Watersoftener owning vs renting

[gimmeagig]

I'm currently renting my softener from Culligan. I'm wondering if it might make sense for me to buy a water softener for my truck .
I always carry my own water in my onboard 150 gal tank. What are the options for a setup like that?

 

[floorguy]

do you run out during the day??

if not, just have a hook up at home and fill at home every day...with soft water at home

 

[Desk Jockey]

I agree get it at home and have the benefits there along with pretty much unlimited capacity for the truck.

 

[Billy]

We have a Onboard Softener for those times when we have to top the tank off in the field although it doesn't happen that often. Generally We fill the tank from our own water & have a Softener & Whole House 15 stage filter for this.

We have never rented always owned & recently our EcoWater softener required re-bedding which it turns out was part of the Limited Lifetime warranty so all I paid was labor & non covered wear items. That was a surprise since my first softener was a Culligan which lasted all of 4 years then went to dump along with the Reverse Osmosis a year earlier purchased at same time. Even bigger surprise was I was ready to pay for the EcoWater to be replaced but the EcoWater Tech informed me I purchased the + model which has a Lifetime warranty on most everything.

I also used to have the Forever Magnet but wasn't sure it really did anything so went back to waster softener.

But to your question I wouldn't rent a Softener when they aren't really that expensive really & are just a cost of business IMO.

 

[Total_Rookie]

We use the Nuvo h2o in the v. It's small, needs no recharging and works.

I have a rainsoft water softener at home as well as a 55 fwt on the v. But will not fill my fwt from my home. Unless I'm on my way to clean a job with no water.

 

[gimmeagig]

One tank is all I need in a day most of the time. I do live in a small town so if I needed a refill I could go home for that. But my garage is not heated and if I bough a at home water softener I would not be sure I would have a space for it where it doesn't freeze. I have a separate room in the garage where our radiant heating system and the water heater are but there is no room for a softener.
So a unit that stays in the truck would be my preference.

 

[Johnny]

How long does a full-size, on-board softener typically last? Is a re-bed worthwhile?

 

[Billy]

How long does a full-size, on-board softener typically last? Is a re-bed worthwhile?

As long as the equipment is in good working order & it is cost effective a re-bed makes it like new again as far as softening. Also I watched mine being done & it looked like a simple process really.

He used a vacuum to remove old resin & rock then just used a special funnel to re-bed it.

 

[Jim Martin]

How long does a full-size, on-board softener typically last? Is a re-bed worthwhile?

there really simple.....if you get those test strips and pay attention to the hardness of the water...you can pretty much know what type of re-charging schedule to put it on....
I don't think that those test strips are really that accurate.....your just looking for more or less a pattern for re-charging it...

every other re-charge....reverse the lines and back flush the softener......this will fluff the beads up...if you don't do this then the water will just cut a track threw them and the softener will not work like it should....

proper care...and you should not have to worry about re-beading the thing...........they last longer then you think.......

 

[Shane T]

One tank is all I need in a day most of the time. I do live in a small town so if I needed a refill I could go home for that. But my garage is not heated and if I bough a at home water softener I would not be sure I would have a space for it where it doesn't freeze. I have a separate room in the garage where our radiant heating system and the water heater are but there is no room for a softener.
So a unit that stays in the truck would be my preference.

You don't need to have the brine tank in the same location as the resin tank. Put the brine tank in the non-heated area.

 

[tngvegas]

every other re-charge....reverse the lines and back flush the softener......this will fluff the beads up...if you don't do this then the water will just cut a track threw them and the softener will not work like it should....

Jim can you explain this some more. what lines need to be reversed?

 

[floorguy]

the inlet and outlet.....

more so if its the tank with out the brine tank...if its just the stand alone tank

 

[Jim Martin]

every other re-charge....reverse the lines and back flush the softener......this will fluff the beads up...if you don't do this then the water will just cut a track threw them and the softener will not work like it should....

Jim can you explain this some more. what lines need to be reversed?

take the inlet and put it over on the outlet side and then take a small hose and hook it up to the inlet side and toss it on the ground...let it run a for about 5 min on a med flow...this will fluff the beads and your softener will work better....

 

[Kevin B]

I think i paid a grand for my system. Hydroforce. This time of year its not that big of a deal to exchange, but we found in May-October it just isnt going to happen like it should. Its more about convenience than about the cost. At 10 bucks a month or so, those little culligan tanks are simple but its not easy to swing by Appleway and do the exhange.

 

[BLewis]

We have owned however this time we chose to lease. At my lease payment it would take 9.5 years (not counting interest) to purchase. Also, the lease covers any breakdowns. They want you to purchase the pellets from them but this is not required. I have several restaurants I can trade out services for pellets anytime so basically no expense there. We installed in the shop ( garage) and have the benefit of use in the entire house and my 225 gal tank will last any given day part and topped off at night we can cleaned 2 of our regular restaurant accts or 1 large with plenty of water left over. I think it's a personal preference

 

[AshleyMckendree]

We have owned however this time we chose to lease. At my lease payment it would take 9.5 years (not counting interest) to purchase. Also, the lease covers any breakdowns. They want you to purchase the pellets from them but this is not required. I have several restaurants I can trade out services for pellets anytime so basically no expense there. We installed in the shop ( garage) and have the benefit of use in the entire house and my 225 gal tank will last any given day part and topped off at night we can cleaned 2 of our regular restaurant accts or 1 large with plenty of water left over. I think it's a personal preference

Just make sure they don't install it BACKWARDS

 

[GCCLee]

So whats the best way to poor man cobble one a these things into a system. Home depot : )

 

[Mikey P]

Any thing new in Softner set ups?

No room for a Kinetico in the Promaster.

Thinking about renting a Culligan and I know my guys wont baby sit a regen on a Hydraforce/Prochem system..

 

[Vincent Feehan]

culligan is ok , but unless you set up a easy in, easy out system it will be a pita for crews to deal with

 

[Matt Middleton]

We leased softeners for years. Then Eco-Water went out of business.

I bought a large softener, installed in shop but also connected to our home. Fill up the Butler and away we go. Add a bag of pellets every other week.

In the Ozarks when you run out of soft water the cleaning stops. We have very hard water and the quality of cleaning is easy to see when you have to use hard water.

 

[Mikey P]

Scott Noble, who's no dumby, swears by this...

http://bojifilters.com