for those levels i recommend reverse osmosis to strip it to 0ppm and then a calcite filter to add back what you need to get to 50ppm - it will be less expensive than BWT style resin softening filters, albeit with a slightly higher initial outlay - the lower operating costs will have a fairly quick payback
Yeah I know it's a lot and we need something to protect the pipes too. I thought RO systems tend to lower the water pressure more than what's acceptable for shower heads, washing machines etc. - but I'll let professionals handle this anyway...
In the process of purchasing new filters and RO membrane I came across RO membranes that offer different levels of salt rejection (standard RO membranes filter out 99%, these membranes have option of 90% or 50% salt rejection rates) I purchased the 90% membrane and my RO TDS now measures at 40-50 PPM vs the 10-20 with the original membrane (my tap water TDS is around 200-225).
dont forget though, high TDS is 'good' just so long as the compounds within the TDS value that precipitate out (calcium carbonate & magnesium carbonate, unless you are on bore water in which case there is also a possibility of ferric oxide too, but you will know if that is present as your water will be a rusty brown colour) do not exceed about 80ppm, and ideally closer to 50ppm as i mentioned previously
it is critically important to understand that only calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate precipitate out of solution when the water is boiler; all the other compounds that comprise the TDS value do not precipitate out
so you want a high TDS value, but with the proviso that not more that about 70ppm of the TDS is coming from/comprising the total of calcium carbonate & magnesium carbonate
time and again i see people writing about scale and carbonate hardness and using the TDS value as a proxy; this simply can not be done. people do it because the TDS value is usually disclosed whereas the carbonate hardness is usually not disclosed. the only way to resolve this is to invest in a water hardness test kit. these can readily be found online. if you need help, please ask in this forum
that's definitely an important point/clarification to call out. A lot of us (speaking mostly about myself) are lazy and like the convenience of sticking a probe in water and reading a digital number vs. counting drops
Comments
for those levels i recommend reverse osmosis to strip it to 0ppm and then a calcite filter to add back what you need to get to 50ppm - it will be less expensive than BWT style resin softening filters, albeit with a slightly higher initial outlay - the lower operating costs will have a fairly quick payback
I purchased the 90% membrane and my RO TDS now measures at 40-50 PPM vs the 10-20 with the original membrane (my tap water TDS is around 200-225).
http://www.wateranywhere.com/index.php?cPath=22_38
that's a helpful post, i didn't know that such a thing existed. thank you
reiss.
it is critically important to understand that only calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate precipitate out of solution when the water is boiler; all the other compounds that comprise the TDS value do not precipitate out
so you want a high TDS value, but with the proviso that not more that about 70ppm of the TDS is coming from/comprising the total of calcium carbonate & magnesium carbonate
time and again i see people writing about scale and carbonate hardness and using the TDS value as a proxy; this simply can not be done. people do it because the TDS value is usually disclosed whereas the carbonate hardness is usually not disclosed. the only way to resolve this is to invest in a water hardness test kit. these can readily be found online. if you need help, please ask in this forum
reiss.