Jump to content

Where will we need Potable water around the place - as we will have a water softener.


Recommended Posts

Just doing the first fix plumbing run's and wondered where we will need to run potable water, as in direct from the mains, as the house will have a water softener - Southern water is very hard! I was thinking of running it to all the bathroom taps, not the WCs, cisterns, showers or baths or indeed anywhere there is need to have balanced pressures on hot & cold, so you can safely drink the cold water there and to a filter tap beside the kitchen sink. We have great pressure and flow so I may have to condition the pressure before we split off to the softener and on to the UVC, I appreciate that the water softener will drop the pressure itself (looks like between 0.5 and 1 bar - which seems a lot but is what is quoted).

 

I wondered if there is anything else I should use the hard water for! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, MikeSharp01 said:

Can you brush teeth with softened water?

Oh yes, but softened water is not so good for consumption, I am sure the small amount of water consumed from a basin tap is minimal (but we are all different).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, MikeSharp01 said:

I wondered if there is anything else I should use the hard water for! 

We only used hard water for the toilet cisterns and drinking water at a three way kitchen tap.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have softened in the garage for washing the cars (inspired :D) then everywhere else except for kitchen, utility near bedrooms (fill up water water bottles) and outside taps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Similar to the above, we have softened water to everything (except the kitchen sink) including an option to send softened water to the outside tap which is the only hard water outlet.
 

The Quooker has a conditioned supply from a Combimate which stops any scale formation and is potable. Softened water is not an issue for teeth brushing. 
 

The combination of softened and conditioned water has us in a limescale free house in a very hard water area. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, joe90 said:

Oh yes, but softened water is not so good for consumption, I am sure the small amount of water consumed from a basin tap is minimal (but we are all different).

I find softened water fine for drinking, I actually prefer it for filling bottles and especially if boiling it up for tea. We put softened in the quooker, works great 

There's a few areas in the UK that the water is so hard that wras recommend against drinking it, but in most areas the salt added is so low it's not considered a risk 

 

Likewise I use softened water to fill the heating system. Couldn't find any advice either way but seemed worth trying to avoid getting limescale in there 

Edited by joth
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most gas boilers specifically prohibit the use of "artificially softened" to fill central heating systems, which why the heating system fill-point should be from the mains supply  I seem to remember it caused problems with the heat exchangers? I attach the relevant page from  WB Greenstar system boiler, which is now 8 years old.   

 

Maybe not problem with ASHP and modern UFH systems and  it should be checked

 

2024-03-28.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Does a water softener really reduce pressure by 0.5 to 1 bar ?

 

My mains is 3.5 bar and installing an UVC so this alone would take me below the 3bar the system should run at ?!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...