Water Softeners For Apartment

[Vincenzo Corleone]

Does anyone have any experience with water softeners for apartments, where the softener must be installed at the point of entry into the apartment rather than the main source? I'm in the market for water softeners for the shower, the kitchen sink and bath sink. Cannot use a "whole home" system. Any recommendations?

 

[NW-Bound]

If a water softener is installed at the water entry point to the apartment, then it is a "whole apartment" system. It is not any different than a "whole house" system.

Perhaps you simply want the smallest softener to fit in the space available. I used to have one, and it was in the garage.

 

[Vincenzo Corleone]

If a water softener is installed at the water entry point to the apartment, then it is a "whole apartment" system. It is not any different than a "whole house" system.

Perhaps you simply want the smallest softener to fit in the space available. I used to have one, and it was in the garage.

What I meant to say - maybe I didn't describe the situation clearly - is every shower, every sink has it's own set of pipes that run through the walls of the building. There is no one single point within my apartment unit.

Edit: For example, for the shower, I might want to use something like this: https://www.amazon.com/FEELSO-Softener-Showerhead-Cartridge-Substances/dp/B08FMMLKNS

 

[NW-Bound]

Wow. I don't know how practical it is to install a small individual water softener for each and every single faucet in the apartment. And you will need separate softeners for hot and cold water too?

I guess perhaps because it was never intended to bill individually each apartment for water usage, the whole plumbing was done as if the complex were a very large home with multiple bathrooms. If they need to do some plumbing work, they will shut down the whole complex. That's terrible.

How about hot water? Do you have your own water heater? Then, perhaps it's easier to turn the hot water way down to just lukewarm, then put the water softener there. When you take a shower or wash dishes, just use the warm water as it comes.

 

[Vincenzo Corleone]

Wow. I don't know how practical it is to install a small individual water softener for each and every single faucet in the apartment. And you will need separate softeners for hot and cold water too?

I guess perhaps because it was never intended to bill individually each apartment for water usage, the whole plumbing was done as if the complex were a very large home with multiple bathrooms. If they need to do some plumbing work, they will shut down the whole complex. That's terrible.

How about hot water? Do you have your own water heater? Then, perhaps it's easier to turn the hot water way down to just lukewarm, then put the water softener there. When you take a shower or wash dishes, just use the warm water as it comes.

I don't have my own water heater. For sinks, I would need a softener located at the point where the water comes out of the faucet, much like the one for the shower in the link in my previous post.

 

[ERD50]

....

Edit: For example, for the shower, I might want to use something like this: https://www.amazon.com/FEELSO-Softener-Showerhead-Cartridge-Substances/dp/B08FMMLKNS

Something like that will not soften water. It says "for hard water", but no claims that it actually softens it (I guess it survives in hard water?). If it has a charcoal filter, it will remove chlorine for a while, then the filter would need to be replaced.

I don't have my own water heater. For sinks, I would need a softener located at the point where the water comes out of the faucet, much like the one for the shower in the link in my previous post.

Have you talked to the building owner and other tenants about having a softener installed for the building? The only other thing I can imagine is hooking up a small traditional (ion-exchange, takes salt) water softener to a faucet somewhere and running a hose around. Not very practical, and that would only be cold water.

So talk to the owner.

-ERD50

 

[NW-Bound]

Something like that will not soften water. It says "for hard water", but no claims that it actually softens it (I guess it survives in hard water?). If it has a charcoal filter, it will remove chlorine for a while, then the filter would need to be replaced...

+1

A water softener works by using resin beads to exchange calcium ions with sodium or potassium ions. And the resin beads have to be regenerated periodically by washing and saturating them with a salt solution. If a water filter does not have a salt container, it's not a water softener.

 

[springnr]

An alternative softener technology

https://www.purewaterproducts.com/watts-oneflow


You might be able to sell the softener system to the owner/tenants as preventative measure as the system is low maintenance and removes scale.



These units are residential and might not be adequate for the size building you are in. I've found the above linked folks helpful in the past. A quick call to spec a system should provide feasibility information.

 

[ERD50]

https://www.purewaterproducts.com/watts-oneflow


You might be able to sell the softener system to the owner/tenants as preventative measure as the system is low maintenance and removes scale.



These units are residential and might not be adequate for the size building you are in. I've found the above linked folks helpful in the past. A quick call to spec a system should provide feasibility information.

I'd be interested to see an actual qualified independent 3rd party test of these units. There is a lot of snake-oil in this arena.

I'm skeptical, but can be convinced.

I just skimmed, but it seems the only claim they make is that it will keep your pipes scale free. They say dishes will still be spotted, no mention of better detergent action, so I'm not sure what this really buys you.

-ERD50