From: "Gary Slusser" 
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house alt.home.repair
Subject: Re: water softener combo tank or 2 separate?
Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 22:52:16 -0500


"Todd Hammerschmidt"  wrote
>
> I'm in the market for a whole house water softener system and have
> tried to read as many 'worthwhile' newsgroups on which product to get
> and which ones to avoid. This has proven quite difficult to say the
> least!
>
> I seem to be leaning towards the Kinetico 2 tank system and saw that
> you recently posted that this is what you have * could you please tell
> me;
> - why/why not to get such a system?
> - what does Kinetico not tell you?
> - Your approx. cost?
> - anything else that would help someone as dumb as me :}
> Thanks!

If you don't have a need for a twin tank, why buy one? Need is usually
defined as requiring soft water 24 hrs/day or in other words, between the
hours of 2 AM and 3:30 AM when a regular softener is regenerating every few
days to once a week.

IMO, they don't warn against using their fine toothed tight tolerance water
powered gearing type control valve on heavy iron where it can bog down, or
what I said above about need. Also, they tout nonelectric as if regular
control valves used a lot of it. Which they don't because the motors are
rated 3w maximum which is about what a wall clock uses. Which the only time
more power than what is needed to run a clock is used is when the motor runs
to drive the control from one cycle to the next during a regeneration which
is less than 2 minutes per regen.... but those electric motors, they have
the required power to handle heavy iron water when the rust forms in the
control valve inlets etc..

For some of my prices, click on my web site URL. I have a number of twin
tank softeners there in different capacities. And if they don't fit your
need, try my custom softener page. I also have another twin tank model that
isn't on the web site; it's an Autotrol.

There's no dumb question except the one you don't ask and I receive many
emails per day from total strangers with many questions that I usually
answer in the order of receipt. My email address works or you can ask
questions on my webs site bulletin board.

Gary
Quality Water Associates