
I'm sorry I took so long to get back to you. The place I bought the larger softener from on e-bay can be contacted at azsalezguy@ cox.net, or by calling Will Mathews 623-695-1524. Mine is a 12,800 Grain unit. I think I paid about $190.00. I first had the "on the Go" small unit, which had to be regenerated every week, as we have a washer in our rig, but most importantly, the plastic fittings on the first unit wore out quickly, causing leaks. The unit I got from this guy is all brass fittings, so that hooking it up to your water supply hoses will not strip out the plastic threads like in the other units. I have friends who have had the same problem with the other units. Mine came with full instructions for regeneration. I usually drain mine before moving by disconnecting it from the hoses, turning it upside down and letting it drain.(Do not remove top cap!!) Then put in in the back of the truck to transport it. Note: Do not take the top cap off and turn it over or upside down, or you will lose the resin beads (don't ask me how I know this). This unit is slightly bigger and heavier than the 8000 grain unit, but no more difficult to transport, IMHO.
Richard
-- Edited by rclvnv on Sunday 2nd of June 2013 02:23:14 PM
travelrv said
08:50 PM Jun 2, 2013
Thank you all, for your thoughts and suggestions. Your info is helpful in making our decision. H ave a great week.
travelrv said
05:14 AM Jun 4, 2013
Thank you Richard for your information on the water softener. I tried an email to that address, but I could not get it to go. I will call Will tomorrow and see if we can buy one. Many thanks for thinking of us and sharing your thoughts. Have a great week. T.J.
travelrv said
06:26 AM Jun 12, 2013
Richard, My softener will be here Thursday, Will was a great help.....Thanks you Again
I would like to read your thoughts on an RV water softener. What brand to buy, cost, and is it worth the effort to load and unload? Thanks for sharing your ideas and thoughts.....Tommy
Before that we had a house in Las Vegas (very hard water). Bought it new. Pipes were occluded after five years. We bought a softener for our RV because of this. First one was OK, but found a larger one on E Bay for less money. Needs regeneration only once a month, then three pounds of table salt does the trick.
Richard,
Thank you for your response. Could you tell me the make, and how you haul and use it, or do you have it mounted? I am going into this thing blind, so any suggestions will be a great help. Have a great weekend...............................Tommy
I have thought of buying this one, http://www.flowpur.com/html/rv_water_softener.html , since I have seen positive comments from RVers who like it. The downside is you have to do your own water testing and monitoring of the softener, so it works best if you sit in each camping spot a while.
It looks like http://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/SoftenersMineral.htm has the same basic product as "On the Go".
-- Edited by bjoyce on Friday 31st of May 2013 09:06:12 AM
Tommy,
If you haven't already done so, use the "Search" function up in the blue bar at the top of the forums and use "water softener" as the search phrase. There weren't a lot of threads related to them, but one of the few that was there had 33 responses.
Terry
That is the one I have been using for several years. For the last 7 or 8 years we have been spending winters in Bouse AZ where the water is at least 50 grains of hardness per gallon. I say at least because 50 gpg is as high as my test strips go.
The Mark 8000 is a 8000 gpg unit and in AZ I have to recharge it with a box of common table salt every ten days.
Here in our summer site in CO the water is 20 gpg (considered very hard) and I can go 30 days without recharging.
I have my whole house water filter and the softener set up with quick disconnects and one of the short intermediate hoses is about 3 ft long. I plug it into the softener quick connects so the water can't get out and put it in the trunk of the toad. Many people have enough room in a basement compartment for one.
The only thing i don't like so far is coffee with water,might have to keep a jug of pretreated water
Try a Brita type pitcher first, it might be all you need. Maybe borrow one for a couple pitcher fulls to see if it will work, paying for a filter. If not, you can add an RO system under the kitchen sink to have salt free drinking and cooking water.
I'm sorry I took so long to get back to you. The place I bought the larger softener from on e-bay can be contacted at azsalezguy@ cox.net, or by calling Will Mathews 623-695-1524. Mine is a 12,800 Grain unit. I think I paid about $190.00. I first had the "on the Go" small unit, which had to be regenerated every week, as we have a washer in our rig, but most importantly, the plastic fittings on the first unit wore out quickly, causing leaks. The unit I got from this guy is all brass fittings, so that hooking it up to your water supply hoses will not strip out the plastic threads like in the other units. I have friends who have had the same problem with the other units. Mine came with full instructions for regeneration. I usually drain mine before moving by disconnecting it from the hoses, turning it upside down and letting it drain.(Do not remove top cap!!) Then put in in the back of the truck to transport it. Note: Do not take the top cap off and turn it over or upside down, or you will lose the resin beads (don't ask me how I know this). This unit is slightly bigger and heavier than the 8000 grain unit, but no more difficult to transport, IMHO.
Richard
-- Edited by rclvnv on Sunday 2nd of June 2013 02:23:14 PM
ave a great week.
T.J.